Skyfront VR Devs Examine the Future of VR eSports

With esports being the huge business that it is, it only makes sense that virtual reality (VR) and VR devs will want to take a bite of that juicy apple! The first steps have already been taken in that direction and ESL’s VR League and Virtual Athletics League are among those paving the way. However, the minimal prize funds and lukewarm viewer interest are a clear indication that perhaps the market needs a bit more time to evolve. Without going too much into the technicalities, let’s take a look at some of the most obvious yet critical factors holding VR esports back.

A topic that keeps popping up with regard to VR esports is the difficulty in making a spectacle out of it. Granted, watching traditional esports where we’re used to seeing the athletes sit pensively at their PCs isn’t that thrilling either. What is thrilling though, is seeing the battles on the big screen – the viewer can always see how well his or her favourite is doing and can cheer them on. All of the action, all the athletes, are right there on the screen, going at each other.

In VR, it’s a bit different. Let’s not even get started with the fact that many think a person wearing an HMD and flailing around wildly looks a little silly. The more important “problem” for esports is the fact that VR is a first-person experience. Even if the first person views of all individual athletes are broadcast onto a big screen, there is still a lack of emergency and tension. But tension – you know that moment when the opposing team ALMOST grabs the football or, in esports, when only one member of the party is still alive and somehow manages to take over the opposing team – is at the core of all sports. There’s a reason why we hardly ever have first-person views in movies – the viewer just doesn’t get into it the same way they do when the scene is filmed from a third-person view. The same applies to esports.

The solution to this problem actually isn’t all that difficult. What we as viewers and devs need, is a spectator function that adapts the VR experience into a spectacle. Ideally, of course, this would be part of the game but creating a separate app to run the game would suit perfectly. Some core traits required would be the possibility of third-person views and a free-roaming camera option. Of course, this creates the need for someone really good at live editing, but people do that for a living, so it’s hardly a hindrance. Camera smoothing might also be on the top of the list of requirements. Although the athlete playing doesn’t notice it, the micro-jitters of the head and hands translate to pretty annoying shaking when broadcast onto a screen.

SkyfrontVR

Obviously, there are a ton of other technical aspects to take into account, but you see where I’m going with this. For seasoned VR enthusiasts, these are well-known problems that all factor into the relatively low adoption rates of VR. They are only magnified when viewed from the esports perspective.

If VR esports hopes to convince athletes, viewers and, perhaps financially most importantly, sponsors, the issues discussed above should be on the top of the to-do list for those driving VR forward. Luckily Oculus, HTC, Intel and HP, to name a few, have all shown clear interest in boosting VR onto the same level with traditional esports. The fact that ESL has also taken VR under its wing let’s all those devs hoping that their game will be embraced by fans as the next VR esports staple sleep a little easier at night.

Skyfront VR to Hold a Three-week Tournament in Partnership With Viveport

Levity Play is due to launch its zero-gravity multiplayer first-person shooter (FPS) Skyfront VR out of Early Access in a couple of days. To celebrate the event the studio has announced a three-week tournament called Skyfront Skirmish: Ready, Set, Whoosh! in partnership with Viveport and Museum of Future Sports.

SkyfrontVR

The tournament will start on launch day, 20th December, and run through until 9th January. Skyfront Skirmish: Ready, Set, Whoosh! will take place across three rounds with a 24-hour cooldown period between the rounds.

  • Round 1 will begin Thursday, December 20th at 6 PM UTC and end Wednesday, December 26th at 6 PM UTC.
  • Round 2 will begin Thursday, December 27th at 6 PM UTC and end Wednesday, January 2nd at 6 PM UTC.
  • Round 3 will begin Thursday, January 3rd at 6 PM UTC and end Wednesday, January 9th at 6 PM UTC.

“We’ve been running the Skirmishes for nearly a year now and seen how much the community loves these events. Naturally, we wanted the launch Skirmish to be a bit more special and offer something back to every player that has helped shape Skyfront during EA and to all the new players who have yet to try our game out,” explains Community Manager, Sandra in a statement.

Thanks to Levity Plays partnership with Viveport and Museum of Future Sports there are some great prizes on offer. Awarded to the top 3 players at the end of each round, the prizes are:

  • First place – Vive Wireless Adapter + $50 Steam gift card + Skyfront VR swag
  • Second place – RC Racing Drone and Goggles + $25 Steam gift card + Skyfront VR swag
  • Third place – $25 Steam gift card + Skyfront VR swag

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“I think everybody knows that the future of VR will be wireless. The Vive Wireless Adapter allows for so much more freedom, especially for the home user. It’s pretty amazing that we get to untether our most talented players thanks to Viveport – not a bad Christmas present, if you ask me!,” adds Skyfront’s Game Lead, Kaaren.

Skyfront VR features four zero-gravity arenas, three game modes including team and solo deathmatches, weapons such as pistols, shotguns, automatic rifles, sniper rifles, and rocket launchers. Players will also have access to special abilities – six in total – to aid them in battle. The full version will also feature a progression system and customisation options.

Skyfront VR will be launching on Steam, Viveport and Oculus stores on 20th December 2018. For further updates, keep reading VRFocus.

Aerial Shooter Skyfront VR Will Leave Early Access in December

Having initially launched via Steam Early Access just over a year ago, multiplayer first-person shooter (FPS) Skyfront VR is now ready to be fully released developer LevityPlay has now confirmed. 

SkyfrontVR

The action takes place purely in the air, with players able swoop around futuristic landscapes using thrusters and grappling hooks to defeat opponents using an array of weaponry.

Skyfront VR features four zero-gravity arenas, three game modes including team and solo deathmatches, weapons such as pistols, shotguns, automatic rifles, sniper rifles, and rocket launchers. Players will also have access to special abilities – six in total – to aid them in battle.

“It’s been an intense and exhilarating year! Being in Early Access has taught us so much about our players and what people expect from VR. For the most part that is quality content and more than just an hour or few of fun in the game. We really think Skyfront can deliver that!,” explains Kaaren Kaer, Game Lead at Skyfront VR in a statement.

SkyfrontVR

The full version of the title will also add two new features, a progression system and customisation options. These will allow players to customise their character assets and see proper character progression the more they play.

And for the first time, Skyfront VR will be available to purchase on more than one platform, coming to Oculus Store and Viveport alongside Steam.

“Cross-platform gameplay means that we will be merging three amazing communities [Viveport, Steam, Oculus store], giving the players access to this great new content. Steam players will also have free hands in creating the arenas they’ve always dreamed of with the help of Steam Workshop. As far as future plans go, we intend to keep adding new content – whether that be more arenas, customisation options or weapons and abilities – every four months or so,” promises Kaaren.

Skyfront VR will be available on all three stores from 20th December 2018. Check out the new gameplay trailer below, and for further updates, keep reading VRFocus.

Skyfront VR Developer Talks Maps, Customisation and Leaving Early Access

Fast-paced multiplayer first-person shooter Skyfront VR was launched into Steam Early Access in November 2017, and since then has seen a fairly consistent stream of updates featuring not just bug fixes but new content for players to enjoy. One of the team behind the title talks about what players can expect when Skyfront VR emerges from Early Access.

Nina spoke to Sandra Müür, community manager and PR at Skyfront VR developers Levity Play about the title and what might be coming next.

Skyfront VR screenshot

Müür began by explaining that Skyfront VR was tantalisingly close to its full release, “We’ve been in Early Access for quite some time, and now we’re really close to releasing the final version of our game.”

When asked what players could expect from playing Skyfront VR, Müür said: “While we’re still in Early Access we have two maps, though a third map is coming out the week after Gamescom. We currently have two game modes, seven weapons and six special abilities. Before we launch we’re gonna add two more game modes. One of them is going to be domination, and the other is a yet-to-be disclosed secret game mode.”

Explaining what would be added to the final version, Müür said: “The final version will have four maps and four different game modes and we’ll also be adding both customisation and progression.”

Going into a bit more detail on customisation, Müür explained: “For customisation, we’re not promising anything crazy, but we know people love, as we do ourselves, customising your characters and making it your own. We really want to give that to our players.”

Special abilities have become a stable of arena-based FPS titles, and Müür explains the types of abilities players can choose from: “We have things like self-heal, so you can save yourself from dying, there’s a shield and there’s Shockwave, which is my personal favourite ability. We also have stealth and some other ones for you to try.”

Skyfront VR animated gif

The full interview can be viewed below. For future coverage of Skyfront VR and other upcoming VR projects, keep checking back with VRFocus.

Skyfront VR Reveal Major Update That Adds Grenade Launcher

Skyfront VR, the fast-paced multiplayer first-person shooter (FPS) that pits players against each other in virtual reality (VR) has announced a new major update that brings with it the long awaited new weapon.

Skyfront Pineapple Pop

The release of the Pineapple – what the grenade launcher has come to be known as – follows weeks of hype from the developers Levity Play. The new weapon allows players a chance to deliver some explosive justice to other players with not one but three grenades that can be then detonated remotely. To mark the release of the new weapon, Levity Play have also announced the return of the Skyfront Skirmishes to give players a chance to play in a limited-time gamemode that is all about this new weapon.

Titled Skyfront Skirmish: Pineapple Pop, the gamemode will take place between April 13th until April 16th at 5am UTC. The event is being run in collaboration with Aerial Sports League and will feature many prices for players to earn include a drone, Skyfront merch and Steam gift cards.

Skyfront VR screenshot

The weekend long event will challenge players to compete for a certain high score with the highest earner being called the victor. For this one the number of grenade launcher kills is what counts with deaths not having any impact on the score. Other weapons and skills are allowed by only those with the grenade launcher will count towards the high score. The remaining full rules, including how abusive behavior will not be tolerated, can be read on the Steam announcement.

Skyfront Skirmish: Pineapple Pop will also bring the first real-life trail of the Skyfront tournament app, which will allow VR arcades and eSports event organizers to tweak the game’s settings, such as match length and number of players, alongside a spectator function which is designed for broadcasting tournaments. Though the release of this depends on Steam’s approval process, it is a big step forward for the title and the business customers who want to expand their coverage and offering of the Skyfront VR.

VRFocus will be sure to bring you all the latest on Skyfront VR in the future so stay tuned for more.

Skyfront VR Lands on Steam Early Access

Skyfront VR, a multiplayer first-person shooter (FPS) videogame designed for virtual reality (VR), is now available as a Steam Early Access title. Compatible with both Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, the Early Access edition of Skyfront VR follows a series of successful closed beta testing phases.

Skyfront VR screenshotSet in an idyllic future, Skyfront VR aims to take players to battlegrounds around the world. Cities of old have been raised to the skies and converted to zero-gravity battle arenas, where best warriors are teaming up to determine the ultimate champion. Contestants from around the world compete in zero gravity arenas for the title of Guardians – Keepers of the Peace.

Designing a FPS videogame for VR – as elementary as it may sound – is not a simple process. Due to the constraints of current VR hardware and the potential for inducing simulation sickness, developers have to be cautious as to how they handle a player’s locomotion. According to Levity Play, Skyfront VR’s movement mechanics take advantage of unique characteristics of VR motion controllers to make for an ‘intuitive and nausea free experience’. The videogame boasts omnidimensional battle arenas to complement the gameplay mechanics and to support the unique game flow that zero gravity gameplay offers.

Skyfront VR is proposed to be an Early Access title for six to eight months as Levity Play work out which features are most in demand from the community. While this first edition is essentially a ‘bare bones’ experience, the developers plan to add lots more content as development continues, including more maps, gameplay modes, weapons, special abilities and a customisation system.

“We will have regular updates on our development blog, where we’ll announce new features and bug fixes. We plan on releasing updates for the game every two weeks or so,” reads the official Early Access description for Skyfront VR. “We will also have an in-game Bug Report Tool which makes it easy for you to send us any feedback, glitches and bugs you might find. You can also include the log file and a screenshot if necessary. We will also have a public Trello board where all players can vote on what features should be worked on first.”

Skyfront VR screenshotSkyfront VR can be purchased as an Early Access title via Steam now, compatible with both Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. VRFocus will keep you updated with all the latest details on Skyfront VR and other VR titles from Levity Play.

Skyfront VR Heading to Steam Early Access This Month

Levity Play has recently been pushing the agenda for the official debut of Skyfront VR hard. A handful of closed beta testing phases has now culminated in the upcoming launch of a Steam Early Access edition of the videogame, opening the title up to all HTC Vive and Oculus Rift owners.

Skyfront VR screenshotDesigned specifically for virtual reality (VR), Skyfront VR is a multiplayer first-person shooter (FPS) set in an idyllic future. The Steam Early Access edition of the videogame will launch with just one map and two gameplay modes, deathmatch and team deathmatch, but Levity Play promise to expand on this over time. By the time the official launch edition is realised, Levity Play suggest the videogame will include five gameplay modes including Single Deathmatch, 3v3 Elimination and Capture The Flag, and five or six maps in different geographical settings.

The official description of the videogame’s setting, from developer Levity Play, is as follows: “2300 AD. Our planet was embroiled in the battle to end all battles – The Final War. Cities disappeared, nations perished and our planet was scarred almost beyond recognition. Four hundred years later, in AD 2700, the humankind is thriving again; the wars have been left behind, most of the planet has been rebuilt and technology has achieved ultimate synergy with nature and Laws of Physics. To preserve the memory of our violent past, a symbolic competition called the Skyfront Tournament was created.”

In response to the recent beta testing phases Levity Play has run for Skyfront VR, Ivar Jaanus offered the following on the official devblog for the videogame: “We can’t stress enough how valuable the community was, by providing us with instant and detailed feedback. It was also really cool to see the new ways in which players engaged with the game. We were aware of some of the bugs in the game and with your cooperation, we were able to narrow down the issues we should tackle firsthand. Most of those bugs will be eliminated in time for Early Access.”

Skyfront VR artSkyfront VR is set to debut on Steam Early Access, compatible with both HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, on 10th November 2017. You can find out more information on the videogame’s official Steam page and VRFocus will keep you updated with all the latest details from Levity Play.

LevityPlay Discuss the Mechanics of Aerial Combat Title Skyfront

Aerial combat titles tend to involve vehicles of some sort, whether that’s a plane, spaceship or other cockpit-based craft.  LevityPlay is going for a more unique mechanic for its upcoming virtual reality (VR) multiplayer Skyfront in that players fight it out in zero-gravity arenas – similar to Echo Arena.

Due to launch in October via Steam for Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, Skyfront’s early access release will feature a single map, three weapons, four special abilities and two gameplay modes to begin with.

At the recent VRDC event in San Francisco, VRFocus sat down with LevityPlay’s CEO and founder Marko Mand to discuss the title, its development and what the studio has got planned for this multiplayer first-person shooter (FPS).