Blizzard suddenly announced an untitled new survival game on the evening of January 25. There is very little information available about it, but some details from the announcement reveal more. MeinMMO analyzes.
What are these details? We took a closer look at the announcement for Blizzard’s new survival game. In addition to the search for the developers, there are so far only 2 images.
However, both in the images and in the written paragraphs themselves, there are a few details that could hint at contents and features. Additionally, there are some statements about the game that could at least narrow down a release somewhat.
MeinMMO explains which details you probably missed – and what they mean.
1. The setting apparently mixes modern elements with fantasy
In the teaser image for the currently unknown game, a city with skyscrapers can be seen in the upper left. This suggests that the basis for at least some characters is likely the real or a reality-inspired world. We are probably playing humans.
This is also supported by the bicycle leaning against a stone, which looks like it comes from a modern city.
The connection to the actual game world is then indicated by a kind of portal, which can also be seen in the image. Some roots create a gate, behind which lies another world. One can see a floating castle, a river, and green meadows.
The connection between this fantasy world and the real one somewhat resembles Alice in Wonderland.
2. There are likely dragons or something similar
The second teaser image shows an armed warrior or huntress. She wears some bones and teeth or claws as jewelry or armor. Unless they are made of clay and purely from imagination, they indicate foes or at least prey.
The “helmet” has the characteristic shape of a dragon’s head. The claws also resemble the shape and size of those of a smaller dragon or wyvern. It is thus likely that dragons or draconids can be found in the world.
Whether they will be friends or foes remains to be seen. We do not yet know if the tracker is a playable character or an opponent. Perhaps they can even be tamed, similar to dinosaurs in ARK.
3. Combat will involve classic swords, axes, and bows
In addition, 3 different weapons can be identified with the huntress:
- a short sword or long dagger
- a great axe/Danish axe
- arrows
Since she does not use rifles or other modern or even futuristic weapons, it is likely that the combat system relies more on high-fantasy elements – similar to World of Warcraft or Diablo.
The worn armor also suggests that the equipment is more fantasy-oriented. What we do not yet know is whether this involves classic loot or typical crafting for survival games.
4. There is magic
The floating castle is already a hint of magic but could also be due to a kind of Nether or anomaly there in the sky. A concrete hint of magic, however, is the foot tracks that the tracker investigates.
These glow with a substance reminiscent of the source from the Divinity series: bluish, shimmering, and somehow not of this world. The tracks themselves are marked with this substance and lead to a mirror.
There they suddenly stop and disappear. Since no body is found there, the suspicion arises that this mirror serves as a portal. Magic mirrors are clearly a sign of magic.
5. The game is likely to be a multiplayer or MMO
This information should come as no surprise for a modern Blizzard game. The developers speak of a “place full of heroes,” which is already a clear hint that you will be playing alongside other players – or against them.
The world itself is to become a “large world full of possibility.” In modern survival games, it is common to give players the freedom to play as they wish. Such sandbox features often include crafting and building, freely distributable skill points, and classless systems.
However, it is still unknown whether the world will play like an MMO in the style of World of Warcraft, or whether you can rent your own servers. Survival games typically rely on individual servers that can also be operated privately. This would also be conceivable here, but it has not yet been confirmed.
Release – When is the game coming?
In the announcement, Blizzard is still looking for employees, particularly for design and art, but also developers. Accordingly, the release may still take some time.
However, the unknown game is already playable, as Blizzard CEO Mike Ybarra explained in a tweet. He said he has already played it with the team – which also hints at multiplayer. This also means that the game exists not just as a pure concept but already has a framework.
Even if the release may still take a few years, it is possible that a beta or early access could already be seen in 2023. This is pure speculation, but early access is a popular model in survival games, with hits like Rust or ARK having already been successful. Some even permanently.
So far, only PC and “console” are known as platforms. The Xbox is likely secure due to the deal with Microsoft, while the PlayStation is at least not ruled out. Details on this are still missing.
If you are interested in the genre, you should keep an eye out in 2022. Even if Blizzard’s project still takes a long time, there are many new titles this year worth looking out for:
