Darwin Project Surpasses 1 Million Players

Despite being in one of the most competitive spaces right now – the batle-royale genre – Darwin Project from Canadian developer Scavengers Studio has surpassed one million players. Or as Scavengers Studio puts it, one million inmates.

Speaking of the milestone, the developer issued the following grateful statement to players:

"Hello inmates, there are now one million of you, and wow―we're so grateful for your continued support as we develop Darwin Project!

"Darwin Project wouldn't be what it is without our community. Thank you, and catch you in the arena!"

The impressive milestone comes off the back going free-to-play last month, which undoubtedly helped boost its player count. At the time, Scavengers Studio said the decision to change the game's payment model was a result of it wanting to ensure players got the most out of the game, which meant bringing in new players and maintaining certain levels of activity. And of course, the best way to do this is by removing any payment barrier to your game.

Shifting to a free-to-play model coupled with the fact that the game very early on became a hit for streaming via Twitch, makes this milestone not very surprising, but still impressive nonetheless.

It's worth noting that one million players does not equate to one million sales. One million players means one million unique accounts have played the game at some point.

Darwin Project is currently available on PC and Xbox One via Early Access and Xbox Game Preview, respectively. Below, you can read more on the game, courtesy of an official overview:

Darwin Project takes place in a dystopian post-apocalyptic landscape in the Northern Canadian Rockies. As preparation for an impending Ice Age, a new project, half science experiment half live-entertainment, is launched. It's called "Darwin Project" and it challenges 10 participants to survive the cold and fight to the death in a treacherous arena.

KEY FEATURES:

- MANHUNT & SURVIVAL:
Track the position of enemies, by using environmental clues they left behind and be creative with your use of crafted traps to take the upperhand. The biting cold of the Northern Canadian Rockies will also slowly freeze you should you be careless.

- SHOW DIRECTOR:
The Show Director is the living bridge between the players and spectators. He/She is the host and master who controls the arena with nuclear bombs, zone closures, gravity storms, and the power of their voice. This could be a real tool of self discovery; the start of your new career as a charming but deadly game show host.

- LIVE SPECTATOR INTERACTIONS:
Stream viewers can also bet live on the competitors they think will reign supreme, in addition to helping the Show Director choose targets for their arena-shaping powers. Whether they're voting on which player deserves a death-defying heal or which zone to nuke, it's time for spectators to become active participants in the manhunt!