Zero-gravity first-person shooter Echo Arena was a team-based esport spin-off from sci-fi virtual reality (VR) adventure Lone Echo. Echo Arena became extremely popular, with several users declaring it was their entry into VR as a whole. Developers Ready at Dawn are following up with a third title in the series, Echo Combat, which is now launching its open beta.
The development team have said that Echo Combat aims to take everything tat was learned from the previous iterations of Lone Echo and Echo Arena and turn it all up to eleven to create a tight, fast-paced competitive VR FPS.
In Echo Combat, teams of three will be involved in either defending or attacking a payload. The payload in footage revealed so far has taken the form of a pink bird-like thing that players can sit on or grab on to as it floats towards its destination on a pre-defined path.
The more team members who re close to the payload, the faster it will move, similarly, the more enemy players are within range of the payload, the slower it will move, to the point of even heading backwards.
The content of the open beta will be very similar to the version of the title that was demonstrated at E3, so will be familiar to users who were lucky enough to be in attendance at E3, or who kept close eyes on word coming from the event.
Ready at Dawn is also implementing Echo VR, which will act as a shared social lobby and practice space for players to arrange matchmaking and launch into either Echo Arena or Echo Combat. This facility will be available during the open beta.
The open beta for Echo Combat will being at 10:30am PT on 21st June, 2018 and will last until 10am PT on 24th June, 2018.
For further news on Echo Combat and other upcoming VR titles, keep checking back with VRFocus.