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Prototype 3 demonstrates the general direction of Variants — new mechanics, co-op progress, WIP systems, and mission structure that better represent the future gameplay experience.
Prototype 2 was shown at the beginning of March. Since then, the team expanded and the project moved into a more focused gameplay direction.
Joined roughly one month ago to support layouts, level flow, and future world variety. Responsible for LU/VO #2403.
Joined roughly one month ago to define moment-to-moment gameplay identity, including dash, scan, and combat tuning.
Joined roughly three weeks ago to stabilise and improve multiplayer foundations and resolve replication issues.
Every new mechanic, system, and feature added in Prototype 3 — with screenshots and expanded detail on what each one is doing and why.
Prototype 3 moves toward a more thematic mission loop built around scanning, pruning, containment, and extraction. Step through each phase below.
Prototype 3 adds a new handmade level, sub-level technology, a dedicated test space, and base updates.
Third playable level, fully handmade by the new Level Designer. Built around an active Incursion with a Rift and multiple POIs containing foreign objects to prune. Sub-levels are used to load and unload unstable high-DE zones around foreign objects.
Controlled test level with reference metrics for testing new mechanics and features in a repeatable, consistent environment. Essential for tuning dash, scan range, enemy behaviour, and pruning feel without level-specific variables.
Implemented in LU/VO #2403 to load and unload sections dynamically. Demonstrated as unstable high-DE zones around foreign objects — the level visually changes as players interact with the environment.
Minor visual updates to support the evolving base-to-field contrast. The Bureau should feel safe, ordered, and civilian compared to the tension of the field. Co-op group travel now starts here, with the host initiating departure through the portal.
The prototype continues improving the multiplayer foundation while new mechanics are added and replicated.
The full party can gather in the Bureau office and travel to a level together through a portal initiated by the host. This is a significant step toward the fantasy of a co-op agency deploying together on missions.
Various replication issues were solved with the new Multiplayer Engineer and most new features — dash, scan, pruning, DE — were fully replicated for two-player use. A solid foundation for continued multiplayer development.
Designers are also using modern AI tools and interactive web prototypes to test and explore mechanics outside of Unreal Engine. This allows faster experimentation — weeks rather than months — and helps validate ideas earlier before committing to full in-engine implementation. Below are four examples currently being explored.
Short description of what this web prototype is exploring — the mechanic, the question being tested, and what was learned.
Short description of what this web prototype is exploring — the mechanic, the question being tested, and what was learned.
Short description of what this web prototype is exploring — the mechanic, the question being tested, and what was learned.
Short description of what this web prototype is exploring — the mechanic, the question being tested, and what was learned.
This milestone is about direction, not final polish. Six key questions the prototype is designed to answer.
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The Proof of Concept prototype should connect the current mechanics and systems into one stronger gameplay loop and validate Variants at a larger concept scale: scanning, pruning, DE, anomalies, co-op, mission flow, combat pressure, and extraction — all working together as one coherent experience.