Gunzilla Games, a video game development company that counts renowned filmmaker Neill Blomkamp among its leadership, has announced that it will launch a dedicated Avalanche subnet called GUNZ for its upcoming game, Off the Grid (OTG). The game is set to launch sometime in 2023, with Blomkamp directing a seven-episode miniseries inspired by the game’s world. The game will take place on and around the fictional Teardrop Island in the Pacific Ocean, where three greedy corporations battle for resources using high-tech soldiers with robotic body parts, sci-fi shields, and lots of guns. Gunzilla has emphasized that gameplay in Off the Grid is the primary focus, but players will also have the option to subscribe to a monthly battle pass that unlocks access to the GUNZ marketplace on the Avalanche subnet.
According to Gunzilla co-founder Vlad Korolev, the game is a traditional AAA multiplayer shooter that will be released on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation, and it can be enjoyed by both traditional gamers and Web3 gamers. He also stated that the game is not a Web3 game in itself, but it does offer greater transparency, security, and ownership over in-game assets to players. The game will compete with popular free-to-play shooters like Fortnite, PUBG, Call of Duty: Warzone, and Apex Legends. However, Gunzilla aims to offer an additional component that gives players more control over their in-game assets.
Korolev also made it clear that Gunzilla is not trying to force NFTs upon players or make the game a “pay-to-win” experience. Gunzilla will not directly sell any in-game assets to players or hide any progression elements behind a paywall. The only way players can obtain in-game assets in OTG will be by looting them within the game or buying them from other players. Gunzilla’s approach to NFTs is similar to that of fellow NFT-enhanced shooters Shrapnel and Deadrop, with a focus on transparency and player ownership.
When asked why Gunzilla chose to build on Avalanche, Ava Labs’ Head of Gaming Ed Chang cited the network’s underlying tech and the support that Ava Labs provides to developers in terms of development, co-marketing, and launching subnets. Chang also mentioned that Ava Labs supports projects with funding through the Avalanche Blizzard fund and Multiverse incentive fund. Avalanche has also launched its Avaissance residence program this week, which is a funding opportunity for digital artists and creators looking to launch Web3 projects on the network.
