Battle Royale, as a genre, has been in need of a proper shakeup. The same names have been dominating the market for a spell, leaving little room for another powerhouse to edge its way in. Cue Off the Grid, an explosive 150-player third-person Extraction Royale from the twisted minds at Gunzilla Games and visionary Neill Blomkamp. 

Blending a 60-hour PvE narrative campaign with the game’s nonstop battle royale PvP firefight, Off the Grid is an innovative approach to a formula gone stale. Blomkamp’s penchant for off-the-wall science fiction gives Off the Grid its setting: a dystopian cyberpunk world featuring equipable cyberlimbs and body augmentations that can turn the tides of the intense battle.

New Battle Royale games come and go, often just barely showing up as a blip on the radar. Built on Avalanche, Off the Grid has enjoyed more of an explosive introduction, especially with its Early Access release of Episode 1: Switcher. 

Players have been enjoying a taste of Blomkamp’s vision. Despite Gunzilla sneaking Off the Grid out with a shadow launch, the game’s marketing immediately drummed up interest. TikTok ads flooded the FYP, enticing players to Teardrop Island. There’s no doubt the launch marketing was a success, as Off the Grid jumped to the number one Free-to-Play spot on the Epic Games Store. 

Despite its link to Web2, Web3, and blockchain tech, a contentious trio in the gaming industry, Off the Grid’s thrill-a-minute gameplay has kept players returning to Teardrop Island. Within days of the Early Access launch, the game drew in over 150,000 viewers on Twitch and was all over Google News, with outlets like CNET and Cointelegraph offering affirmations for the unique shooter.

Maybe the most telling sign of Off the Grid’s allure was Ava Labs COO Luigi D’Onorio DeMeo tweeting that the game was responsible for adding more than 7 million new users. With more episodes slated for release, Off the Grid can expect continued growth, especially as it fine-tunes its use of Blockchain, NFT, and Cryptocurrency.

Surviving in the gaming industry is all about longevity. Off the Grid has the promise of a bright future, with more of Blomkamp’s story to come in upcoming episodes. With known influencers and content creators like Tim the Tatman and Shroud leading the charge into the cyberpunk shooter, the game’s success in Early Access can’t be overstated.