‘POPULATION: ONE’ Developers Discuss Phoenix Royale Update, Preview Weekend Now Live
POPULATION: ONE is the #1 VR battle royal, and its huge new update is coming on June 6. Phoenix Royale is a free content update featuring automatic redeploys to get you back in the fight faster, with more customization options with buy station upgrades, and tons of opportunities for action and competition. And did we mention it all takes place on a brand-new map?
We first teased the new update last week, and today is the start of a free preview weekend for all players. This preview weekend starts right now and runs until 10:59 am PT on June 3. You can read about some of the limited-time rewards for the event right here.
We spoke to POPULATION: ONE Lead Developer Kaden Nugent and Producer Aaron Houts about Phoenix Royale and how it changes up the game. They answered a few of our questions about their inspiration and process when creating POPULATION: ONE’s largest Battle Royale update yet.
Kaden Nugent: Phoenix Royale empowers existing and new players alike to be adventurous, take risks, and try again multiple times within a single match. When a player is knocked out, they’ll automatically redeploy from the sky as long as the Phoenix Redeploy is active and their teammates are still in the game.
Redeploying can be an exciting moment for players who love to stay in the action and encourages players who are new to battle royales to give the genre a try.
From the beginning, we’ve always thought of battle royale as a blank canvas where players have a common goal but are free to climb, fly, and fight anywhere they choose. With Phoenix Royale, we wanted to add onto that idea of boundless gameplay by giving players even more opportunities to play how they want.
Aaron Houts: To celebrate the launch of Phoenix Royale, we have two exclusive character skins available for free. Players can unlock these simply by playing Phoenix Royale matches during the limited-time, two-week launch event!
The two characters, Jet and Delta, are part of the Seekers, one of the factions introduced in the early days of POPULATION: ONE. Unlocking these will give players an easy entrance point into the POPULATION: ONE universe, even if they’re new to the game.
KN: Map updates are consistently one of the most requested changes. Players have asked for additional Battle Royale maps since the beginning, and while we’ve added new areas to the current map many times and allow custom maps to be created in Sandbox, we felt this was the perfect time to add a new, full-sized map paired with the new game mode.
The Phoenix Royale Map incorporates a lot of feedback from the community and learnings over the past several years. We especially wanted it to play differently than our classic Battle Royale map. The regions are densely populated to encourage different styles of play.
We’ve also added Supply Crates around the map which players can open to find items. These crates automatically refill each time the Battle Zone shrinks, which enables players to easily find loot, even if someone else had already explored that building earlier.
AH: Being able to get creative and choose your own progression by upgrading your weapons or choosing your class at the Buy Stations located around the map. They allow players to try different loadouts, level up their favorite weapon, or call a supply drop for high-value items.
Even collecting our new in-game currency, Gem Bars, is super satisfying and can be done in various ways: from opening the supply crates, capturing Loot Vaults by fighting bots, or simply fighting other players and taking their Gem Bars. It’s up to the player to decide how they approach each match—Phoenix Royale gives players more agency than ever before.
KN: Phoenix Royale is designed to have all the thrills of Battle Royale whether you’re an expert or trying it for the first time. Get creative, venture around the map, fight other players, and if you get knocked out, rise again! Each Phoenix Royale match will be filled with plenty of excitement for all types of players.
AH: Phoenix Royale is unlike any of our previous updates, yet it stays true to POPULATION: ONE’s core experience: Battle Royale. We’re excited for players to get their hands on it—see you in-game!
