Why This Former eSports Pro Is Beyond Hyped for Phoenix Labs‘ New Shooter

As a retired professional gamer who competed for years in shooters like Counter-Strike, Overwatch, and Apex Legends, I live for that ultra-competitive multiplayer itch. My heart starts pounding just imaging what Phoenix Labs could produce in the high-skill shooter space following their breakout success with the hardcore co-op hunting action of Dauntless.

See, Phoenix Labs demonstrated they truly understand what makes for rewarding gameplay – the compelling loop of taking down epic behemoths in Dauntless kept me and 10 million other players grinding for hundreds of hours. Now I‘m practically shaking imagining how they might apply those PvE lessons into complex, skill-testing PvP.

Phoenix Labs Has the Pedigree to Develop the Next Great Competitive Shooter

While Dauntless marked Phoenix Lab‘s debut title, they clearly knew what they were doing out the gate. Just look at some of these key engagement and retention benchmarks:

• Reached 10 million players faster than established hunting games like Monster Hunter
• Retained over 500k daily active users 6 months after launch
• Pushed major content updates every 2 weeks subsequently

Numbers like these put Phoenix Labs‘ post-launch support up there with the very best live service games. Other studios take months to push meaningful updates. Phoenix Labs was all over quality-of-life improvements, new behemoths and events, and exciting new weapon and gear additions.

Most importantly, Phoenix Labs cultivated an incredibly transparent relationship with Dauntless‘ community. They solicited constant feedback and made changes with impressive agility, earning back any goodwill lost from early growing pains. I‘m confident they will stay closely connected with their next game‘s competitive scene from day one.

Scraps of Job Listing Info Signal Exciting Developments

While full game details remain tightly under wraps, a few tantalizing clues come from a recent Lead Marketing Manager job posting:

• A multiplayer shooter represents a daring genre change which sparks my imagination
• The focus on eSports experience suggests robust competitive elements tailored for tournaments
• Live service responsibilities imply ambitious post-launch content plans to keep us grinding

As someone who has competed professionally for years, I can confidently speculate how these few details might manifest:

• Shooter suggests skill-based gameplay with lethal gunplay unlike Dauntless
• eSports Focus probably means established team modes with deep mechanics
• Live Service hints at battle passes, seasonal ladders, and regular meta shake-ups

That combination of elements makes me think we could see design concepts pulled from top competitive shooters like CS:GO, Valorant, or Rainbow Six. Of course I‘ll have clearer expectations once raw gameplay is unveiled.

Here Are Just Some of My Hopes for Phoenix Labs‘ Competitive Vision

Drawing from thousands of hours perfecting grenade trajectories and spray control, here are just some of the features I‘d love to see in Phoenix Labs‘ bold foray into competitive PvP territories:

Team Construction

• 5v5 Format
• Classes/Roles with asymmetry
• Ultimate abilities with big playmaking potential

Core Modes

• Multi-point Domination
• Single-life Attack/Defense
• Classic Team Deathmatch

Weapon Feedback

• Crispy gunplay with recoil mastery
• Secondary weapons to augment primaries
• Satisfying equipment with counterplay

Ranked Ladder

• Performance-based SR gains
• Tiers/Divisions to steadily climb
• Verified competitive integrity

Esport Integration

• In-game tournament announcements
• Amateur platforms for all skill levels
• Collegiate league partnerships

I could envision so much more – rich progression, elite cosmetics, balance transparency – but I‘ll stop daydreaming here until we get some official previews.

Concerns to Keep Phoenix Labs‘ Soaring Ambitions In Check

As thrilled as I am to imagine Phoenix Labs‘ exciting competitive foray, I do have a couple concerns I hope they can avoid:

First is the risk of excessive crunch if they pursue too ambitious a scope or timelines. Dauntless grew into an excellent experience but not without some early growing pains. Avoiding employee burnout must take priority, even over content roadmaps.

Second, I feel brand new worlds and characters better allow creativity to flourish rather than trying to align a shooter with Dauntless‘ distinctive Hunting Grounds. Of course I‘ll reserve judgment until they unveil specifics.

Above all though, Phoenix Labs must closely involve their competitive community and professionals to ensure their systems, progression and mechanics hit the skill ceiling needed for an esport. I‘m eager to offer my expertise however I can!

So while mum‘s the word on concrete details, you can bet this retired pro will be first in line when Phoenix Labs‘ next creation drops. And if it delivers on its competitive promises, I may just have to rejoin the professional circuit one last time!

Let me know what you hope to see in the comments, and whether you expect Phoenix Labs to disrupt the shooter space on their sophomore release!