Tencent’s new battle royale, Ring of Elysium, is coming to Steam on September 19. Ring of Elysium, previously titled Europa, throws 99 players onto a mountain in the middle of an icy tundra. They not only have to battle each other but also resist an assault from the frozen chills of a violent snowstorm at the same time.
What are all these players doing fighting in such miserable conditions? Well, the backstory of this multiplayer shooter tells us the conflict occurs between tourists who are stranded on Mt. Dione after the mountain is hit with dangerously cold weather. A helicopter has landed to rescue them but – here’s the part that incites the murderous chaos – there are only four available seats.
That number translates to how many players are able to win any single match of Ring of Elysium. Not quite last man standing, then, and hopefully this small change to the formula will inspire new tactical and cooperative play in the battle royale genre.
Ring of Elysium also includes a bunch of vehicles that are equipped to transport players across the icy map. The trailer shows hand-gliding, mountaineering, snowmobiles, and snowboarding. These tourists must have been on an extreme sports package holiday.
Ring of Elysium is being developed by Tecent’s game studio Aurora on the studio’s in-house engine, Quicksilver X. This engine includes a dynamic weather system that will challenge players to survive the likes of avalanches, snow storms, and other catastrophic events during matches. This means the unpredictable weather will be the main driving force that pushes players together and that pulls friendly groups apart.
The game’s weapons system allows players to carry up to three firearms (from different categories) as well as auto-equip accessories that switch over to a new weapon without having to manually move it across. All the weapons in the game can have two scopes attached to them simultaneously, with players able to switch quickly from one to the other. There are also cover mechanics that enable you to hide, lean out, and shoot from safety, as well as easily switch between first-person and third-person perspectives.
Ring of Elysium is Tencent’s new addition to its already successful free-to-play battle royale games, sitting on the shoulders of Honor of Kings, Kings of Glory, and PUBG.