Over the past year or so, the hero shooter genre has exploded with new releases likeMarvel RivalsandFragPunk, the strong presence of classics likeApex LegendsandOverwatch 2, and the announcement ofgames like Valve’sDeadlockand 2K and 31st Union’s Project ETHOS. The genre’s popularity is understandable and undeniable, meaning it’s only time before more heroes throw their abilities into the ring. At the same time, that made learning that Moonshot Games and Dreamhaven’sWildgateis not a hero shooter surprising.
WhileWildgatehas been described asSea of Thievesin space by many fans, its core character design would make it fit the hero shooter genre like a glove. Players pick and play a Prospector every game, each one having distinct abilities. However, these abilities do not manifest in the typical passive/tactical/ultimate triangle common in hero shooters, nor are the abilities as strong or centered in the gameplay as hero shooters. They instead complement the way players choose to play the Prospector. Game Rant recently spoke with Moonshot Games studio head Jason Chayes and co-founder Dustin Browder aboutWildgate’s Prospectors and ultimately why the game did not end up in the hero shooter space.
Prospective Prospectors are invited to join theWildgate Community Preview playtestfrom April 10–14. Learn more atthe official website.
First and foremost, it’s worth highlighting thatWildgatehas been in development for five years, and a lot has changed since then. Hero shooters were available at that time and quite popular, but even then, the team wasn’t exactly looking at the market. As Browder explained, “We weren’t thinking about the market. We didn’t know what the market wanted or needed. We just attempt to make cool stuff, and we hope it works out.” That is also combined with an important facet ofWildgate’s characters: they are not heroes. Superheroes, emblematic of their weaponry and powers, are always ready for a fight, at least to some degree, but explorers? Not so much. As Browder added,
“We wanted the Reach to feel very powerful and very scary, and we wanted our Prospectors to feel a little bit small, a little bit unprepared for it as they go into this dangerous place. We didn’t want them to feel and act like superheroes…Superheroes generally have one set of weapons they carry, and it’s their identity. It’s who they are. Explorers would have a bunch of different roles, and they would change them all the time depending on what their needs were.”
The Prospectors are explorers, not superheroes, meaning that the gameplay should reflect that. Having strong Ultimates doesn’t line up with that in terms of game design, nor does locking them into one specific kit. That’s one place whereWildgate’s gameplayis a little refreshing because players have a lot more autonomy in “building” their character than most hero shooters offer. For example, outside LTMs, one team can’t run more than one hero in a typical hero shooter. Players can all choose the same Prospector should they choose. Players can pick Sammo and give him whatever weapons, gear, and so forth that they want, while also improving their ship and obtaining other weapons/gear in aWildgatematch.
It also avoids debates or questions around role play, as often seen in hero shooters.Marvel Rivalsdoes something interesting with this with its team-up abilities, but certain heroes in all games synergize better with other specific tanks, supports, or DPS characters based on the current meta. There are no roles inWildgate, and players do not have to pick specific characters based on their team comp. Synergy is still important, sure, but it’s not game-breaking or argument-worthy. Some Prospectors are more about ship defense, loot manipulation, boarding, repairing, or a combination thereof, but players can customize their loadout to their preference even if running the same character. Chayes summarized this approach rather succinctly:
“It’s been a goal for us to have a lot of options in terms of the way you choose to play inWildgate.We’ve used the term ‘hero builder’ in some cases, rather than ‘hero shooter.’ Which is to say, what you choose for your loadout makes a big difference in terms of how the games are going to go.”
Instead of worrying about class roles, team comp, character abilities, or anything like that, players can pick their favorite weapons, their favorite equipment, and their favorite characters to travel into the dangerousTyphon Reach. There, they are not superheroes prepared for anything and everything but explorers who have to adapt to any given situation on the fly.
