Off The Grid, a blockchain-based battle royale game developed by Gunzilla Games has completed its first playtest on the PlayStation 5 (PS5). Initially announced for Xbox, this marks a significant milestone as the game appears to be the first blockchain game to be playtested on a console.
The game is hosted on Gunzilla’s gaming subnet, Gunz, which is built on the Layer-1 Avalanche blockchain. Following the playtest, Avalanche reported that over 30,000 players participated, generating approximately 400,000 transactions on the Gunz subnet. Players were incentivized with various in-game freebies during the test, adding to the excitement and engagement.
Off The Grid Cover Banner on X
What is Off The Grid?
Off The Grid is a high-end battle royale third-person shooter that also features a 60-hour single-player campaign. A unique aspect of the game is its integration of cybernetic limbs as swappable and tradable NFTs, along with a wide range of customizable weapons. These items can be traded using the game's mobile wallet, which operates with the GUN token. However, it is important to note that the GUN token is currently only active within the app and has not yet been launched externally.
Gunzilla Games' co-founder and CEO, Vlad Korolov, expressed his enthusiasm for the project, stating, "With the forthcoming launch of 'Off the Grid' and GUNZ to the public, we are not just advancing towards a new horizon in AAA gaming but also establishing a new standard in the blockchain space." Korolov's vision underscores the company's commitment to pushing the boundaries of innovation in web3 gaming.
Gunzilla Games has been developing Off The Grid for more than four years, raising over $100 million to bring this ambitious project to life. Despite the successful playtest, the official launch date of the game has yet to be announced.
Off The Grid Gameplay Footage
Avalanche Subnet
Gunzilla Games has also launched the test network for Gunz, a dedicated Avalanche-based blockchain subnet. Alongside, the studio released Technocore, a companion game enabling players to find items transferable as NFTs on Gunzilla's marketplace. “We chose Avalanche because we couldn’t make it work on any other chain,” Vlad Korolov stated, referring to the game’s wide-ranging blockchain features.
Off The Grid's availability extends to PC gamers on the Epic Games Store, as well as soon-to-be-available PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S and X consoles. Multiplayer matches unfold on Teardrop Island, a sci-fi locale offering both player-vs-player (PVP) and player-vs-environment (PVE) battles, featuring many unique points of interest.
“We’ve been working so hard for the last four years to make the world which will never be boring for users to spend so much time there,” Vlad Korolov said. “In the era of TikTok, experienced users—it’s too boring for them to even watch YouTube. It’s too boring for them to wait on the map for 10 minutes until they experience some interaction with the world,” the CEO added, highlighting a challenge many FPS game developers face with multiplayer BR titles.
Off The Grid Gameplay Footage
Final Thoughts
The successful completion of this playtest highlights the potential for blockchain games to gain traction on major gaming consoles. As blockchain technology continues to evolve within the gaming industry, Off The Grid stands out as a pioneering example of how traditional gaming experiences can integrate with decentralized technologies. The game's upcoming launch is highly anticipated by both blockchain enthusiasts and the wider gaming community. More information is available here.
