This past June, Caveman Studio, the team behind the well-renowned VR FPS Contractors, revealed that a follow up is under development. Unlike the original, Contractors Showdown will take the form of a battle royale. Based on the trailer, this all new game releasing in early 2024 will will take heavy inspiration from popular traditional shooter, Call of Duty Warzone.
With the genre already having solid competitors like Population: One and Gun Raiders, it begs the question: Will the VR fan base will have enough players to sustain yet another solid battle royale? Furthermore, It remains unclear at this point whether the studio will utilize a paywall to have a more dedicated, smaller player base or make the game free to bolster the lobby with greater numbers.
Despite the fact that so much remains unknown regarding the future of the game, the early testers in the game’s Discord channel that have had a chance to play the alpha, have spoken very highly of it. Currently the early alpha is accessible only to Quest players who are accepted after completing the application process via Discord. Upon full release, the game will also be available on PCVR via Steam.
Analyzing the teaser trailer released by Caveman Studio, you can see multiple new features, cosmetics, firearms, and overall improvements from the original Contractors game.
Their trailer teased a new map as a means of coordinating with your team and the possibility of vehicles being added.
There will also be new cosmetics, new guns (like the double barrel shotgun shown here), and a brand-new movement system which uses ziplines and parachutes. It’s also notable that currently, the Contractors base game does not have much in terms of progression. It is fun, indicated by its massive player base, but some players find it difficult to return to on a regular basis, given the fact that there are very few rewards to work toward. Given the massive number of skins shown in the new trailer, we can hope that there will be some sort of cosmetic progression in the next title.
As for new features, you can see here that they are going to add floating menus for vendors, ammo indicators, health indicators for you and your squadmates, as well as lootable items on the ground.
For UI and gameplay improvements, they are even adding a vaulting system, a new way to throw equipment, and cleaner scopes.
In addition to lootable items on the ground and parachuting, it seems that Showdown shares even more similarities to the well-known COD Warzone, like gun modification mid-match and stackable armor plates.
Lastly, to aid you in combat, they’re even adding in the ability to call in bombs from the sky (as seen here).
While it is unclear how good this game will be on launch, it’s clear from the early footage that it has a ton of potential. The introduction of a VR experience similar to COD Warzone, developed by the creators of an already excellent VR FPS game, promises a significant evolution in the VR Battle Royale genre. Contractors Showdown not only refines popular existing gameplay mechanics but it will also introduce groundbreaking new features, making it a top game to watch out for in 2024.