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  3. DEV UPDATE #01 - Meet the Developers

DEV UPDATE #01 - Meet the Developers

[p][/p][p]Hello, Vultures![/p][p]We’re the team behind Black Vultures: Prey of Greed, and we’re thrilled to finally introduce ourselves to our Steam community. It’s our first step in building a direct line of communication with you, and we’ve been looking forward to this moment for a long time.[/p][p][/p][h3]Q1. Who are we?[/h3]
  • [p]THISMEANSWAR is a studio built by developers who live and breathe FPS games. Many of us have worked together before, developing high-quality titles with Unreal Engine and operating live game services across the globe. That shared experience and deep passion brought us together again, this time to create something new. We didn’t want to chase trends. We wanted to push the genre forward and bring a more complete, layered combat experience to players who are ready for it.[/p]
[h3]Q2. Why did we decide to make Black Vultures?[/h3]
  • [p]We’ve always felt that the traditional two-faction structure in most shooters tends to flatten the experience. It often boils down to brute force, and the room for mind games and tactical shifts is limited. So we started asking ourselves a different set of questions. What if players had to constantly weigh risk, timing, and motive? What if survival meant knowing when to retreat just as much as knowing when to fight?[/p][p]That’s the battlefield we set out to create. One where psychological warfare and raw greed intertwine. One where survival, not just marksmanship, determines the victor.[/p]
[h3]Q3. What did we focus on most during development?[/h3]
  • [p]Designing the flow of tension and crafting the layers of psychological warfare were our two biggest priorities.[/p][p]We didn’t want a game where the person with the fastest trigger finger always wins. Black Vultures is built on choices. Do you engage, or do you retreat? Do you risk your lives for the loot, or live to fight another day?[/p][p]The life ticket system is the backbone of that tension. Early in the match, there’s room to explore and experiment. But as tickets dwindle, every skirmish becomes a high-stakes decision. Players who contribute to objectives can bring teammates back into the fight, which opens the door to dramatic reversals.[/p][p]One of our toughest design challenges was handling the complexity that comes with three active factions. Traditional two-team structures are easier to balance. But with three, your team is never fully safe. Someone is always watching. The danger can come from any angle.[/p][p]To solve this, we fine-tuned every map layout and line of sight. From starting paths to high-traffic zones, every inch of the battlefield was designed to encourage unpredictable encounters and organic psychological tension.[/p][p]Lastly, we built the loot system around shared consequences. Team inventories encourage players to think beyond personal stats. Everything you carry matters to everyone, and only the team that makes it out alive gets to claim the prize.[/p]
[h3]Q4. What are we hoping to learn from the playtest?[/h3]
  • [p]This is our first real opportunity to see how the core systems behave in the hands of actual players. We’re especially focused on feedback in three areas:[/p]
  1. [p]Combat tempo and overall pacing:[/p]
    • [p]Does the loop of looting, fighting, moving, and extracting feel natural?[/p]
    • [p]Are there any parts that feel too slow or too overwhelming?[/p]
  2. [p]The three-faction dynamic:[/p]
    • [p]Are players experiencing the kind of mind games and tension we envisioned?[/p]
    • [p]Do unpredictable skirmishes add to the fun, or do they create frustration?[/p]
  3. [p]Balance of the life ticket and loot systems:[/p]
    • [p]Do survival and respawn mechanics encourage smart, team-based decisions?[/p]
    • [p]Is the risk-reward structure behind loot extraction working as intended?[/p]
  • [p]To us, this playtest is the beginning of something we’re building together. Every piece of feedback you give us is a compass, helping us chart the right path forward.[/p]
[p]Black Vultures: Prey of Greed doesn’t belong to us alone. We’ve embraced a Community-Driven Development mindset from the very beginning. That means this battlefield will be shaped by your hands just as much as ours.[/p][p][/p][p]The Steam Alpha Playtest in July will be the start of that journey. Your feedback will help us sharpen the systems, deepen the tension, and refine the experience into something truly unforgettable.[/p][p]Welcome to the war, Vultures! Let’s write the next chapter together.[/p][p]▸ The THISMEANSWAR Dev Team[/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink]Black Vultures Official Discord[/p]