In a new press release, publisher Readyverse Studios announced OPEN, a AAA metaverse battle royale coming to PC and current-gen platforms.
The developer behind OPEN is Walker Labs, built from industry veterans that previously worked at Epic Games, DICE, Microsoft, and more.
Readyverse Studios was built by Shara Senderoff, Aaron McDonald, and Ernest Cline. So, it’s no surprise that OPEN will feature a Ready Player One biome.
However, OPEN will add “nostalgia-infused biomes featuring characters and cultural legends across iconic franchises”. It aims to span a wide range of pop culture.
OPEN gameplay will include “multi-round collaborative and competitive game modes”, with a single winner. Players will need to use “tactical positioning, sly movement, strategic shooting, and driving skills”.
This implies there will be lots of gunplay and vehicles, and the teaser showcases a DeLorean. Other pop culture vehicles and weaponry might appear. Thus far, the devs only confirmed that Reebok and DeLorean will appear.
Wajhi Jafri, an executive producer at Walker Labs, added that “in close collaboration with Ernest Cline, we’re busy crafting a memorable lore where players can immerse themselves for years to come”.
This doesn’t confirm any story details, but it does sound like original material. Still, Cline could potentially elaborate on their own Ready Player One IP.
OPEN will only be the hero experience in The Readyverse, “a next-gen immersive and interoperable platform for discovering metaverse games and experiences”.
OPEN could be a fresh take on the battle royale genre, which does thrive elsewhere. PUBG: Battlegrounds just announced a major overhaul in its 2024 roadmap. It will feature a move into Unreal Engine 5, a UGC service, and more.
For more of the latest gaming industry updates, you can read about MultiVersus announcing a new release date for May featuring Unreal Engine 5, a bigger roster and more.
I thought WB Games was making this?