Blackout Protocol invites action lovers to a frenetic twin-stick shooter where 3 players will collaborate to eradicate a very real menace. The three agents will be deployed in a remote containment facility that went dark after an internal breach. Shoot your way through hordes of creatures and use data cubes, credits and blueprints to upgrade your equipment at the next safe zone.. if you can reach it!

As employees of S2P Corporation, your work seemed so noble: advancing humanity through cutting-edge research into paranatural entities. That is, until they had something to say about it.

Now an internal containment breach has knocked out the power at Section 13, an underground research base where S2P houses its most dangerous subjects. With the entire facility in the dark—literally—it's up to you and a squad of intrepid coworkers to arm yourselves, delve into the depths, and shed light on what lies within.

Arm up, shed some light, and take back control...or die trying, again and again.

Ocean Drive Studio kicks off the year with Blackout Protocol's first Closed Beta on Steam, taking place from 2 PM (Pacific) on January 12th until 2 PM on the 16th and will continue to take new signups during the beta period on the Blackout Protocol Steam store page. 

Blackout Protocol will launch on Steam’s Early Access Game program in the first half of 2023 where the studio will continue its philosophy of shaping the game with players’ feedback as demonstrated with the launch of Lost Eidolons. This closed beta invites the testers to play the entirety of the Early Access opening day content and is therefore run with the intention to confirm the game is both stable enough and its core gameplay fun enough to bring to the public.

Dong Soo Oh, Creative Director, shares: “We are brimming with ideas for future update content during live service. But it is imperative that we verify the fundamentals of the game through this beta test. If the game has a lot of technical issues that render the game unplayable, if the core combat isn’t up to par with other shooters, if the roguelite progression isn’t strong enough, what good are content updates? So we ask that our players play and give us as much feedback as possible to ensure we have the fundamentals down before we bring it to Early Access.”

Blackout Protocol’s Early Access covers about 60% of Section 13 base, leading up to a boss fight. Ocean Drive Studio plan to update the boss fight with official launch, so players will find the true evil lying at the heart of Section 13 base later. Multiplayer supports a party of 3 players. In Early Access, players have 4 different characters to choose from. Each character has a unique ability that sets him/her apart from the others, so we encourage players to try them all out and find the one they like the most!

Early Access will also feature about 60 different skill cards, each falling under one of the 5 different categories. Weapons have something like an affinity to these skill cards–certain weapons will be more effective with skill cards under a certain category. By collecting multiple skill cards within the same category, players can activate different levels of special perks associated with each weapon.

The main difference between Early Access and v1.0 launch would be the amount of content accessible to players. The full version will take players through the entirety of Section 13 base, have additional weapons/skills/enemies, and more playable characters! The developers are also planning to add more variety in the procedural generation algorithm–this should give players a richer experience as they delve deeper into Section 13 base.

Key Features:

• Watch Your Backs . . . and Your Aim: Communication between coworkers is key to surviving the trials of office life. Gather your trio and cover each other’s six as you tackle each floor of Section 13. But with dark, narrow corridors and shifting architecture, friendly fire is a constant threat — so mind where you're pointing that prototype lightning cannon!
• Illuminate the Situation: Like any workplace, foul creatures lurk in the shadows...and they'd prefer to keep it that way. To take back control, you'll have to wield the light against them, using your trusty flashlights (and the base's electrical system) to seize the advantage. But be careful: monsters react to being exposed in unique ways, and they're not all shy about voicing their displeasure.
• Try Not to Panic: Every job has its stressors, whether it's tension with management, a slide deck that won't cooperate, or debilitating psionic damage caused by traumatic contact with otherworldly horrors. As you battle your way to the heart of the facility, keep an eye on your Panic Gauge, or suffer the consequences.
• Get Better or Get Stronger: To support your mission, S2P Corporation is proud to provide select agents with access to its platinum benefits package: the Death Nullification System, or DNS. In the event of catastrophic mission failure, DNS will evacuate your consciousness and transmit it backwards through time. This will enable you to preserve certain skills and abilities between runs, ensuring your next attempt will be a little bit easier.

You may also taste copper for a few hours. That's normal.

Blackout Protocol is coming to PC (Steam Early Access in 2023), followed by consoles at a later time.