District 9 Director Neill Blomkamp's New Game Is a Cyberpunk Battle Royale

The first game from District 9 director Neill Blomkamp is Off The Grid, a cyberpunk-style third-person Battle Royale, coming next year.

Gunzilla Games promises a next-generation Battle Royale with a strong focus on narrative progression, with Richard K. Morgan (lead writer of Crysis 2 and author of Altered Carbon) writing the script, and Blomkamp serving as chief visionary officer.

Off The Grid pits 150 players against each other, but PvE (player versus environment) story missions will also take place on the map in real time, with player actions affecting how the story (and therefore other people's gameplay), unfolds.

Crafting and customisation will also be a key component, with players encouraged to trade items with one another.

"With Off The Grid our ambition is not only to create the Battle Royale 2.0 by adding deep player progression, but to build an evolving world designed to take on a life of its own, changing in unexpected ways each time a player rejoins the game," said Blomkamp.

"With an innovative approach to the Battle Royale core session flow and a deep narrative experience, we add purpose to each element of the game, allowing players to revisit the OTG world repeatedly where there is always something new to find and explore, and for us to expand upon."

More information about Off The Grid's blend of Battle Royale and narrative will be shared in the coming months, Gunzilla Games said.

The studio was formed in 2020 and joined by Blomkamp last year, who said at the time he'd be working closely with other senior creatives to make sure his ideas could work in a game.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.