Developer Update - May 17

Anthony Castoro and David Mendelsohn highlight features of the latest game update!

 

In the above video, General Manager Anthony Castoro and Creative Director David Mendelsohn share the latest on hit registration, shotgun improvements, new POIs, Skirmishes, and more - all included in the May 17, 2017 Game Update! We also sat down with Anthony and David for a quick Q&A:

What's your role on the H1Z1 team?

Anthony: I'm a General Manager at Daybreak and I oversee H1Z1 development and operations.

David: I'm the Creative Director, and a relatively recent addition to the H1Z1 team.

What projects did you work on prior to joining the H1Z1 team?

Anthony: I've been around awhile! I've done everything from being a QA tester on old-school Origin games to being a CEO of a VC-backed startup. I've worked on a variety of games on every platform including Ultima Online (PC), Battlefield 2 (PC and console), Heroes of Dragon Age (mobile), and many more.

David: I've worked on a variety of shooters. Of note recently were Call of Duty: Black Ops 3, Tomb Raider, and Red Dead Redemption.

Tell us a little bit about your game design philosophy.

Anthony: I've always been drawn to online games in particular, both as a game designer and player. I suppose it's because I see other players as the ultimate challenge. There's really nothing better than creating an experience where you and a few of your friends can outplay real opponents in a competitive environment.

David: I design games to create immersive experiences. Everything the player sees onscreen, every audio cue they hear in the soundscape, and every controller vibration they feel is designed with specific intent to build an experience they can completely engulf themselves in. It's key that the challenges the player encounters in a game not only test the full spectrum of their skills, but also afford them a sense of self-expression in their gameplay style by which they forge their character's in-game persona as their own avatar. Most importantly though, I focus on making sure the player has fun learning and using the game's mechanics and ensuring they feel awesome tackling the game's challenges.

What are you most excited for in the future of H1Z1?

Anthony: We've recently overhauled the development team's methodology and approach to supporting H1Z1, and I hope the community is really taking notice. So, I'm most excited about what the community will be able to do with H1Z1 once we've addressed everything we need to do to come out of Early Access and we can really double down on custom games, competitive play, and the path to esports.

David: I'm really looking forward to the work the team is doing tightening the responsiveness of the game's controls and combat systems, as well as adding satisfying feedback and weapon handling improvements to create competitive, faster-paced gameplay. I'm also very excited about the map improvements we're making and the new points of interest we're adding.

What are YOU most excited for in this game update? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter, and Discord!