Today, Serbian game development studio GFA Games announced that PIONER, their post-apocalyptic MMO first-person shooter, will launch on Steam Early Access on Tuesday, December 16.
The announcement comes at the same time as the game has officially surpassed 500,000 wishlists. No details have been revealed yet on pricing, but we do know that there will be a Standard Edition and a Deluxe Edition. The latter will be more expensive, but it will grant access to the following in-game items:
- Unique Skin: “Renegade” - a unique, exclusive armor and gear design
- Weapon Skin with VFX - a unique weapon skin for the entire AR platform, including AR-12, AR-16, and AR-16 Ifrit
- Exclusive Founder Title - a status symbol for social interaction
- Premium Currency - 500 Efritanium Crystals
- Weapon Accessory: “Creepy Charm” - cosmetic trinket for a weapon
- Gadget: “Katana” Watch - inspired by the iconic 80s Japanese watch design; a retro-futuristic style that fits the world of PIONER
The game, initially announced in 2021, was featured here on Wccftech multiple times thanks to two exclusive interviews with GFA Games. We've often referred to it as clearly inspired by STALKER; it takes place on a vast post-apocalyptic island (spanning over 50 square kilometers filled with hidden dungeons, story quests and faction missions that influence alliances and rewards) where the remnants of the Soviet era have created an incredible alternate reality. As a social MMO, PIONER combines story-driven exploration with intense PvE and PvP gameplay. Here's an overview of what players can expect in this title:
- Story-driven campaign
- Intense PvP modes
- Unique Progression System that lets players grow their influence by completing quests, defeating monsters and exploring. The greater their influence, the more inclined merchants will be to sell you better items and the higher the quality of materials that will drop. Even non-combat abilities can be improved.
- Diverse game activities include events, story-driven locations, and engaging mini-games such as fishing and Carnage, a unique tactical card mini-game featuring collectible decks, rewards, and ranked matches.
- An extensive weapon customization system lets players tweak militarized weapons with a wide array of unique modules and designs.
- Realistic survival mechanics require the maintenance of your character's strength by managing hunger, rest and resources.
- In-depth crafting system: use artefacts, anomaly energy, and scavenged materials to craft powerful weapons and equipment at workbenches.
About the author: With over two decades of experience in gaming journalism, Alessio Palumbo has led the gaming vertical at Wccftech since August 2015. He started working at a young age for Italian websites like Everyeye.it, Gamestar.it, Nextgame.it, and Multiplayer.it before kickstarting the indie English-language publication Worlds Factory as its founder and Editor in Chief. In the last decade, he has coordinated the overall output of Wccftech's gaming section, managed PR relations, assigned reviews, produced daily news coverage, edited gaming content as needed, and delivered game reviews. Arguably, his trademark content is the long series of exclusive developer interviews that have been cited by Wikipedia and by the biggest news media and gaming publications. His passion for technology also makes him knowledgeable when it comes to gaming hardware and tech. His favorite genres include RPGs, MMORPGs, and action/adventure games.
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