40v40 FPS '83 doesn't want to "take on" Battlefield 6, and that's a good thing

Battlefield 6 is gearing up for its big moment, and from what I played during the beta, it feels like a return to form for one of my favorite videogame series. But when it comes to large-scale battles, it doesn't have my undivided attention. After being revived and 're-revealed' by Blue Dot Games earlier this year, '83 looks to find a middle ground between the relentless action of Battlefield and the more hardcore, demanding firefights of Hell Let Loose, all packaged in an alt-Cold War setting. At Gamescom, I quizzed Blue Dot CEO Tony Gillham about bringing the game back from the dead, its approach of "accessible realism," and what it's learning (and rejecting) from some of the biggest FPS games around.

'83 was initially the brainchild of Antimatter Games, the now shuttered studio that Gillham founded in 2013 before leaving less than two years later. After hearing rumblings from former colleagues that the '83 project would be up for grabs due to Antimatter's closure, he formed Blue Dot, bought the IP, and assembled a team to restart development. As well as shifting it from Unreal Engine 4 to UE5, Blue Dot 're-revealed' the 40v40 shooter with a new trailer and fresh logo (the red and blue of which is definitely not inspired by Gillham's beloved soccer team Crystal Palace, he assures me). Now, the goal is to launch an evolving multiplayer shooter in one of the most challenging and competitive times to do so.

One way Blue Dot is looking to succeed is by honing in on "accessible realism" - a big-team shooter that is nerdy, immersive, and challenging, while dodging some of the more hardcore gameplay elements seen in other historical FPS games.

"We want to be for the people that are tired of all the Michael Bay production, that kind of Battlefield 6 action," Gillham tells me. "[If you] want to play Band of Brothers, come see us, mate. We're the ones that can help you with that."

"We're not going to compete with them - how the hell can you compete with them?" Gillham adds when I mention Battlefield 6's upcoming presence and the popularity it's already received pre-launch. "You can't do it. You're gonna lose. Even Battlefield found that itself with 2042 trying to be CoD. Now it's gone back to its roots and it seems to be exactly [what people wanted], but if you try and take them on on their turf, you're going to get stomped - and worse than that, you're also going to lose your core community."

When I ask why Blue Dot doesn't want to go down super hardcore mil-sim route of games like Hell Let Loose or Arma, Gillham says it's more about appealing to players with limited time, rather than limited skill. "I really do respect the players that play these kinds of games, but you take it too far and you've got essentially a latrine digging simulator," he says with a chuckle. "Like, how much of the realism do you actually need to include in the game? And just as importantly, how much time do you have to invest in a decent fun round with your buddies? If, like a lot of people, you ain't got that much time, we've got a 30 to 40 minute round time here, so you can get in and out and have the action and realism you want."

Despite the slightly softer gameplay experience, '83 isn't skimping on the historical accuracy. Sure, this is an alternate version of the Cold War where things turned, well, hotter, but Gillham says he still wants to really appeal to the "rivet counters" - the kind of players that will let you know if there's one too many rivets on the barrel of a rifle. For example, Blue Dot ran its Soviet infantry voice lines past a Russian army veteran that's a member of '83's Discord server, not only to ensure accuracy, but to also add in some old code words and turns of phrase.

"They [fans obsessed with historical accuracy] can be a real pain in the ass, but if you listen to them, if they feel heard, if they feel listened to, then suddenly you've got the biggest advocates you could get," he explains. "They're telling all their buddies, 'These dudes [Blue Dot] get us,' and that level of realism also creates its own kind of fun."

Of course, simply launching '83 in a strong state will be just the beginning. Blue Dot plans to support the game long-term, and Gillham is passionate about ensuring all future gameplay content is given to players for free - something that can't be said for a lot of its mil-sim rivals.

"[We don't want to] split our community into haves and have-nots, because suddenly you can't play with your buddy anymore because he's got the DLC and you haven't," he says. "Any future maps, factions, all of that kind of stuff is going to be a free update." There will, however, be paid cosmetics for those that want to support the game further and stand out from the crowd. Gillham wants to also give a lot of support to modders once the game is out - unsurprising, given he helped to build the incredibly popular Darkest Hour mod for WW2 shooter Red Orchestra many moons ago.

Don't get me wrong, I love to get wrapped up in really hardcore FPS games - just check out my Hell Let Loose Vietnam preview from Gamescom - but they often struggle to find a consistent, long-term place in my schedule. They're just too taxing when it comes to time and energy. The more immediate and relentless action of something like Battlefield 6 is far more suited to my lifestyle, but it often cuts corners on the immersion front. '83 could be the answer to this conundrum.

Blue Dot's already saying the right things, so I'm extremely keen to see how it plays in its new demo, which can be trialled at certain times this week and is available 24/7 during Steam Next Fest, starting Monday October 13. If '83 can find the perfect sweet spot between these two kinds of mil-sim experiences, we could be on to a real winner.