A hybrid of MOBA and survival genres, Prime Arena wants to preserve the ‘last man standing’ allure of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, a game which has captivated hundreds of thousands of players, sold eight million copies, and is hungrily sizing up Dota 2’s position of most played game on Steam.
In Prime Arena, independent developer Nival (Blitzkrieg) is serving up a dynamic deathmatch free for all; forced socialisation and the team-based focus of MOBAs is done away with in favour of prioritising skill and reaction speed of the individual. The match pacing is quick, and lets players instantly jump into another session should they be killed—absolutely no waiting required.
Head developer Alexander Myasischev believes the main problem endemic to many MOBAs is the “toxic atmosphere” that’s created when players argue with each other and act aggressively; to combat the hostility, Myasischev has made Prime Arena about “solo carries” were players can “compete in continuous duels and massive battles proving one’s superiority”.
Prime Arena is currently in closed alpha and is expected to launch on Steam this fall.