The hyper-realistic bodycam FPS that stunned everyone gets Tencent backing to make it "one of the most immersive games ever"

An FPS game so realistic-looking it had to debunk claims that it was a scam, Unrecord aims to take the tense action of Ready Or Not and make it more believable and lifelike than ever. Its reveal in 2023 generated huge amounts of hype, and despite seeing very little of the project since, it proudly sits in the top ten on Steam's wishlist charts. Now, it's re-emerged, and while there's sadly no new gameplay to feast on, developer Drama has some big news: it's just received the financial backing of Tencent, which will help it "build the best game possible."

Unrecord is all about perspective - from screenshots or single frames from its reveal trailer, you can tell that it's a videogame. But when in motion, it manages to totally trick you into thinking this is real bodycam footage. It's spooky.

Ready or Not has become the name to beat when it comes to immersing you in realistic, tense situations as a law enforcement officer, and Unrecord shares similar DNA. You'll work your way through buildings room by room, attempting to apprehend suspects or take them out if deemed a threat. Dialogue choices will appear in key moments, forcing you into tough tactical and moral decisions. The only major difference here is that, as things stand, Unrecord plans to be a single-player game driven by one central case, and won't have the same co-op experience that Ready or Not has. Maybe, though, with an injection of Tencent cash, maybe that could change.

In a statement, Drama's CEO and founder, Theo Hiribarne, says: "In Tencent, we've found not just a world-class partner, but a team genuinely passionate about our game and vision. Despite its scale, Tencent has approached this partnership with humility, respect, and a real appreciation for our creative identity. It believed in Unrecord early and has supported us at every stage of our growth. We're confident this collaboration will help us reach our full potential."

A separate post on Unrecord's social channels, which opts not to name Tencent and simply thanks "investors," confirms that the game is fully funded.

"At the time of the trailer in 2023, we were just two bedroom programmers with no experience in the industry. The game was just six months old and exceeded all our expectations. With limited finances, we started from scratch, working sleepless nights and handling everything from business to creation. Two years later, we are ten developers and we are still hiring.

"Today, we're proud to announce that we finally have the budget to make Unrecord and build the best game possible."

This message to fans also says that Drama will avoid "revealing unfinished work" to focus on showcasing a more polished product in the future. It adds that it will provide updates on the game in 2026 that will "reflect [its] true final vision" - that is to "create one of the most immersive games ever, one that makes no compromises." Attached to the post is a brand new screenshot, which you can see above - it might be the only new look at the game you'll get until those big updates are ready to be shared next year, so enjoy it.

As mentioned, the initial mania around Unrecord led to a huge surge in wishlists on Steam. It is currently ninth in Valve's list of the most wishlisted upcoming PC titles, above big names like Fable, Crimson Desert, and Chrono Odyssey.

I'm incredibly excited to see more of Unrecord, as someone who not only had a good time with Ready or Not but who also loves to see the FPS genre being presented in new ways. That bodycam perspective certainly looks striking, but it'll be interesting to see how it translates in-game and if that realism can be felt just as strongly.