NC, a South Korean developer, has unveiled Like or Die, a new first-person shooter that draws clear inspiration from Embark Studios' The Finals. The game showcases environmental destruction and player abilities like zip lines and jump pads, culminating in players exploding into pixelated cubes, mirroring elements seen in The Finals. Like The Finals, players compete in arenas where their performance is broadcast to an audience, a concept central to Like or Die's premise.
In Like or Die, the core gameplay loop revolves around streaming matches on a platform called Quaya, with the ultimate goal of accumulating the most likes. This viewership extends beyond Earth, with potential sponsors observing the streams and rewarding successful gameplay with gifts. This cosmic audience parallels the premise of the novel Dungeon Crawler Carl, where countless alien entities watch human contestants attempt to survive deadly challenges.
During a Gamescom 2026 private showing, developer NC elaborated on the game's mechanics and lore. Kim Hwan, head of IP at NC, explained that the black hole observed in a gameplay video represented a galactic audience of various creatures and aliens tuning into the streams. While these extraterrestrial viewers are a key part of the game's narrative, there are currently no plans to visualize them directly within the game itself.
Like or Die is also utilizing generative AI tools in its development, as noted on its Steam page. The disclaimer states that these tools were used for auxiliary purposes, with assets being modified and supplemented by professional artists before final implementation. The game does not have a confirmed release date, but NC is targeting a closed test to occur before the end of the current year.