Digital Extremes Announces Free Multiplayer Shooter Keystone

Digital Extremes, one of the studios behind Unreal and Unreal Tournament, announces Keystone, a multiplayer shooter that is free to play online. In the game, putting together a deck of cards also plays a role. A first public test will begin later this month.

Digital Extremes already has a free-to-play online shooter with Warframe, but has set up a second team to make Keystone. Keystone will also be a free-to-play online shooter, but where Warframe is all about collaborating with other players, Keystone is a competitive game where players compete against each other. However, the Canadian developer has not yet released many details about the game. The game should take the look of pulp series from the 1970s and is set in a fantasy world. Players start on the square board of an old-fashioned board game and can further build a deck of cards from which they derive weapons and powers that they can use in the game. A closed alpha test of the game will take place at the end of May, for which the studio is still looking for enthusiasts.

Digital Extremes has been around since 1993 and was founded by James Schmalz who single-handedly developed Epic Pinball. The success of the game brought him into contact with Epic Games, after which both studios would achieve success together with the jointly developed Unreal and Unreal Tournament. When Epic had success with the Gears of War series, DE had to focus on other projects. It continued to support other studios and collaborate on games such as BioShock, BioShock 2, and Homefront. After the success of those games, DE was given the opportunity to create its own projects. For example, it was allowed to make The Darkness II for 2K Games. Since then, it has been trying to self-publish games, with Warframe and Sword Coast Legends being the most recent examples.