The new survival MMORPG Pioner for PC was announced out of nowhere with a new, fancy trailer. Pioner aims to impress with a post-apocalyptic world, a PvE focus, and some features that should appeal to survival players.
What kind of survival MMORPG is this? Pioner comes from the Russian indie developer GFA Games and has been in development since at least 2017. Back then, there wasn’t much more to see than a few early images.
Now there is a new trailer and information about the game. The survival MMORPG will reportedly be an “action MMORPG in which your main goal is to survive and explore,” according to the developer’s website.
Pioner takes place on a Soviet island in the post-apocalypse. An anomaly cuts the island off from the mainland, and there are several secret research stations on the island to explore.
The island is “decaying before your eyes” as you roam abandoned settlements and encounter vermin and mutants. Major influences are apparently the STALKER series and Escape from Tarkov. There is even a kind of Pip-Boy akin to Fallout.
PvE focus, factions, and player progression
Here are the features: The developers are advertising a PvE focus. Something that has been somewhat neglected in survival games lately. Often, games of the genre tend to be especially harsh and therefore rely on ruthless PvP – which many survival fans do not want, as seen in the development of Last Oasis.
The focus on PvE is reflected in several additional features and content that Pioner aims to offer:
- large areas and raids that are apparently designed for groups
- 4 different factions that you can join and for which you can complete quests
- day and night influence the behavior of NPCs – wildlife and mutants hunt more during the day; at night, the most dangerous creatures come out of hiding
- in open areas outside, the “Empty Lands”, there are particularly tough enemies and possible PvP
- weapon mods and customizability for your own equipment, as well as a detailed crafting system
There is also a kind of leveling system. However, you do not level up in character levels, but in influence. The more influence you have, the more merchants sell you better weapons. For advancement, you have quests, quest lines, and trading or smuggling available.
When and where will Pioner be released? The release is already scheduled for the end of 2021 to the beginning of 2022. However, there is still no specific date. So far, only a PC version is planned, and there is no information on a console version.
Pioner thus expands our list of 7 new survival games to look forward to in 2021.
