If you’ve been on the online shooter video game portion of the internet over the last few days, then you’ve likely heard of Off the Grid, a brand new battle royale game that is picking up serious steam with players. Off the Grid has already topped the Epic Games Store’s list of the most popular free-to-play games, plus it’s commanding huge crowds on Twitch. In short: It’s a hit.
But what you might not know is that Off the Grid is a blockchain game built on Avalanche, with plans for a crypto token and the ability to mint rare items as tradeable NFTs. While these features aren’t yet fully implemented, it’s fair to say that Off the Grid has already made a bigger splash with mainstream gamers than any previous blockchain game—and the future looks bright.
Here’s what you need to know about Off the Grid, the current early access release, and the crypto and NFT plans ahead.
What is Off the Grid?
Off the Grid is a new third-person battle royale shooter that has launched into early access on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and PC via the Epic Games Store.
Set in a fictional future where cybernetics can augment humans to make them even more deadly, you and two teammates will jump onto the sizable city map and fight it out against other trios to be the last ones standing, just like any good battle royale game.
However, Off The Grid touts itself as an Extraction Royale, adding in some extraction shooter style mechanics as well. In matches, you can find what are essentially loot boxes, and if you either hold them as you win, or manage to extract them at certain locations on the map, then you can use them to unlock cosmetic items or new weapons and skills for your loadouts.
Off the Grid is developed by Gunzilla Games, a studio co-founded by “District 9” and “Chappie” film director Neill Blomkamp—and as the studio’s chief creative officer, his style is strongly felt throughout the game.
The game is built around a future competition that essentially turns the battle royale premise into a televised competition between cybernetically-augmented humans. And unlike battle royale games like Fortnite and Apex Legends, Off the Grid promises 60 hours of narrative-driven gameplay, with cinematics that bookend matches and provide added flavor and motivation to the experience.
How do I play Off the Grid?
To play Off The Grid in early access, you simply need to download the free-to-play game on your chosen platform and boot it up, but it’s not quite as simple as it sounds. It’s available on the Epic Games Store on PC, as well as on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S, and it can be downloaded freely on all of those platforms.
Once you have the game downloaded, you simply need to boot it up and play your first game. It’s pretty easy to pick up if you’ve ever played a battle royale before, and there’s already a ton of guides available on the web.
The early access version contains just one mode (Extraction Royale) and the single, but very large map, though the future full release is expected to pack more modes and content.
Where does crypto come in?
In the initial early access build, there’s no obvious crypto integration. But it’s apparently humming along in the background, and there’s more coming on the horizon.
Off the Grid is being built on GUNZ, a dedicated L1 (or subnet) on the Avalanche blockchain network. Currently, GUNZ is on testnet and the network’s GUN token has yet to go live on mainnet, but those moves are on the horizon. Items in the game are denominated in GUN, which you can also earn by completing missions, however it’s effectively an in-game currency for now since the token isn’t live on mainnet.
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