While PUBG cemented Battle Royale as a genre which spawned modes (and copycats) inspired by it, there are a few games that predates it which had the same idea and premise. While H1Z1 King Of The Kill, now just called H1Z1, was made under consultation of PlayerUnknown, there is one game that came across with similar ideas without a direct touch from him.
The Culling was first launched as an Early Access title in 2016 and has since left the program this October. Developed by Xaviant Games, the game has all the ingredients of a Battle Royale: a closing circle, a looting phase (which also requires crafting) and the last one alive wins. But with a smaller player count of 16 per match.
But is time for the development team to move on with newer projects. “Battle royale, the genre we helped to pioneer, is now a favorite of millions and we can’t help but feel a sense of pride for having been part of its birth,” Josh Van Veld, Director of Operations, wrote in the blog post. “While we’re excited to be working on something new, it’s also bittersweet to be moving on.”
Servers for The Culling will still operate in the foreseeable future, but do not expect any updates that adds new content from the game from now on. The game is available on PC via Steam and Xbox One.
Source: The Culling (Via Gamespot)