New Unreal Engine 5 shooters coming in 2023 and beyond
Shooters continue to be one of the most popular gaming genres, with first-person shooters like Call of Duty among the year's biggest releases. We've compiled a list of titles powered by Unreal Engine 5 that plan to make their mark in the genre in 2023 and beyond.
Remnant 2
Remnant 2 from Gunfire Games was released in July to critical acclaim, featuring third-person shooter gameplay with various classes as players are tasked with fighting through enemies with the goal of completing objectives throughout its levels.
The title's use of procedural generation to make the game more replayable is what sets it apart from other looter shooters. It can randomly generate biomes, level layouts, mini-bosses, quests, and even the story and characters, providing a unique experience for everyone.
The game can be played solo or in co-op mode with friends or random players, and the loot system distributes all found items to each player, meaning there's no need to fight over who gets what.
Remnant 2 is now available for the PlayStation 5 and PC, and the Xbox Series X/S.
Perfect Dark (Reboot)
The reboot of the futuristic Perfect Dark franchise, first announced in 2020, has had a challenging development cycle, with developers and management from both The Initiative and Crystal Dynamics departing over the years due to production issues.
Naturally, there isn't much information available about the game at this time, other than the fact that it takes place in a "near future world torn apart by ecological disasters" and that it will probably include new iterations of the series' characters, tools, settings, and gadgets.
The game's release is reportedly "years away" as of June 2023 and is still in pre-production. When it does eventually come out, it will be released as a Game Pass title and be playable on PC and Xbox Series X/S.
Killing Floor 3
Tripwire Interactive revealed it was creating a brand-new installment in its "specimen" shooter series using Unreal Engine 5 during 2023's Gamescom Opening Night Live.
Little is known about the game outside of its reveal trailer, but players will likely be using a variety of weapons to take down hordes of enemies in gory levels, just like in the first two Killing Floor games and the original 2005 mod.
Killing Floor 3 has not yet been given a release date, but it could arrive in mid to late 2024. It has been confirmed, however, that it will be released on the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
Deadrop
Deadrop is an upcoming extraction FPS from Midnight Society, a studio founded by industry veterans Guy Beahm (Dr Disrespect), Robert Bowling, Quinn DelHoyo, and Sumit Gupta. Midnight Society, unlike many of the titles on this list, has shown off the game at events and allowed fans to play it despite the fact that its maps were not even textured at the time.
Similar to Escape from Tarkov, players are dropped into a tower-like map with the goal of collecting loot and eliminating other players as they make their way up to the highest point of the area to extract. Those who choose to eliminate others will receive additional rewards, pushing everyone toward the PvP side of the game.
The game went through an early-access pre-alpha period, with 10,000 players owning "Founder's Passes," which are NFTs that grant in-game access to tests and other exclusive content, as well as the ability to vote on future changes. If a current founder decides to sell one of these passes, the unique "VisorCortex" identifier can be obtained through OpenSea.
As for everyone else, there’s no set release date as of yet, but given the amount of work that remains to be done, it wouldn't be surprising if it arrived in late 2024. It will be available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
Immortals of Aveum
Ascendant Studios’ Immortals of Aveum is a single-player "magic shooter" that casts players in the role of a battlemage named Jak as he attempts to save the world from warring factions.
Since its release in August 2023, the game has received critical acclaim for its gameplay, which includes many fantasy elements such as using various abilities and spells to defeat a variety of enemies. With its skill system and exploration to find optional chests throughout its world, it also includes some light RPG elements.
Unfortunately, its release wasn’t the smoothest, with technical issues such as crashes, graphical bugs, and other performance issues on PC causing many people to pass on the title.
It has since received some updates and appears to be performing better overall, so those interested in giving it a try can now do so on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
Off The Grid
Although the battle royale trend appears to be on its way out, Gunzilla Games has promised fans that the upcoming "cyberpunk Battle Royale 2.0" Off The Grid will provide a new experience for those who are already familiar with the genre.
There isn't much information about the game yet, but we can expect its "dystopian tropical island" to be large, with 150 players competing in a city environment to complete certain objectives, one of which is to be the last to survive.
According to what the Gunzilla team has revealed thus far, all of the standard guns and melee weapons will be present, along with a variety of vehicles. Judging from its trailer showing a character firing a missile from their arm and another jumping high in the air with mechanical legs, it's likely we'll see some form of enhancements due to its cyberpunk theme.
There is no word on a release date as of yet, but given that its PlayStation Store listing was updated in August with images that were later removed, we can expect an announcement soon. It will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, with no plans for a last-generation version.
Unrecord
Unrecord is an upcoming first-person shooter in which players play as a police officer through the lens of his body camera. Players will be forced to make difficult decisions with serious consequences throughout several criminal cases with complex dialogue and unique shooting and movement mechanics.
The game looks awfully realistic, and the developer had to prove its legitimacy to those who were skeptical after it was claimed that it was either a pre-rendered cinematic or a recording. Some groups even criticized it for being too similar to real-life bodycam footage in its shootouts.
The game's developer, DRAMA, has stated that it "is not expected to be released" in 2023; however, you can wishlist it on the game's Steam page.