Veteran game developer John Smedley, known for his work on iconic titles such as EverQuest and Planetside, has announced the launch of his new studio, Distinct Possibility Studios, along with its debut game, Reaper Actual. This open-world shooter, set on a massive island, will feature user-owned bases available as NFTs or through traditional Web2 platforms. The studio has secured $30.5 million in funding, as revealed on Thursday.
Smedley, who previously led Sony Online Entertainment and later Daybreak Game Company, aims to blend traditional gaming with blockchain technology in a way that could attract millions of players. Despite the often lukewarm reception of blockchain games among traditional gamers, Smedley is confident that Reaper Actual will stand out due to its unique approach.
Reaper Actual: A New Frontier in Gaming
Reaper Actual is a PC-based, open-world multiplayer shooter that invites players to upgrade and defend bases on what Smedley claims will be the largest map of any first-person shooter—four times the size of Call of Duty: Warzone’s Al Mazrah. Players will navigate the island, attacking other bases to steal items while avoiding traps set by base owners.
The game is set to launch its pre-alpha Foundation release soon, following two years of development and a substantial funding round led by Bitkraft and Brevan Howard Digital. Players will initially need to purchase limited bases bundled with unique characters to access the Foundation experience, with a full release planned for early next year. The game will transition to a free-to-play model approximately six months after the full release.
“We view bases as the thing that we’re actually selling. It gives you access to your home in the world,” Smedley explained. “We’ll be selling those early to let in a small group of players that will increase over time, so they can be a part of the foundation of our community.”
Innovative Gameplay Mechanics
The game is set on an island called Marova, which has been ravaged by civil war. Players, known as “Reapers,” are tasked with missions that pit them against five AI-controlled factions vying for control. The game encourages player conflict, with some missions requiring players to defend factions while others attack them.
Smedley described the game as a blend of Call of Duty: DMZ, Escape from Tarkov, and Rainbow Six Siege. Base types will vary from basic bunkers to expansive apartment hideouts and derelict submarines. A phasing system ensures that players with the same base location won’t encounter each other in-game, and non-active Reapers will defend bases from attackers.
Trading and Community Interaction
Players will explore the open world to gather resources for crafting weapons and base defenses. Items will be tradable on the Steam community marketplace and through an in-browser marketplace powered by the Tezos layer-2 network Etherlink. Smedley believes that by allowing trading with or without crypto, players will appreciate the benefits of crypto marketplaces.
“Let’s say you and I are on the same raid together, and we both get this Vantablack gun skin—and I watch you go sell that […] and you make the equivalent of $500,” he said. “A lot of players will look at that and go, ‘Hey, that doesn’t suck!’ They’ll like it. We think that we can migrate people [that way].”
Initially, only 8% of players are expected to trade on the crypto marketplace, but this figure is projected to grow to 30% over two years. The success of Avalanche-based shooter Off the Grid, which utilized NFTs similarly, gives Smedley confidence in his model.
Looking Ahead: The Future of Reaper Actual
Smedley’s vision for Reaper Actual includes encouraging players to mod the game, creating new game modes, servers, skins, and more. He believes that the game could attract millions of players, leveraging his experience with past successful titles.
“This is the type of game that can bring millions and millions of people in, if the history of the games I’ve worked on are any evidence,” said Smedley. “We’re going to be able to sell Web2 players on this idea of Web3 done right.”
As the gaming industry continues to evolve, Reaper Actual represents a bold step forward in integrating blockchain technology with traditional gaming elements. With its innovative mechanics and community-driven approach, the game could set a new standard for future titles in the genre.
