In a recent chat with Vostok Games, the Ukrainian developers of the newly announced Fear The Wolves, we’ve learned some of the ways the plan to differentiate themselves from the growing competition of the Battle Royale genre.

　　The studio, Vostok Games, is made up of former STALKER developers who want to bring that same oppressive, eastern European flavor to the genre. Set in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, players will have to combat the mutated wildlife and radiation as well as each other in a marriage of PvE and PvP components.

　　And it's this infamous radiation that will slowly shrink the map and force the players into a constantly smaller area. Unlike in other Battle Royale games like Player Unknown's Battlegrounds and Fortnite, though, players here have a way of circumventing the deadly enclosing arena.

　　While gasmasks and outfits in Battlegrounds are purely cosmetic, Fear the Wolves will add buffs to each article of clothing you wear. These clothes will be able to stave off the effects of the deadly radiation outside the play zone for limited times, with gas masks and oxygen tanks offering the biggest boosts. This means a well-equipped player will be able to survive outside the play zone, helping them avoid fights, gather more resources, or get the advantage on unaware enemies.

　　Whether or not this will add a noticeable level of tension to the game or just make the map feel too empty is yet to be seen. Additional variety will be provided by a dynamic weather system and day/night cycle, which is once again a first in the Battle Royale genre.

　　The developers are determined to have Fear the Wolves release this year on PC and "consoles", so we won’t have to wait too long to see it in action and then play it. In fact, Early Access has been mentioned too, meaning that PC and possibly Xbox One gamers will get a taste of it ahead of the full launch. Stay tuned for more coverage.