Omega Strikers - The Next Big Esport
4 months ago, I was invited to one of the last few alpha playtests of Omega Strikers. By morning, I knew the game would be a gigantic hit.
Odyssey Interactive first started in April 2020 with co-founders Dax, Maple, Eric, and Dcap out of Maple's basement. By September 2020, they had raised $6 million in a funding round led by a16z. The founders boasted strong resumes coming from companies like Riot and Netflix, yet Omega Strikers' future success will have little association with the above.
The game "mixes the goal focused gameplay of Rocket League, the physical fun of Super Smash Bros. and the character depth and mastery of League of Legends." A descriptive quote straight from the Odyssey team. Yet, if anything, it undersells just how addictive and amazing of a game Omega Strikers is.
If I had to insert my review of the game, it would contain tidbits like "every playtest going until 3am." "A Discord server overran with withdrawal patients spamming Copium" and "college students brimming to persuade their counselors to create an esports team for a game that had yet to be released." I myself was found asleep 3 hours later than normal after falling prey to an Omega Strikers playtest.
So why play Omega Strikers? Personally, I enjoyed the fast-paced games, short death timers, creative trainings (masteries/runes), and ease to pick up. Paired with the ability to play a variety of unique strikers alongside your 2 other teammates, I felt comfortable with the basics early on, but still felt I knew very little about optimal strategies after 150 games.
If this article were simply focused on good design and a riveting community, I would be at my doctor's appointment right now, rather than queueing up for Omega Strikers.
Instead, the devs have shown time and time again that they are open to feedback directly in their Discord, heavily care about the streaming and Creator experience, and are invested in making a great community and esports scene for their players.
Some highlights of the road to Omega Strikers' launch will include Streamer mode (to prevent queue sniping), a November collegiate tournament featuring over 120 college teams, and The Creator Versus event that will run from September 18th to September 25th, with the winning Creator receiving 1% of net revenue from Season 1.
And that's not all! I've omitted some of the features and events that are expected to be announced closer to launch, specifically for the Odyssey team to finalize and unveil themselves.
Finally, if you're reading this page in the first couple months it's been published, the beta is currently ongoing! Listed below will be some ways to get a beta key and start playing. And no, even though this article sounds like the biggest win trade of all time, I was not paid in any way to write this article. Now go play!
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Currently, Beta Keys can be obtained from your favorite Content Creators streaming on Twitch or other platforms. You are welcome to visit my stream at https://www.twitch.tv/agontft if you want a place to hang out, watch Omega Strikers, and earn beta keys!
