Cliff Bleszinski, a prominent figure in the gaming industry known for his work on titles such as Gears of War and Unreal Tournament, has expressed interest in developing a new game. However, this potential project will reportedly eschew the player-versus-player (PvP) combat that defined many of his past successes.
In a recent interview with 80 Level, Bleszinski, who has been away from game development for some time, reflected on his career. He attributed the failures of his studio, Boss Key Productions, and its games LawBreakers and Radical Heights, to factors including his own ego, struggles with alcoholism, a problematic publishing agreement, and strategic missteps like not releasing LawBreakers on Xbox. Now, four months sober, Bleszinski feels a renewed desire to create.
"At the end of the day, I want to create characters and worlds. I want to make stuff that people will cosplay as and get tattooed on their bodies," Bleszinski stated, noting that inspiration can be found in unexpected places, even everyday environments like a hardware store.
While details about the new project remain scarce due to its early stage, Bleszinski confirmed that it will not incorporate PvP. He now favors player-versus-environment (PvE) experiences, citing the success of Horde mode in Gears of War 2 as an example of the evergreen appeal of cooperative play.
"Good luck to anyone in that space. I'm more of a fan of PvE these days. Horde mode saved Gears 2, and I believe that space is evergreen because players just want to hop online with friends and shoot some stuff, no frills, no questions asked," he explained.
Bleszinski alluded to the challenging landscape of the PvP genre, referencing the commercial struggles of games like LawBreakers and Concord. The focus on PvE signifies a deliberate shift away from the competitive multiplayer space that has proven difficult for many studios in recent years. The future form of Bleszinski's potential new game will be revealed if and when the project moves further into development.