Off The Grid - What We Know So Far

Battle royale games are all the rage these days, and they're here to stay. From "Fortnite" to "Apex Legends" and beyond, gamers can't get enough of the genre that pits players against each other in an epic fight that leaves a lone winner standing. Given the growing collection of games in the genre, each new battle royale game must offer its own twist on the concept to keep players interested, especially as the genre's popularity expands indefinitely.

Enter "Off The Grid," the upcoming title from Neill Blomkamp, the director of the 2009 sci-fi movie "District 9." Blomkamp and the team at Gunzilla Games have the opportunity to make a big impression with what will be their first game. In addition to the "District 9" director, Gunzilla Games has many celebrated creatives on the team, including Olivier Henriot, who is best known for work on hit titles "Far Cry" and "Assassin's Creed." Together, the team is aiming to create a new kind of battle royale set in an apocalyptic atmosphere, combining a deep narrative with thrilling, modern gameplay.

Though there's still much more information to come about "Off The Grid" since it was just officially announced on May 5, 2022, what's been shared so far will give many gamers a taste of what's to come.

Naturally, there's no firm release date yet for "Off The Grid," which is to be expected given it was so recently announced. However, the creators have provided a generous window, and are expecting to have the game consumer-ready sometime in 2023.

Of course, delays are often part of the process for game releases. Since this will be the first game from Gunzilla Games, there's no track record to look back on to deduce the accuracy of the team's estimate. However, players can stay hopeful that the broad nature of the window suggests a promising combination of both caution and confidence on the part of the "Off The Grid" developers.

When "Off The Grid" releases sometime in 2023, if all is on track, gamers can expect it on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. It's always possible more consoles could be added through the development process, though there seems to be a clear strategic focus on next-gen consoles. "Off The Grid" has the potential to attract an especially wide audience since it will be free-to-play.

So far, there's just one trailer out for "Off The Grid." Though it's a tantalizingly short teaser, the trailer combined with other information that's been shared about the game should give players enough of an idea to determine whether or not the game may suit their interests.

The "Off The Grid" teaser is just 38 seconds long, so each shot is intentional even in its brevity. An armor-clad character with a gun and blade makes his way through a jungle in the dark of night. Ominous atmospherics set the scene for whatever is to come, and as the camera zooms out, viewers see that the character has prosthetic limbs. As the character reaches a clearing, he sees lights from what must be aircrafts, at which point he draws his blade which seems to be attached to his arm. Before the audience knows it, more flying objects approach what looks to be the tallest skyscraper in a cityscape. The music picks up as there's a cut to the title screen, along with information about Blomkamp and Gunzilla Games' involvement.

While it leads to more questions than answers, the "Off The Grid" teaser gives players a sense of the game's aesthetic that will help bring to life the currently available gameplay details. According to a Twitter update from Gunzilla Games on May 10, 2022, the trailer has received over 8 million views.

If one thing's for sure, it's that "Off The Grid" aims to put its own spin on the battle royale genre. War fueled by corporations is at the heart of this AAA third-person shooter's story, though it's clear it won't be an oversimplified or linear one. Players will get to choose a faction in "Off The Grid" as the mystery and rivalry plays out on the tropical island wasteland. As described by its creators, "Core to the experience and narrative is the unique way in which gamers can craft, customize, and trade their in-game items with each other."

Clearly, free choice is paramount in this free-to-play game. In fact, "Off The Grid" players can take part in either PvP or PvE quests all on the same live map. As for the PvP which will likely attract the more traditional battle royale crowd, it brings 150 players into the heart of the action, meaning chaos is inevitable and strategy is essential.

As Neill Blomkamp summed up, "With an innovative approach to the Battle Royale core session flow and a deep narrative experience, we add purpose to each element of the game, allowing players to revisit the OTG world repeatedly where there is always something new to find and explore, and for us to expand upon." It will be interesting to see exactly how these ideas take form. Players intrigued by the concept of "Off The Grid" can stay up-to-date through the Gunzilla Games Twitter.