As Sony Online Entertainment irons out the PlayStation 4 version of PlanetSide 2, a freemium first-person shooter that stuffs thousands of players onto each of its servers, Sony Computer Entertainment is working on Kill Strain, a more intimate free-to-play shooter that boasts the odd dynamic of 5v2v5.
Kill Strain, which is being developed by San Diego Studio, was announced at PlayStation Experience in Las Vegas, an event that took place after the first annual Game Awards.
"Play across a frozen tundra where an experimental energy source has been unearthed and an outbreak threatens to spread around the globe," states the Kill Strain website. "What is waiting in the Strain? Take on the role of a human mercenary tasked with containing the outbreak, a mutated abomination hell-bent on infecting those who have come to silence them, or perhaps... both?"
Kill Strain is described as a top-down shooter and it'll be based on a free-to-play system. San Diego Studios vows not to make the game "pay to win," though the Sony-owned property didn't detail the model it'll use to make money from the freemium title.
Sony filed trademark applications for Entwined and Kill Strain with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office back in April, listing both titles as "Computer game software."
Kill Strain will launch at some point, following a beta testing period. PlayStation owners interested in exploring San Diego Studio's upcoming game world can sign up for Kill Strain's beta here.
San Diego Studio didn't show off any gameplay footage of Kill Strain during its presentation at PlayStation Experience. The game is in its alpha state right now, however, and San Diego Studios brought along a playable version and invited attendees to test drive the early build.
"We want you guys to help shape what Kill Strain will ultimately become," says Christian Phillips, head of San Diego Studio.
While Kill Strain works to build up traction, Sony Entertainment Online announced at PlayStation Experience that PlanetSide 2 closed-beta period is near.
The sign-up site is live and recruiting soldiers to join the cerebral and forward-thinking Vanu Sovereignty, the authoritarian Terran Republic, or the freedom-loving New Conglomerate. Those struggling to choose a side in all of the rabble may find guidance in seeking Vanu, the ascended race of beings that has abandoned the tech that the three sides now fight over.
