We never thought we’d see Epic Games’ battle royale and Valve’s team-based tactical shooter in the same sentence.

Epic Games has announced a new 5v5, first-person shooter experiment called Ballistic. During the early access period, you’ll only be able to play on a single map, and it will feature an offensive/defensive gameplay mode centered around planting or defusing a bomb (sorry, a rift point device…). If this definition reminds you of Counter-Strike, it’s no coincidence, because that’s basically the idea that Tim Sweeney’s company has taken on board.

They also want to compete with Call of Duty and Valorant, which also have hardcore, competitive, asymmetric format gameplay (in the former it’s called Search and Destroy). The joke is that Ballistic is only days away from release, although the single map, Skyline 10 (which looks like a sunset, slightly cyberpunk Japanese city), can get boring quickly. The task is simple: one team is tasked with planting the bomb, while the other is responsible for protecting the points that allow it, or disarming the rift point device if it is successfully planted. If you are eliminated, there is no respawn until the next round, and everyone starts with a pistol. Weapons and equipment must always be purchased, and if you die, you lose them all.

Epic has big plans for Ballistic, which could develop into a sub-sector similar to Lego Fortnite. New maps, weapons, and features are on the way. Most costumes, backpacks, shoes, sprays, emotse, and wraps will be supported, but pickaxes, instruments, vehicles, jam tracks, and contrails will not. The idea underscores Epic’s strategy to provide players with a rich, varied experience under the banner of Battle Royale.

As we said, we don’t have much longer to wait, with early access starting on December 11th, Battle Royale will be getting a surprising but bold new addition within days.

Source: PCGamer, Epic Games