What’s that sound? It’s the sound of a genre becoming even more saturated, that’s what, as SOS is converting into a battle royale game called (drumroll) SOS: Battle Royale.
The original idea behind the game was to toss 16 players into a map and have them play a 30-minute match to find a relic and escape in a helicopter, with up to three winners per match and the chance to coordinate via voice chat. There were plenty of survival mechanics along the way, including making your own weapons and traps to survive. And a la Running Man, the streaming audience would be pushing buttons too.
Yesterday, Outpost Games announced massive changes to the early access survival game, to the point that it’s now a battle royale game, not a survival game at all – in fact, it appears the survival elements have been stripped out entirely, and you’ll just be looting things like weapons from the island.
“You thought you were signing up for a reality TV show, but the network has decided it would be much more entertaining for their audience to watch you fight to the death instead,” the studio says. “You already signed the contract, so you really don’t have much choice. If you want to live, you’ll have to be the last one standing.”
“In Content Drop 3, we’ve made some significant changes to La Cuna to streamline the process for new players to join the game. Each match will be a rapid, high-intensity 10 minute battle, have 32 players, and only 1 survivor. To begin your new journey on La Cuna Island, you’ll drop on to the Island where you are 1 of 32 players who must fight to the death. Along with your wits, you will have to equip yourself with various weapons found on the island. Guns are certainly an option, but melee weapons are just as deadly. Keep your eyes open for footprints and other indicators that will help you stalk your enemies.”
Massively OP’s MJ streamed the earlier version of the game; we’ll get the new version on tap once the anguished screaming dies down.
