Some gamers see PUBG as the also-ran to Epic Games’ Fortnite, but that label is both unfair and very much out of touch. While Fortnite now rules the live service roost, PUBG is still very close after it. Both games have more active players and make more money than most AAA games that have been released in the past five years, including other live service games.
Krafton has flexed in greenlighting games like The Callisto Protocol and [REDACTED], and acquired Tango Gameworks with their creation Hi-Fi Rush. It’s clear that in spite of publishing one of the most successful ongoing games in the industry’s history, the Korean game publisher is still very much interested in expanding their portfolio and reach.
As reported by Gematsu, Krafton has announced that PUBG Studios is working on a new game, called Project ARC. Project ARC is a five versus five team tactical shooter. With this description alone, you may assume that this is being developed as a competitor to Riot Games’ Valorant.
But Project ARC introduces a surprising twist, in that the game does not employ a first person or even third person perspective. Instead, the game is played with a top-down perspective.
So, Project ARC looks less like PUBG and Valorant, and more like Hotline Miami, the original Helldivers, or even Krafton’s other game, [REDACTED]. But even then, this is still an online shooter, and PUBG Studios also chose to make it a hero shooter.
Krafton’s press release that it will offer the same weapons and gameplay as PUBG, as well as close-quarters combat, and specialist weapons catered to each hero. We’ll let them describe the main game mode below:
“Enjoy the widely-known bomb mission rules, featured in various games, in top-down view with Project ARC.
Your team’s mission is to hack into the hidden Crypt within the building by installing a Decrypter. Use grenade launchers and explosive hammers to break through walls and defenses to reach the Crypt or ambush the enemy.
Or you can be the defending team blocking the enemies from reaching the Crypt and installing the Decrypter by blocking doors, setting up barricades to bar access.
When the Decrypter is activated, the crypt will change from blue to red, signaling that it has been hacked. The Crypt is used to control the Blue Chip. What could happen if it gets compromised?”
It is certainly quite interesting that Krafton and PUBG Studios are taking some risks with Project ARC like this. We certainly wonder if this title can retain long-term appeal, but maybe Krafton has greenlit this because they also want to find out.
With the seeming lower expectations on a top-down shooter, we also wonder if this is a game that could go multiplatform in the future. It only has a Steam page for now, but this looks like a title that could be deployed across both 8th and 9th generation consoles, the Nintendo Switch, and even mobile. And that could unlock its true potential as the next big live service giant, but first we’ll see if it’s more than a novelty upon its release.
You can wishlist Project ARC on Steam and watch a preview trailer below.
