Tencent's Ring of Elysium is an upcoming battle royale title for 99 players to battle it out against one another in a unique environment: a snowy mountain town. There are cable cars, snowboards, ice picks, snowskis, jeeps, hand gliders, and more to help players get around and they'll need to use them too, as there's just one helicopter flight out of the town and if you don't make it, the snow is going to get you.
The loose premise for the game is that a storm is coming and tourists trapped at a mountain resort have to get away from it. Temperatures are dropping fast, which will push players to reach safe zones and continue to shoot at and bludgeon each other in order to thin their numbers so that just one or one team can make it out alive on that flight.
That's a key part of this game. The helicopter has four seats, even when people are fighting alone, which could lead to some intriguing cooperative play in the middle of matches, complete with all the backstabbing you could wish for.
PCGamesN highlights that players will be able to carry three weapons from different categories at a time, meaning they'll need to select their best from each to stay competitive. Accessories will be auto-equipped to save switching mid-match, and there are cover mechanics to keep people hidden if they want, providing some measure of protection without shuffling next to walls in a janky fashion.
This is all a western version of the ROE that was first trialled in Indonesia and Thailand but now looks set to make its debut in the West. When, though, is anyone's guess.
