Cyberpunk 2077 fans disappointed after CD Projekt Red cut its multiplayer mode may have an alternative offering coming in the future. Indie studio emptyvessel revealed that it’s working on a game called Defect, which it describes as multiplayer, squad-based cyberpunk shooter.

The veteran team has plenty of experience with developers who worked on Doom, The Last of Us and Borderlands tackling the project. The vision they showed in its trailer has a Dredd vibe, the good movie starring Karl Urban and Lena Headey.

It’s filled with claustrophobic corridors and winding hallways that lend itself to close-quarter shootouts. Defect takes place in the last city of humankind, where an authoritarian artificial intelligence called the System rules in the inhabitants, the developers said. Players will have to choose among several factions that include the System’s police force, rogue police elements or a host of gangs. They’re all fighting control of what remains of humanity.

“We’re exploring an authoritarian take on the game world, and leaning hard into the ‘punk’ in cyberpunk, fully immersing players into the carnage of a society where technology isn’t just a tool, but a burden,” said Emanuel Palalic, CEO and game director, in a news release. “For the industry, we want to inspire other game makers to work in smaller teams, as we are, to have the ability to take more creative risks and work more independently.”

Defect features objective-based matches and high-tech weaponry as squads of four battle each other. Each match features multiple objectives and different finales. The shooter also features random pickups that can turn the tide of a match.

 - TNS