Neill Blomkamp, the director behind sci-fi classics like ‘District 9’ and ‘Chappie’, is launching a new multiplayer shooter game called ‘Off the Grid’ that features integration with blockchain technology. The game’s developer, Gunzilla Games, has announced the launch of a mobile version of the game that runs on a dedicated subnet of the Avalanche blockchain.
Introduction
Blomkamp is well known for directing thought-provoking sci-fi films that explore themes of discrimination, humanity, and technology gone wrong. His unique visual style and ability to seamlessly blend CGI with live-action has earned him global recognition.
Now, he’s turning his directorial talents towards the world of gaming by teaming up with Gunzilla Games to create ‘Off the Grid’. It’s an ambitious multiplayer AAA shooter game set in a dystopian cyberpunk world.
What makes ‘Off the Grid’ stand out is its extensive integration with blockchain technology and a dedicated subnet on the Avalanche network. This allows the game to offer true in-game asset ownership through NFTs and enables new models like play-to-earn.
The recent launch of a mobile version of the game marks a major milestone in getting ‘Off the Grid’ into the hands of players sooner. As Gunzilla rolls out the Avalanche subnet to support the game, interest in the project continues to grow.
‘Off The Grid’ Game Overview
‘Off the Grid’ is a multiplayer, third-person shooter game that takes place in a dystopian cyberpunk setting. Here’s an overview of some of the key details about the game:
- Genre: FPS/TPS multiplayer shooter
- Setting: Cyberpunk dystopian future
- Key Features: 150 player PvP battle royale mode, 60 hour story campaign, weapon and character customization through NFTs
- Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, iOS, Android
- Monetization: Free-to-play with in-game NFT purchases
- Blockchain: Avalanche subnet integration for NFTs and asset ownership
The game is being built with Unreal Engine 5 to deliver cutting-edge graphics and gameplay. Some of the key features include a massive 150 player battle royale mode, a 60+ hour narrative campaign, and deep weapon and character customization through NFTs minted on the blockchain.
Set in a dystopian cyberpunk future, players will explore a world of advanced technology juxtaposed with corporate greed and civil unrest. This provides the backdrop for the game’s multiplayer modes and story campaign.
Why ‘Off The Grid’ Is Exciting
There are several reasons why ‘Off the Grid’ is generating excitement and anticipation in the gaming community:
Neill Blomkamp’s Involvement
Having the director behind classics like ‘District 9’ and ‘Elysium’ involved in creating the game’s world and narrative gives it instant credibility. Blomkamp’s signature style of mixing science fiction elements with social commentary is a perfect fit for the cyberpunk genre.
His cinematic visual approach will lend a very filmic and immersive quality to the game’s campaign storytelling and cutscenes. Fans of his movies have a lot to look forward to in seeing his creative vision translated to gameplay.
Next-Gen Graphics Powered by Unreal Engine 5
Built using Epic’s cutting-edge Unreal Engine 5, ‘Off the Grid’ promises to set a new visual benchmark for multiplayer shooters. UE5 enables photorealistic graphics with stunning environments and character models.
This technology in the hands of Blomkamp will make ‘Off the Grid’ one of the best looking games when it launches. The dystopian cyberpunk setting will truly come alive thanks to the power of Unreal Engine 5.
Ambitious Narrative Campaign
Unlike many multiplayer shooters that focus just on PvP modes, ‘Off the Grid’ will have an extensive 60+ hour narrative campaign. This campaign will provide the rich world building and storytelling Blomkamp is known for.
Players will have lots of content to enjoy even playing solo. The campaign will help establish the game’s cyberpunk setting and characters before jumping into multiplayer.
True Asset Ownership through Blockchain Integration
‘Off the Grid’ is breaking new ground in the shooter genre by integrating blockchain technology into its core experience. Through a dedicated Avalanche subnet, players will truly own in-game assets like skins, weapons, gear etc as NFTs.
This play-to-earn model empowers players to trade or sell their in-game items. It creates a whole player-driven economy around cosmetics and customization.
AAA Production Values
As a self-described “AAA shooter experience”, ‘Off the Grid’ has the budget and scope to rival top multiplayer franchises like Call of Duty or Battlefield.
No expenses are being spared to pack the game with content and polish it to a fine sheen. This gives it the potential to become the next big thing in competitive shooters upon release.
Details on the Mobile Game Launch
In August 2022, Gunzilla Games announced the soft launch of ‘Off the Grid’ on mobile platforms. This early version gives players a first look at the game’s gameplay and cyberpunk setting ahead of its full release.
Here are some key details about the mobile launch:
- Platforms: iOS and Android
- Content: Tutorial mission and practice arena with shooting, abilities, customization
- Purpose: Test core gameplay features, gather player feedback, build hype
- Region availability: Japan only currently but expanding to more regions soon
This initial mobile release serves a few purposes. It allows Gunzilla to test ‘Off the Grid’s core mechanics like gunplay, player movement, abilities, and customization options in a real-world setting. Player feedback will help the developers refine and polish these features for the full launch.
It also builds crucial hype and interest in the game by giving fans an early look. The mobile version will help prove that all the ambitious promises for ‘Off the Grid’ can deliver in actual gameplay.
What We Know About the Avalanche Integration (Cont.)
- In-game economy – The NFT model enables an entire player-driven economy around buying, selling, and trading cosmetics, weapons, etc. This also allows for play-to-earn potential.
- Interoperability – Assets purchased in ‘Off the Grid’ can potentially be used across other games connected to Avalanche as the metaverse expands.
- Low transaction fees – Avalanche’s high throughput allows the game to offer microtransactions with lower gas fees compared to alternatives like Ethereum.
- C-chain support – ‘Off the Grid’ will leverage Avalanche’s C-chain which is optimized for creating and trading compliant digital assets.
- Avalanche Rush – This suite of tools designed for games will handle all the backend blockchain complexity so devs can focus on core gameplay.
By developing on a dedicated subnet, Gunzilla is able to customize the network architecture to precisely fit the needs of ‘Off the Grid’. This level of integration between a AAA game and blockchain is unprecedented and marks a major step forward for Web3 gaming.
Reception to the Mobile Launch
The mobile soft launch of ‘Off the Grid’ seems to be going quite well so far based on initial reception and reviews. Here’s a quick overview:
- Strong download numbers – Reportedly over 500,000 downloads in the first week in the limited Japan launch.
- Positive first impressions – General praise for the game’s visuals, gunplay mechanics, and smooth performance.
- Encouraging player feedback – Many players commenting that the core gameplay loop is fun and satisfying.
- Interest building globally – Positive reactions from gamers worldwide anticipating the global launch.
- Streamers showcasing the game – Several popular streamers trying out the game for their audiences.
For a mobile soft launch available only in one country so far, the response has been very promising. It suggests strong product-market fit and demand for a high quality AAA shooter experience on mobile.
The success of the mobile launch bodes well for the planned releases on console and PC. It shows that Gunzilla is capable of delivering on the ambitious promises for ‘Off the Grid’.
Looking Ahead to the Full Launch
While only a small slice of ‘Off the Grid’ is currently playable on mobile, the full launch aims to deliver a complete AAA multiplayer shooter experience. Here’s a look at what fans can expect when the game fully releases:
- Expanded content – Much more playable characters, maps, modes, weapons, abilities, cosmetics, etc. beyond the current build.
- Console/PC launch – Major launch on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC with enhanced graphics and performance.
- Full PvP modes – Large player count competitive multiplayer and battle royale modes.
- In-depth campaign – Around 60 hours of story content spanning diverse locations.
- Expanded customization – Much wider array of cosmetics and options to customize characters, weapons, gear etc.
- Ongoing support – Regular post-launch updates including new seasons, progression systems, in-game events, and more.
- Esports integration – Competitive tournaments and streams organized officially by the game’s creators.
- Continued blockchain expansion – Potentially more extensive NFT integration and play-to-earn features.
If the mobile launch is any indication, ‘Off the Grid’ could become one of the most important new multiplayer shooter IPs when it fully releases. The blockchain and NFT integration also make it one of the most groundbreaking AAA blockchain games so far.
Conclusion
Neill Blomkamp lending his trademark talent and vision to ‘Off the Grid’ makes it a shooter with incredible potential. The early mobile launch highlights the game’s promise with stellar production values and fun core mechanics.
Integration with Avalanche blockchain technology means ‘Off the Grid’ could pioneer a new model of true in-game ownership and play-to-earn economics. As the first AAA title built from scratch for this kind of Web3 ecosystem, excitement will continue building towards its full launch across console, PC and mobile.