One of the main guys behind the GTA of today, has left Take-Two and has since gone on to start working on what could be GTA's biggest competitor yet: Everywhere.
Alright, so this is a pretty big headline, but I can back it up, and prove to you that GTA should be shaking in its boots. But... let's start at the beginning:
Former Rockstar North head Leslie Benzis, founded a studio that goes by the name of Rocket Boy. Said studio's debut project is a game called Everywhere, and, by all accounts and purposes, Everywhere will be a real life Oasis from Ready Player One, except... well, that it's digital. If you don't understand what that means, here's a clip from Ready Player One before we get into the nitty-gritty of Everywhere:
Why Is Everywhere a GTA Killer?
Well, Leslie Benzies is heading Everywhere, and Benzies was highly influential in the making of the GTA we know today, and left Take-Two after some beef that ended with hum sueing the company for $150 million in unpaid royalties.Since, Leslie has founded Rocket Boy, and hired 130 people, including former GTA developers, programmers, cinematic animators, music directors, and audio directors. He also secured funding from Netease, which, if you didn't know, is a Chinese mega-company with endless money.
What Is Everywhere?
Now you have the why, but you have no clue what Everywhere actually is. Well, let's first quote Benzies himself:
“Everywhere has a lot of traditional game mechanics but we’re going for something more that draws inspiration from, well, everywhere. Players are getting smarter and require more from their games, and we want players to have the real freedom to live in our worlds in the ways they want to. We’re aiming to offer a huge variety of game modes and styles that not only tell our stories but also enable players to live in the identities and adventures they most want to explore.”
Aside from that, we know that Everywhere will feature an open-world, multiple narratives and seamless multiplayer, meaning you're always connected to a general hub. Think 'metaverse' and the aforementioned Ready Player One, and you get the idea. Lastly, the game's name itself is also one of the bigger hints as to what the game is aspiring to be.
Everywhere Setting
Everywhere is set to take place in the near future, in a world where technology is pushing humanity to the brink of war. Here's the official game description:
In the near future, technology has brought humanity to the precipice of a world shifting change.There are those who want to use this technology to advantage only themselves, and those who want to use it to help all humankind. Will we look to the stars? Or stare only at our feet? Will we be inspired? Or live in fear?There’s a war between good and evil in the hearts of men and women. Everything is changing. And there’s no going back.It’s a game. It’s a community. It’s a new world. The storm is on the horizon. And it is only the beginning of EVERYWHERE.
That's all we have on the game so far, but with the news that GTA 6 will tone it down, Everywhere is sure making us tingle in places with excitement. The game is also reminiscent of Artemis, another highly ambitious game that looks to change gaming forever.