If you live in the U.S., the name “Warface” may mean absolutely nothing to you. When it comes to first-person shooters, it’s titles like Call of Duty, Battlefield, and Halo that stand out as genre leaders. However, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t massive, online experiences elsewhere in the world. In fact, Warface, Crytek’s free-to-play FPS that’s said to have AAA production values, just broke the record for most online players simultaneously present on one online shooter server.
It’s an impressive feat, and one that couldn’t have been accomplished without the organizational help of Mail.Ru Games – a leading internet service provider and online games publisher currently opperating Warface in Russia. More than 145,000 Russian Warface players were running and gunning in the world at once, and astoundingly, 9 million players have registered for the shooter during its first year.
“Warface stands out from other shooters for many reasons,” said Vladimir Nikolsky, Vice President of the Games Division at Mail.Ru. “The fact that it’s created with CryENGINE 3, its exciting co-op and versus modes, and the constant updates to the game world all set it apart and have helped to ensure its popularity with players and press. We’d like to thank everyone who has supported Warface so far, especially our players, who made this record possible.”
When can you join in on the fun? Crytek’s shooter is said to make its way to Western markets sometime later in 2013, with the possibility of console ports in the future. Those who are interested can also apply for a spot in the beta on the game’s website.