Character Background: DRAGOV (The Beast)

Heavily-tattooed, mountainously-built, a Siberian hunter, a trapper and a bandit, Dragov is unarguably the most wanted criminal in Russian history. Originally, it took three platoons of Spetsnaz Special Forces to capture him, but they couldn’t keep him captive for long and he broke free, slaughtering his way out of Russia’s most secretive and brutal gulag prison, fleeing on foot across hundreds of miles of frozen tundra wilderness.

Military helicopters were sent in hot pursuit, snipers aboard given strict orders to shoot to kill. But someone somewhere had heard of Dragov's brutal and daring escape and decided he would be worth a lot more alive than dead. A swift phone call was made directly to the powers that be at the Kremlin and almost immediately the helicopter snipers were ordered not to kill Dragov, but to bring him in alive. Swapping their bullets for tranquiliser darts, they tracked Dragov down and fired shot after shot into the fugitive figure. Finally, with a terrifying bellow of rage, Dragov collapsed and spiralled into unconsciousness. Upon awaking he would discover that he had become the newest recruit to The Club, with freedom promised for surviving the deadly contest.

LOCATION BACKGROUND

Location Background: Steel Mill

German unification wasn’t kind to the East German industrial town of Jaegerhof. The financial benefits anticipated by many, failed to arrive, but the real blow arrived when the town’s steel mill (run-down by decades of Communist mis-management and unable to compete with steel production in the west) shut down. Then recently and suddenly, there were rumours that it had been bought. No-one knew who the new owners were or what they were going to do with the place; after all it had been left to rot for years. Strangers were spotted up at the mill and, incredibly, rumours spread that they were American movie producers looking for a place to film their new movie.

The movie producers arrived with trucks stuffed full of equipment and setting up began at the mill. The inhabitants of Jaegerhof had hoped for jobs helping out, but were disappointed that the producers didn’t hire any locals. Neither could the locals catch a glimpse of any of the big stars assumed to be there as movie studio security guards were dotted around the mill, threatening anyone that tried to get too close.

The people of Jaegerhof didn’t even know what kind of movie was being made in the steel mill, but everyone assumed it must be a big war picture or Hollywood action movie, on account of all the fake gunfire noise they can hear coming from the place …

The Club mixes the best elements from action shooters with arcade accessibility, the pace of racing games and a story structure based on fighting games. Players will choose from a selection of characters to fight in a shadowy underground blood-sport controlled by a faceless, obscenely wealthy and influential elite – The Club. Each character has their own reason for risking their life to “beat” The Club. Some are driven by greed, some are driven by a higher purpose, and some are driven by pure insane bloodlust.

Countless rumours persist about the origins of The Club, but few facts are known. Many members like to believe that its beginnings can be traced back to the infamous Hellfire Club of 18th century London, others believe it originated during the Napoleonic Wars, whilst some declare that the four signatories of the US Declaration of Independence were founder members of an early incarnation of The Club, using African slaves as the source of cheap fodder for the tournament battles.

Rumours also exist about the spread of The Club with fingers pointing to South American branches said to have been set up by an influx of German immigrants in the aftermath of World War Two.

Drug lords. Mob bosses. Dotcom billionaires. Rock stars. Presidents. International arms dealers. World leaders. Dictators. Media Tycoons. Ultra-rich Russian oligarch neo-capitalists. Hollywood superstars. Third World warlords. CEOs of multinational giants. Aristocrats and royalty. They all rub shoulders in The Club, the most exclusive and secretive organisation in the world, sharing a taste for blood and a belief that their wealth and power places them above and beyond the reach of normal laws. The entry fee is astronomical, and membership is for life; once you’re in The Club, you can’t leave.

The internet and advances in global communications have revolutionised the business of The Club. In a previous era, members had to gather in secret at the arena locations to witness the combats in person. Now, making use of communications technology – private communications satellites, ultra-secret internet domains and live links hidden behind any number of hacker-proof firewalls – owned by various senior Club figures, members can watch the action from any number of secure clubhouses dotted around the world, or even from the comfort of their own homes or private yachts, jets etc. Gambling is the main activity of The Club and the organisation takes a cut of all the betting action to cover the substantial costs incurred in running these tournaments at all their various locations across the world.

The activities of The Club are controlled and overseen by The Board of Trustees, whose identities are all closely-guarded secrets. The ‘public’ face of The Board is the MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY, a Club employee who relays all The Board’s decisions to the rest of the organisation.

At its heart The Club is about competition and proving you’re the best. Be that taking a character through their single player story and “beating” The Club, measuring your scores and times on online leader-boards or defeating your opposition via split-screen or online play.