As an avid gamer, I couldn‘t be more excited about the subtle clues emerging around Behaviour Interactive‘s new third-person action game built on Unreal Engine 5. Behaviour has rightfully earned recognition in asymmetric horror with Dead by Daylight, but this move into third-person action suggests they aim to showcase the diverse expertise gathered across over 25 years in the industry. Let‘s piece together what we know so far about what could become a major new IP.
Acquiring the Perfect complement in Midwinter
Behaviour Interactive acquired Midwinter Entertainment in May 2022 for an undisclosed sum, although Midwinter raised over $7 million in funding since its founding in 2016. This brings together Behaviour‘s world-building prowess shown across 150+ titles with Midwinter‘s focus on emergent gameplay powered by advanced AI and procedural generation. Midwinter‘s debut title Scavengers showed the potential of these technical capabilities but failed to resonate with only 50 concurrent players on Steam six months after launch.
Backed by Behaviour‘s other 2,000+ employees and nestled securely under their umbrella, Midwinter now has the freedom to apply their procedural generation expertise to grander creative visions leveraging Unreal Engine 5‘s cutting edge.
Job Listing Hints Point to Respawning Roguelite Concept
Midwinter Entertainment‘s Toronto studio has over a dozen new openings for their unannounced project, ranging from Combat Designers to Monetization Experts. The responsibilities across several listings explicitly mention crafting satisfying third-person combat around weapons and abilities against AI enemies.
As a long-time fan of tactical action RPGs, this emphasis on ability synergies has me dreaming of a co-op PvE arena combining the best elements of Gears of War, Diablo III, and Remnant: From the Ashes:
- Over-the-shoulder viewpoint for visceral gunplay and ability combat
- Roguelite-inspired progression across procedurally generated environments
- Crafting RPG-like builds by mixing armor sets and weapon perks
The call for a Monetization Expert with non-traditional gaming revenue experience hints the project may be free-to-play or incorporate live service elements akin to Destiny 2. As heartbreaking as it was for Scavengers to sunset barely a year after launch, applying live ops content and community strategies could give this title staying power.
An Unreal Engine Melding Pot Primed for Next Gen
While mentions of UE5 suggest intention to leverage cutting edge features like Lumen, Nanite and MetaSounds, the continued partial reliance on UE4 tools indicates Behaviour‘s pragmatic, hybrid approach.
In my experience previewing UE5 games like Black Myth: Wukong and Sonic Frontiers, legacy pipelines can be maintained to ensure stability while pushing visual boundaries in targeted areas. This means we may see Behaviour‘s signature atmospheric tone mapping and lighting techniques enhanced by UE5‘s real-time global illumination and lifelike materials.
The result could be a visually jaw-dropping co-op playground demonstrating the benefits of Epic‘s long-term engine evolution strategy. As Tim Sweeney told VentureBeat, “You can combine content from UE4, UE5, and even UE3 in the same game.” With years of UE4 experience under their belt, Midwinter is well-positioned to walk this line.
Closing Thoughts
As a passionate gamer, I dream of the day when Behaviour‘s signature horror mastery permeates third-person action just as id Software‘s shooter pedigree powered the RPG brilliance of Fallout: New Vegas. This unnamed project built on UE5 could mark Behaviour‘s coming out party as a globally recognized A-list game developer ready to compete with the very best across all genres.
Here‘s hoping their refined vision empowers Midwinter to finally fulfill their bountiful potential. I know my friends and I will have eyes glued to our feeds for the first trailers or tidbits teasing whatever wonderfully weird world Behaviour and Midwinter are bringing to life.
