Mavericks: Proving Grounds is a new battle royale title

Automaton Games debuted a trailer for another title in the popular battle royale genre: Mavericks: Proving Grounds. As CEO James Thompson admitted, it’s a “popular genre”, but this title is going to focus on death as well as survival. Fortnite and PUBG offer a battlefield with 100 players; Mavericks ups the ante by putting players in a match with 1000 total players. Players can queue up in five-man squads, as opposed to the standard four person queue.

Mavericks is defined by its ambition beyond familiar battle royale tropes. A larger competitor base, the ability to track your competition via footprints and wildlife, and environments that range from snowy vistas to smoky forest fires all add variety to the battlefield.

In addition to the 1,000-player sandbox, the goal is to add single-player missions and objectives. The combination of SpatialOS with CryEngine should lead to a much more dynamic and smooth feeling battlefield that will organically encourage different play styles, from the sniper to the melee fanatic. These are ambitious promises, and the absence of actual gameplay in the trailer doesn’t help bridge the game’s credibility gap.

Those used to battle royale titles will find a lot of familiar touchstones in the Mavericks trailer. We saw first-person footage, a variety of weapons including pistols, explosives, assault rifles, and a simple sniper’s nest. These tools were used to dole out quick eliminations on other players.

Finally, the game seeks to distinguish itself from other battle royale titles by maintaining a MMORPG-style hub and social features. The high, glass tower above the battlefield, lit up with a bright ‘M’, suggests that the “mavericks” in the title extends into the narrative.

Mavericks draws from the MMORPG style, offering persistent social features, progression, and hubs. The first closed beta will accommodate 100,000 players, and those interested can sign up at the official website.