Population: One keyart

VR Battle Royale Population: One Going Free-To-Play in March

by

If you’re looking for an intense multiplayer experience then you can’t go wrong with VR battle royale Population: One. Available on the Meta Quest platform since 2020, next week it is getting a major update which includes going free-to-play.

Currently retailing for £22.99 GBP on the Meta Quest Store, Population: One is a team-based shooter. In groups of three, you and your team hunt others across a shrinking battlefield to become the last ones standing. Furthermore, the map is completely assailable, whether you want to climb a building or build your own fortifications.

Developed by BigBoxVR, Population: One will be going free-to-play on Thursday, 9th March. While that’ll certainly attract more players, for those that have already invested in the game – or are thinking of doing so – an exclusive bundle awaits.

Population: One roadmap2023

Called the Original Banana Bundle – after Population: One’s infamous health item – you’ll need to own the game before 10am PT on 9th March to access it. It is worth it? Well, BigBox VR states that the rewards “will NEVER again be obtainable in-game”, so there’s that. And the bundle is valued at $80 USD.

Original Banana Bundle Rewards

  • Legendary “PJ Potassium” Character Skin
  • Legendary “Prestige” Character Skins (4)
  • Rare “Prestige” Full Gun Set (14)
  • Exclusive Title: “Original Banana”
  • Exclusive Calling Card: “Celebration”
  • Exclusive Spray: “I Was Here”
  • 1,000 Bureau Gold
  • Full Access To The Level Progression Track

That date will also mark the launch of new content. There is going to be a gameplay and graphics overhaul, and new single-player mode, an evolving map and loads more.

Population: One March Update Content

  • Squads — Battle Royale Evolving Map
    • For the FIRST time ever, a Sandbox map will be entering the Squads Evolving Map (replacing Outpost Hill).
      • The Evolving Map will receive consistent map changes in 2023.
  • The Original Battle Royale Map Is Back!
    • Match-make into “Classic Squads” on our Original Map from Season 1.
  • Graphics Update
    • Improved gun/character/world colours and resolution, real-time shadows, and more!
  • New Gameplay Balance Changes
    • All gun damage numbers and ranges have been adjusted to make them more specialized. Now, each weapon more accurately fits its intended role for close-, medium-, or long-range fights.
    • Bananas per inventory slot have been reduced from 2->1 but now heal 100 health instantly.
    • Items that heal over time (health and shield soda effects) are now interrupted/stopped when damaged by other players.
    • Being damaged by the Battle Zone doesn’t stop the healing.
    • Ghost speed while knocked down has been increased.

Single-player!

  • New Single-Player Mode with Dynamic Bots and In-Game Rewards
    • Battle against the improved AI bots! The AI now dynamically changes difficulty based on your skill level.
    • A new single-player progression is available with brand-new rewards.
    • Can you win 20 matches to earn the top character skin prize in our new single-player progression?
  • New Player Lobbies
    • New players and existing lower-skill players will automatically match-make into similar skill-leveled lobbies to play and learn, separate from veteran POP1 players.
    • NOTE: If new players are in a squad with higher-skilled friends, they’ll be placed into matches at that higher skill level.
    • New player lobbies will be partially filled with our improved dynamic bots to balance the difficulty.
  • Rocket Launcher Sandbox Support
    • The Rocket Launcher will now be available as an accessory item in all Sandbox modes.
  • New Moderation Tools
    • New and improved in-game moderation tools to keep our players safe and protected are rolling out March 9. This includes improved reporting options, in-game reporting tools with text, and more.
  • New In-Game Shop
    • The new store catalog will have an updated interface and over 100 new character and gun skins available on March 9. New items and skins will continue to be added in the future.
  • 12 or 24 Player Sandbox Rooms
    • More freedom to create larger Sandbox games, or limit your Sandbox games to smaller rooms.

After all that there’s still more to come later in 2023. New weapons, Sandbox features and modes are all on the roadmap.

VR battle royale Population: One will soon join these free VR games on Quest 2. Or are you going to buy to get the bonus bundle? Let us know in the comments below.