Hype for Shroud’s new shooter hits overdrive as thousands play early access

Could it be the FPS gamechanger we've been waiting for?

Shroud (left) above a screenshot from new FPS title Spectre Divide.
Images via Shroud and Mountaintop Games. Remixed by Dot Esports

Valve’s MOBA shooter Deadlock isn’t the only game capturing attention on PC this week, with thousands of players piling into Spectre Divide‘s early access. The shooter, developed by Mountaintop Games in partnership with Shroud, is looking to freshen up the FPS genre—and isn’t holding back early.

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A little over 10,000 players hit the Spectre Divide servers today alone, according to stats site SteamDB; the highest count since 15,979 graced the first playtest two weeks ago. The player base fluctuates heavily, but early signs are great for the new shooter and with the weekend approaching, we’re likely going to see that 15,000-mark broken again very soon.

A player fires a sidearm while pressing an explosive remote in Spectre Divide.
Duality changes the game, giving you a second chance to get back in a round. Image via Mountaintop Games

Shroud is among a group of former esports pros and streamers who had a hand in Spectre Divide‘s making, with the likes of Tarik, iiTzTimmy, and Cohh Carnage also involved. Mountaintop is looking to revolutionize the FPS genre, differentiating itself from the likes of CS2, VALORANT, and Call of Duty with a new mechanic titled Duality.

The game may be three-on-three, but thanks to Duality, each player can throw a marker summoning another character they can switch between at will. This means the possibility of a big flank or a second life in an otherwise doomed round. Combined with tight shooter gameplay and a bright aesthetic, Spectre Divide is targeting players from all walks of life, from the casual weekend warrior to the hardened FPS fiend.

More players are being added to the beta by the day, with this early access expected to wrap up around Aug. 22, so there’s about a week left to give the new Duality mechanic a go and get your hands on Spectre Divide in its current form.

There’s still plenty to do to make it a fully-fledged title, but the sky’s the limit and with the likes of Shroud having a say, it’ll be sure to scratch that competitive itch.

Author
Image of Nicholas Taifalos
Nicholas Taifalos
Weekend editor for Dot Esports. Nick, better known as Taffy, began his esports career in commentary, switching to journalism with a focus on Oceanic esports, particularly Counter-Strike and Dota. Email: nicholas@dotesports.com