At the Game Awards, the hardcore co-op shooter GTFO was surprisingly released as a full version. The release is causing a stir on Steam.
Normally, the abbreviation GTFO stands for Get The F*** Out – and thus fits like a glove for the co-op shooter of the same name. The game by former Payday 2 developers not only received a new trailer at The Game Awards, but was also released as version 1.0 after two years in the Early Access programme.
The full release is accompanied by a new update, which brings a long-awaited feature with the bots, a discount campaign – and strongly increasing player numbers. We explain what makes GTFO tick and why especially hardcore shooter fans should keep an eye on it.
GTFO: Left 4 Dead with Aliens
The developer team behind GTFO is 10 Chamber Studios, which was founded by Ulf Andersson. He previously worked at Overkill and was responsible for the Payday series – and this past is definitely noticeable.
GTFO is also a four-player co-op shooter at its core, but this time it doesn’t put you in the shoes of bank robbers. Instead, you have to descend as prisoners into a sci-fi complex full of creepy aliens and solve various tasks, such as recovering artefacts or collecting resources. The motto is: stay together and act carefully.
Ammunition and life energy are scarce in GTFO, which is why direct confrontation with the nasty enemies should be avoided as long as possible. The aliens are particularly strong, clearly outnumbered and sensitive to light and movement. If you act carelessly here, you can quickly put yourself and your team in mortal danger and, in the worst case, cause the mission to fail.
For the full release now also with bots
With the current release of the full version, the developers are not only providing new content, but also a much desired feature: bots. Until now, GTFO was only playable with real players – either with friends or via matchmaking. Solo runs are also possible, but then you are actually on your own and there are no scaling options for the difficulty level.
In version 1.0, the developers have now added bots that support you in the missions called Rundowns. The computer-controlled comrades react to your instructions: If you sneak, they also sneak. They collect resources and shoot at enemies, if it comes to that.
In addition to the bots, there are now checkpoints in the individual missions. So if something goes wrong, the entire expedition is not immediately a failure when you die. However, the checkpoints are completely optional. Those who want to do without the safety net can still do so.
Last but not least, with version 1.0 you can unlock cosmetic items for the first time to make your character a little more individual. You will receive the first skins for the successful completion of expeditions.
New Player Record
Even in Early Access, GTFO convinced the players: 88 percent of over 21,000 reviews are positive. Above all, the high level of difficulty, the dense atmosphere and the strong focus on a co-op experience are praised. At the same time, however, there is also criticism that the game can sometimes be very frustrating – especially for newcomers.
Nevertheless, the full release of GTFO has led to an enormous increase in active players. While in the last months of Early Access, only around 450 players were active at the same time on average each month, there are already over 7,000 players (via Steamcharts) – a new record! The previous player peak of just over 5,000 players occurred for GTFO in December 2019, when the game was first playable in Early Access.
Another reason for the increasing number of players and a high place in the top sellers: a discount promotion. To coincide with the release of GTFO 1.0, you can currently get the shooter at (Steam) for 25 percent less and thus for around 30 euros instead of the usual 40 euros. The price reduction is only valid until 16 December – so if you are interested, you should hurry accordingly.
