I’m Jungsoo Lee (some of you might know me as ODS_Jungsoo on our Discord), responsible for game services at Ocean Drive Studio.
Today, I wanted to share some important news about the future of Blackout Protocol. Ocean Drive Studio’s goal has always has been, and continues to be, to develop great games by incorporating community feedback into our core game design and philosophy.
In the case of Blackout Protocol, we launched the game as a tactical co-op twin-stick shooter. While some players supported this direction when we launched into Early Access, we found that the majority of you preferred a twin-stick shooter homed in on 'action' and 'single-player' experiences over 'tactical' and 'co-op.' Initially, when single-player mode wasn’t supported, our Steam reviews were mixed with only about 50% positive, but it has significantly gone up to 80-90% positive recently, giving us an overall rating of 76% positive.
Seeing the positive feedback and reviews, we continued developing the game with a certain roadmap (see the image below) in mind. However, internally, we discussed and ultimately agreed even more fundamental changes to the game are necessary, and I’d like to discuss some major upcoming events with you through this post.
Future of the Game
First, let me assure you that we have no plans to discontinue the current service, even as we consider more fundamental changes. We will continue developing the game based on the current narrative centered around Section 13 of S2P and stick to our twin-stick shooter genre.
However, some changes will be made:
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[*]We will shift the game’s focus from a 'tactical' and 'co-op' twin-stick shooter to a fully 'action' and 'single-player' twin-stick shooter. We are changing elements like ammo, stamina, and movement speed, which were previously more restrictive in the tactical shooter experience, to focus entirely on control and roguelike progression. Our analysis of the Early Access feedback led us to conclude that this change is ultimately necessary to provide the most fun with the game.
[*]To support these changes, there will be adjustments made to the growth elements within sessions. Our Creative Director will provide further updates to elaborate on this in a future development log!
[*]We are investing heavily in the narrative elements to better support the shift to single-player gameplay and tell a story. Each character will have intriguing stories of their own as they encounter events in Section 13. To facilitate this, the existing main menu will be replaced with an S2P base hub where characters can roam around and interact with NPCs and the rooms within the base.
[*]Given the significant gameplay changes, we wanted to change the game’s title to better reflect its new direction. Before updating the main game you purchased, we plan to release a free demo game to gather feedback from both current and new players, and then proceed with updating the main Blackout Protocol game.
[*]Since this change will greatly impact the mechanics and progress of existing players, we plan to reset the saved data. We are currently considering whether to provide the old save file and a build with the original gameplay style for those who prefer it. Please share your thoughts [here], and we will consider them in our decision-making process.
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Participation in Gamescom and Future Games Show
We plan to officially announce these changes at the upcoming Gamescom event. We will also participate in the Future Games Show to showcase the direction solidified by your valuable feedback. During Gamescom, we will release a demo featuring the new gameplay, gather feedback, and finalize updates to the main game. And we plan to share a new roadmap as soon as possible after this announcement.
There were many internal discussions leading to this moment, and as a company where financial considerations are important, deciding to further invest and changing the gameplay of Blackout Protocol was not easy. However, we saw the potential of the game through your feedback and are committed to improving the gameplay so that more players can enjoy it. We believe that the changes we’ve made will provide a satisfying and enjoyable experience for our community, so we would greatly appreciate your honest feedback during the demo test at the upcoming Gamescom. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has purchased Blackout Protocol, and I look forward to sharing more development news soon.
Please keep an eye out for our announcements!
Thank you.
ODS_Jungsoo
