What is ‘off the grid’? Buzzy Battle Royale Shooter built on Avalanche

You may have heard about Off the Grid, a new battle royale game that has been picking up serious steam with players who have been on the online shooter video game scene for the past few days. Off the Grid has already topped the most popular free-to-play games on the Epic Games Store, and is also commanding huge crowds on Twitch. In short, it's a hit.

But what you may not know is that Off the Grid is a blockchain game built on Avalanche with plans for crypto tokens and the ability to produce rare items like NFTs. While these features aren't fully implemented yet, it's fair to say that Off the Grid has already seen a big hit with major players over the previous blockchain game — and the future looks bright.

Here's what you need to know about OffGrid, the current Early Access release, and the crypto and NFT plan.

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What is Off 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 through the Epic Games Store.

Set in a fictional future where cybernetics can make humans even more deadly, you and two teammates jump into a city map and battle other trios just like any good battle royale game.

However, Off the Grid positions itself as Extraction Royale with some extraction shooter style mechanics. In matches, you can mainly find loot boxes, which you can use for cosmetic items or to unlock new weapons and skills if you grab them when you win or if you manage to retrieve them in certain places on the map. Loads.

Off the Grid is developed by Gunzilla Games, the studio co-founded by “District 9” and “Chappie” film director Neill Blomkamp – and as the studio's chief creative officer, his style is heavily felt in the game.

The game is based on a futuristic competition, essentially turning 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 capturing matches and giving the experience more flavor and inspiration.

How do I play off the grid?

To play Off The Grid in early access, you'll simply need to download and launch the free-to-play game on your platform of choice, but it's not as easy as it sounds. It's available on PC through the Epic Games Store, as well as on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S, and is free to download on all those platforms.

Once you download the game, you simply need to launch it and play your first game. If you've ever played a battle royale before, it's pretty easy to pick up, and there are plenty of guides on the web.

The Early Access version contains only one mode (Extraction Royale) and a single, but very large map, although a future full release is expected to contain additional modes and content.

Where does crypto come in?

In the first access build, there is no apparent crypto integration. But it seems to be dragging on in the background, and there's more coming on the horizon.

Off Grid is being built by GUNZ, a dedicated L1 (or subnet) on the Avalanche blockchain network. Currently, GUNZ is on the testnet and the network's GUN token has yet to be distributed on the mainnet, but those activities are on the horizon. Items in the game are listed in GUN, which you can get by completing missions, but since the token does not live on the mainnet, it is an in-game currency for now.

However, the game is racking up some serious numbers on the GUNZ testnet, with millions of wallets created in the first week of launch and millions of daily transactions. We still don't have full clarity from Gunzilla Games on how this works, but it looks like a testnet wallet will be created when the user starts playing the game.

Eventually, when the GUNZ network goes mainstream, Gunzilla said players will be able to generate special NFTs that can be traded and sold in marketplaces and in-game. Gunzilla created the GUNZ network to allow other developers to use the technology, so the intent is for the GUN token to be used in more games in the future.

When does Off The Grid start?

There's no word on when the game's full release will arrive, but right now the Early Access launch seems to be going well. Gunzilla Games enlisted major streamers like Tyler “Ninja” Blevins and Seth “Scump” Abner to play the game for hours and hours during the launch week, and for a large audience, and that investment seems to be paying off handsomely.

As the game evolves and expands in the near future, we'll see if Off the Grid can hold onto that initial momentum and if major players embrace the ability to buy and trade NFTs and not be able to use the future GUN token.

Edited by Andrew Hayward.