Of course, it’s from the creators of PUBG Mobile, but I guess I expected more from one of the biggest stars in the world.
Lightspeed Studios, best known for co-developing PUBG Mobile, and Will Smith, best known for slapping comedian Chris Rock on live TV, have teamed up for an open world survival shooter called Undawn.
All kidding aside, Will Smith is one of the biggest movie stars in the world, an Oscar winner (and 4-time nominee) whose films have grossed nearly $9 billion worldwide. Barring a Fortnite skin, this appears to be Smith’s first real video game role, and if I were to imagine him as a game face, I think he’d be something grander — like Keanu Reeves in Cyberpunk 2077 or Liam Neeson in Fallout 3, or one of the many Hollywood actors who starred in the Call of Duty series.
Instead, Will Smith is now the face of a free-to-play mobile shooter that’s also coming to Steam. So yes, I’m just as confused as you.
We first heard about Undawn in 2019 (it was originally called Dawn Awakening), but it’s finally on the verge of release: the free-to-play multiplayer survival game launches on June 15 for mobile and PC.
What exactly is the game?
“In the post-apocalyptic world of Undawn, the survivors have split into different factions, each with their own rules of survival,” reads a press release. “During their daring adventure, players will meet legendary survivor Trey Jones, played by star Will Smith. Trey will act as a guide to help other survivors navigate the world four years after a global disaster.”
It’s a little hard to tell what’s in the game itself — the official website is immediately busy enticing you with a list of rewards you get for pre-registering, such as consumables and several different types of in-game currency . The Steam page is a little more to the point, showing shooting, monsters, resource gathering, base building, and vehicles. It also shows a very cluttered mobile game HUD, so I’m not very optimistic that it will be enjoyable on PC.
As for Will Smith, he fits into the world of Undawn quite well, though mostly because he looks a lot like his character Robert Neville from 2007’s I Am Legend.
