Mayhem Studios, a prominent player in the Indian gaming industry, has opened up on its upcoming project, Underworld Gang Wars (UGW). Ojas Vipat, the CEO of Mayhem Studios, shed light on the game development, support from the gaming community, and more.
According to Vipat, Mayhem Studios is fervently working on UGW, a AAA battle royale game. Vipat emphasised his team's commitment to delivering a unique gaming experience deeply rooted in Indian culture.
"What excites us more is that all the characters, elements and the inspiration of the hotspots are deeply rooted in India. The journey so far has been extremely fulfilling and we have also received great feedback on the gameplay trailers and other game-related content," he told CNBC-TV18.
He said the game has already received at least 6.5 million pre-registrations.
According to Vipat, closed Alpha playtests have yielded encouraging responses.
"Which battle royale game lets you use a hammer and a Katta to combat with enemies. Also, UGW enables the users to take the wheel of stylish vehicles that are popularly used in India adding an authentic touch to the desi experience," he added.
Vipa said the developer is on track for community playtests. "We are well aligned to our progress roadmap and gearing up for the community playtest."
Mayhem Studios is set to host the Underworld Gang Wars community playtest on December 23, 2023, at its Bengaluru office. This invite-only event is accessible through the studio's Discord community or an online form.
"Once shortlisted, our team will send an email confirming the time slot for the playtest. All the materials and instructions will be sent to the selected candidates by email," he said.
Following the community playtest, Mayhem Studios plans to conduct additional playtests to gather feedback from a wider audience. The aim is to refine the game further in preparation for the closed beta, with a strong commitment to releasing UGW to the public in 2024.
Vipat said UGW's development journey has been focused on offering a realistic gameplay style rooted in Indian culture.
"The team has been able to crack some innovative solutions to offer a realistic gameplay style that looks a bit more familiar to all. Suppose one sees different locations on the map. In that case, they will be able to spot a place named Fort that is inspired by elements from multiple old forts across India rather than replicating a single architectural pattern. Another hotspot, namely the slums on the map, is inspired by Dharavi. We are also determined to develop the game and a story in such a way that can provide the thrill of Bollywood rivalry that we see on screen.," Vipat added.
Mayhem Studios says India is a future gaming powerhouse on the global stage and stands ready to play its part in this journey.
"Our dedication extends beyond delivering exceptional Indian gaming content from our in-house studio; we aim to harness the power of India's abundant talent pool and create relevant employment opportunities," he added.
(Edited by : Shoma Bhattacharjee)
