Quick Take
- Reaper Actual is a new MMOFPS built by former Sony Online Entertainment devs
- Game supports 200-player servers, dynamic AI, and persistent world mechanics
- Optional Web3 gear trading will use Etherlink, Tezos’ layer-2 blockchain
John Smedley, best known for co-creating EverQuest and leading the development of Planetside, has announced a new project under his studio Distinct Possibility Studios. The title, Reaper Actual, is described as a large-scale persistent MMOFPS. It will be available on PC via Steam, the Epic Games Store, and the studio’s official website.
Set on a fictional island called Marova, Reaper Actual supports up to 200 concurrent players per server. Players take on the role of Reapers, mercenaries working for various factions in a dynamic environment that includes both PvP and PvE elements. AI-controlled factions will interact and battle with each other while players have the choice to intervene or engage on their own terms.
The game uses Unreal Engine 5 and incorporates a progression system that includes crafting, base-building, and faction-based warfare. Players will be able to build and defend bases, join outfits, and unlock air, sea, and land vehicles. A dynamic mission system will assign competing objectives to different teams, with a Left 4 Dead-style AI director called Cerberus controlling how conflict unfolds in real-time.
The project is backed by $30.5 million in funding from Bitkraft Ventures and Brevan Howard Digital. These funds will support development and integration of optional Web3 functionality. For players who opt in, Reaper Actual will include a version built on Etherlink, a layer-2 blockchain on Tezos. This version will support trading of in-game items such as weapons, bases, and skins. The Steam and Epic versions of the game will not include Web3 features.
The development team includes Matt Higby and Tramell Isaac, both of whom worked on Planetside 2. According to the team, Reaper Actual will feature a player-driven economy with tradeable items, as well as story arcs that unfold based on player actions and faction control.
The alpha release, called the Foundation phase, is expected in the coming weeks. Interested players can sign up for testing on the official Reaper Actual website.
What Is Reaper Actual?
Reaper Actual is an open-world, persistent MMOFPS built by Distinct Possibility Studios. The game features 200-player servers, faction warfare, AI-driven conflict, and base-building. An optional blockchain version on Etherlink allows item trading and crafting for players who opt in.
This is epic! When can we start playing?