Off The Grid 1.0 Targets Holiday Launch Window

After two years in Early Access, Off The Grid is finally approaching its full 1.0 release, with Gunzilla Games targeting a launch window between December 27, 2026, and January 15, 2027. The upcoming milestone will bring more than just a polished version of the cyberpunk battle royale shooter. It will also introduce the long-awaited GUNZ mainnet migration, expanded gameplay systems and a major marketing campaign.

Gunzilla recently published a detailed Road to 1.0 progress report, revealing which roadmap commitments have been completed, which features have been delayed and what players can expect from the full launch.

Although the studio missed some original deadlines, it has delivered most of its planned updates while introducing several additional features that were not part of the initial roadmap. Let's take a closer look at what is changing and why the 1.0 release could be an important moment for the game's growing community.

Off The Grid 1.0 Gets a December-January Release Window

Gunzilla Games has officially narrowed down the release window for Off The Grid 1.0 to December 27 through January 15. This means the game is expected to leave Early Access during the holiday season or shortly after the beginning of 2027.

The original release target was October 2026, coinciding with the game's second anniversary. However, the development team decided to give itself additional time to improve the experience before the full launch.

The latest announcement provides more clarity than the studio's previous confirmation that the release would arrive sometime over the holidays.

Gunzilla is also preparing its biggest marketing campaign yet to accompany the launch. This could help bring a fresh wave of players into the game, particularly those who have been waiting for the project to reach its full release.

For the broader blockchain gaming industry, Off The Grid's launch is worth watching. The project combines traditional shooter gameplay with optional blockchain-based item ownership, creating an interesting example of how web3 features can work alongside a mainstream gaming experience.

GUNZ Mainnet Migration Moves to the Full Launch

One of the biggest developments in the progress report concerns the GUNZ blockchain.

The mainnet migration was originally scheduled for September 2026, but Gunzilla has now confirmed that it will happen alongside the Off The Grid 1.0 release.

The studio explained that launching the mainnet is a major decision that requires careful preparation. As Gunzilla put it, "Mainnet is a door that only opens one way, and we want to get it right."

Instead of introducing the migration separately, the team wants to coordinate it with the final development phase and global marketing campaign.

This approach should allow more players to enter the GUNZ ecosystem at the same time.

Importantly, Gunzilla has confirmed that players will keep their existing items during the migration. All eligible items will move to GUNZ Mainnet, including their individual serial numbers.

Once migrated, players will be able to fully own and trade their in-game assets onchain.

For web3 players, this is particularly important because it brings the game's digital economy closer to its intended long-term structure.

Legendary Weapons Remain Delayed

Not every planned feature will make it into the initial 1.0 release.

Gunzilla has confirmed that Legendary Weapons remain on hold. The feature was originally scheduled for July, but the studio believes the current in-game economy is not ready to support these items properly.

The developers want legendary equipment to remain genuinely rare and valuable rather than becoming another category of easily obtainable loot.

This is an important consideration for games featuring player-driven marketplaces. If premium items become too common, their perceived value and desirability can quickly decline.

The planned map expansion with additional biomes has also been delayed.

Instead of introducing new environments, the development team concentrated on improving Teardrop Island and preparing it for PvE content at launch. Gunzilla also released a separate shooting-range map that will continue receiving improvements.

The studio says all three delayed roadmap features remain under consideration, although their updated release dates have not yet been announced.

Gunzilla Delivered 11 of 14 Roadmap Commitments

Despite missing several deadlines, Gunzilla's progress report shows considerable development activity between June and October.

The studio completed 11 of its 14 original roadmap commitments, with two additional features partially delivered.

Some of the most important completed improvements include:

• Major FPS performance improvements.

• A complete weapon rework.

• The Stay As Squad feature.

• Proximity voice chat.

• Marketplace 2.0.

• A redesigned combat HUD.

• An improved tutorial.

• Kestrel AI-powered anti-cheat protection.

The two partially completed commitments involve the OpenSea page redesign and Ranked System Reload.

The first phase of the OpenSea update is finished, while the remaining categorization improvements are scheduled for November. The full ranked system overhaul will follow the Summer League, which ran from July 17 to September 6.

Interestingly, Gunzilla also introduced 10 additional features that were never included in the original roadmap.

These included improved movement and pacing, unlimited view distance, redeployment tokens, smarter NPCs, scope glint, upgraded sky and lighting systems, and bulk HEX decoding.

The studio also delivered 11 content drops and community events, including Grid Runner, Bulwark and Iron Canopy packs, alongside the Vanguard Battle Pass.

What New Features Are Coming With Off The Grid 1.0?

The full launch will introduce several major gameplay improvements designed to make matches more engaging and accessible.

One of the most interesting additions is a completely redesigned loadout system. Gunzilla wants to make it easier for players to jump into the action while supporting the fast-paced combat that defines Off The Grid.

Weapon cosmetics are also receiving a comprehensive rework. This should unlock additional customization options that were previously unavailable.

Another planned addition is a cross-platform achievement system, allowing players to track their progress regardless of which supported platform they use.

Teardrop Island will also become more dynamic, with additional activities and content throughout the map.

PvE gameplay is receiving particular attention, with planned improvements including:

• Goblin drone and Loot Zones 2.0.

• New vaults to discover and unlock.

• Reworked turrets.

• Improved NPC behavior.

These changes should give players more reasons to explore the island beyond fighting other squads.

Marketplace Growth and Player Retention Are Improving

Gunzilla's report also provides some encouraging numbers about player engagement.

Following the updates introduced since June, Off The Grid recorded improvements across several retention metrics.

Day-one retention increased by 7.95%, while seven-day retention grew by 20.74%. The biggest improvement came from four-week retention, which increased by 34.81%.

Monthly playtime per player also rose by 17.72%. Meanwhile, average session duration increased from 41.2 to 45.3 minutes.

The marketplace showed similarly positive results.

After Marketplace 2.0 launched on August 27:

• The share of players selling items increased by 17%.

• The share of players purchasing items increased by 9%.

• GUN spending on purchases jumped by 51%.

The game's anniversary week also established a new marketplace record, with 26,200 trades completed.

These figures suggest that players are becoming more involved in the game's item economy, which will be particularly relevant once GUNZ Mainnet goes live.

Performance Improvements and Kestrel Anti-Cheat

Gunzilla has also invested heavily in technical improvements.

The July performance update delivered particularly impressive results on older hardware. An RTX 2060 went from approximately 42 FPS to 164 FPS, while RTX 30-series graphics cards received improvements ranging from 30% to 60%.

Players using M4 Macs also experienced up to double the previous frame rate.

Another major development is Kestrel, Gunzilla's AI-powered anti-cheat system.

Kestrel became active across all servers on October 9 and has analyzed more than 15 billion gameplay data segments. Its first ban wave followed on October 21.

According to the report, detected violations were divided into four categories:

• 55% involved macro and recoil scripts.

• 27% involved input remapping.

• 12% involved aim assistance.

• 6% involved exploits.

Penalties range from seven-day quarantine periods to permanent bans.

Gunzilla has also started offering Kestrel technology to other game studios, potentially turning an internal development tool into a separate product for the wider gaming industry.

What Is Off The Grid and How Does Its Blockchain Economy Work?

For anyone unfamiliar with the project, Off The Grid is a free-to-play third-person battle royale shooter set on the futuristic Teardrop Island.

The game combines traditional PvP combat with PvE encounters in a dense cyberpunk environment. Players explore rooftops, streets and other locations using jetpacks, grappling hooks and powerful cybernetic limbs that provide unique combat abilities.

Squads compete against other players while encountering AI-controlled enemies and searching for valuable HEXes that can be extracted as loot.

Its web3 infrastructure is powered by GUNZ, Gunzilla's blockchain built using Avalanche technology.

Players can earn digital items during matches and trade them through the in-game marketplace using GUN. Certain assets can also be listed on OpenSea.

Importantly, interacting with blockchain features is optional. Players can enjoy the core shooter experience without connecting a wallet or participating in the web3 economy.

Off The Grid entered Early Access on October 8, 2024, and is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC through the Epic Games Store and Steam, and GeForce NOW.

The project also has an impressive history in the Blockchain Game Awards, winning Best Shooter Game in 2024 and placing third in the same category in 2025. Voting for the 2026 awards closes on November 13.

Can Off The Grid 1.0 Become a Major Web3 Gaming Milestone?

Off The Grid has already spent two years building its identity as a cyberpunk battle royale shooter with an optional blockchain economy. Its journey through Early Access has included substantial technical improvements, new gameplay systems and a growing marketplace.

The upcoming 1.0 release represents an opportunity to bring these elements together.

The GUNZ mainnet migration is arguably the most important milestone for blockchain enthusiasts, while the new loadout system, PvE improvements and weapon customization should give traditional shooter fans plenty to explore.

There are still unanswered questions, particularly concerning Legendary Weapons and the delayed map expansion. However, Gunzilla's latest progress report suggests that the studio is prioritizing long-term stability over rushing unfinished features into the game.

With a release window between December 27 and January 15, Off The Grid is approaching an important new chapter. Whether its full launch attracts a much larger audience remains to be seen, but the combination of polished shooter gameplay, player-owned assets and an expanding ecosystem makes this one of the more interesting projects to follow in web3 gaming.