PUBG Studios, the developer behind the battle royale hitPUBG: Battlegrounds, has announced a brand-new game. TitledProject ARC, the shooter pits two teams of five against one another in a fast-paced fight toward victory. Inspired byPUBG: Battlegrounds,Project Arcdeparts from its predecessor in some fascinating ways.
Although the two titles boast quick gun-focused mechanics,Project ARCis foregoing a battle royale approach. More surprisingly, though, it’s completely turning away fromPUBG: Battlegrounds' third and first-person perspectives. This time around, PUBG Studios is embarking on crafting a top-down game, which could offer an intriguing change to the popular 5v5 genre. This bold move away from whatPUBG: Battlegroundsestablished is reminiscent of developer Arrowhead Game Studios' change with itsHelldiversseries.
Project ARC and Helldivers 2 Are Two Sides of the Same Coin
Following Up With Drastically Different Perspectives
AlthoughProject ARCisn’t a direct sequel toPUBG: BattlegroundslikeHelldivers 2is to its predecessor, it is still a spiritual successor. The risk Arrowhead Game Studios took withHelldivers 2could have backfired, but it only made it more successful than its first installment. The originalHelldiverswas a top-down shooter that opted for a third-person perspective in its sequel. Going from top-down to third-person was a wild leap forward, but it ultimately broadened its reach.Helldivers 2’s third-person viewwas a game-changer, which putsProject ARCin an interesting position.
In its first 12 weeks of sales earlier this year,Helldivers 2managed to sell over 12 million copies, currently making it PlayStation’s fastest-selling game of all time.
DespiteFortnitehaving more brand recognition,PUBG: Battlegroundsultimately put the battle royale genre on the map. The game managed to breakconcurrent Steam player recordsand still boasts an impressive following. However,Project ARC’s drastic move away from such a successful formula could be hard to pull off. Although such a different perspective and style of gameplay can be difficult to properly nail, the same could have been said forHelldivers 2. The top-down method didn’t draw a huge audience forHelldivers, but it could potentially be a perfect fit forProject ARC.
PUBG Studios Jumping Into the World of Top-Down Shooters Could Prove Tricky
There have been plenty of great top-down shooters,likeGTA 2andBrotato, but many games in this genre haven’t reached the same heights asPUBG: Battlegrounds' mind-blowing numbers. Although top-down shooters have their own audience, first-person and third-person shooters seem to resonate a lot more with gamers. This could ultimately putProject ARCin a tough spot, as it has the daunting task of following such a juggernaut of a title asPUBG: Battlegrounds. It isn’t entirely impossible, but switching fromPUBG’s perspective to a top-down view may not have the same pull asHelldivers 2’s switch from top-down to third-person did.
PUBG: Battlegroundsreached a peak player count of 3,257,248.
With no current release date set in stone, it will be interesting to see more revealed aboutProject ARCcloser to its launch. PUBG Studios has managed to build a loyal following, so it seems nearly certain that at leasta substantial number ofPUBG: Battlegroundsfanswill possibly give the game a try at launch. With its fast-paced gunplay being directly inspired by its predecessor and a daring change of form, it will be fascinating to see ifProject ARCignites an interest in top-down shooters likePUBG: Battlegroundsdid with battle royale. This may be more of an uphill battle than bringing battle royale into the spotlight, but the quickly changing nature of the industry could set the stage forProject ARCto be an unexpected hit.
