At a time where many new, high-profile multiplayer games have struggled to find their feet, it’s refreshing to remind yourself of some of the quieter, underrated games that have weathered the live service storms and survived thanks to a modest but dedicated community. Step up Generation Zero, an underappreciated co-op survival shooter that released just before the turn of the decade and has been supported with updates, DLCs and expansions for around six years now. Well, all good things must come to an end, and developer Systemic Reaction has just confirmed that support for Generation Zero is wrapping up after one final, generously-sized update.
While 1980s rural Sweden doesn’t sound like the most thrilling setting for an eerie sci-fi FPS game, it’s certainly a beautiful one. The backdrop however acts as an intriguing, juxtaposed backdrop to the robotic enemies you’re tasked with eliminating. Either on your own or as part of a squad of up to four players, Generation Zero drops you in an open world that begs to be explored, but that is also overrun with mechs of various shapes, sizes, and styles. Scavenging for loot and parts is essential as you’ll need to constantly improve and evolve your weaponry as you advance through the co-op game.
Over the course of almost six years, the team at Systemic Reaction – which is part of the Avalanche Studios family that Just Cause fans will know well – has bombarded Generation Zero with updates and content. New enemy types, vehicles, and weapons have hit the game alongside meatier story expansions, the addition of procedural missions, and so much more. Soon, though, it’ll be time to call it a day.
“It’s with the utmost love and tremendous pride that we announce that we are now working on the last update for Generation Zero,” the studio reveals in a new post. “We feel now is the right time to finalize our vision for our beloved game and give it the send-off it deserves.”
That send-off takes the form of the Showdown update, which will be totally free to all Generation Zero players. This will not only conclude the overarching narrative that has been forged through the game’s missions and lore, but take you to a “new area that you haven’t been before.”
It’ll also add three new EXP weapons, uncap the amount of skill points you can earn to allow you to unlock as much as possible, and deliver loads of quality of life improvements and bug fixes so that it’s in the optimal state for a future without dev support. The game will not be delisted after this update drops, and multiplayer will still work, as it’s peer-to-peer rather than server-based.
As for what happens at Systemic Reactions post-Showdown, the studio has ruled out a sequel for now – however, it does say that “there are definitely more stories to tell in the GZ universe and a return to the IP in the future is not off the table.” The dev team will also split up to work on “different projects within Avalanche Studios Group” – I wonder if one such project might be Contraband, the upcoming, Xbox-backed co-op shooter that has been mysteriously silent since its Steely Dan-dubbed reveal in 2021.
There is currently no release date for Generation Zero’s Showdown update. However, if you want to give it a try and learn more about it, head over to its Steam page – it’s currently 70% off, by the way.
For more experiences like Generation Zero, dive into our lists of the best open world games and the best robot games.
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