“There’s something out there waiting for us, and it ain’t no man. We’re all gonna die.”
When I first saw this scene at 10 years old, it sent a shiver down my spine. This gets to the heart of what makes the Predator universe so freakin’ awesome. It doesn’t matter if you are a seasoned special operations badass — if the Predator is hunting you, you are afraid. I’ve been a huge fan ever since.
Years later, my fellow IllFonic members and I, fresh off of our last game, are brainstorming what we want to make next. We first assembled 12 years ago to create games based off of movies we love and Predator seemed like the perfect fit. One afternoon during E3, Jared (Gerritzen), Jordan (Mathewson) and I shared our idea that got the entire team amped up. You can tell we’re a team of passionate movie and video game fans.
Once we decided on Predator, it was clear this needed to be a shooter that had to look and feel authentic. Our team’s passion for Predator helped us launch the partnership with Sony Interactive Entertainment and Fox. Not only do these powerhouses believe in our vision, which has made this a dream project, they understand what we want to create. They have given us so much to work with and are empowering us to create something new for fans, while expanding the lore of the Predator. Having that quality bar raised by our partners has been a great driver for creating an amazing game.
So how does Predator: Hunting Grounds play? We’re still pretty early in development – the game is due out next year – but I can give you some initial details about this competitive online multiplayer experience*.
For starters, we’re big fans of asymmetrical multiplayer experiences, and we’re building off our past successes in a whole new way with Predator: Hunting Grounds.
One group of players will control members of an elite Fireteam who pack state-of-the-art conventional firepower, from shotguns and SMGs to sniper rifles and more.
Meanwhile, one player will control the Predator: a stealthy, acrobatic killing machine bristling with exotic alien technology such as the infamous Plasmacaster.
As the Fireteam attempt to carry out paramilitary missions – annihilating bad guys and recovering important items – the Predator will be closing in, using its advanced vision mode to track and ambush its prey.
Creating an immersive world for the Predator universe has been so rewarding for our team. We’re massive fans of this IP, and it’s made us closely examine every aspect of the game to be certain we are staying true to the world. Fox has been an incredible part of this process.
Our motto at IllFonic is “Gameplay over everything” and we believe that will be evident the moment players enter the hunting grounds. There will be surprises in store for everyone when the game launches next year.
This is just the beginning, so stick around. We’ll have more Predator: Hunting Grounds updates coming in the near future.
*Internet connection and PlayStation Plus (sold separately) required for online multiplayer.
