Although Cliff Bleszinski's initial announcement that he was starting a new studio called Boss Key Productions may have been spoiled a little earlier than originally planned, the leaked report didn't mention what type of game the studio was making. There had been rampant speculation about the types of games Bleszinski was interested in making (PC-focused, digital release) but up until now those were only rumors.

Today, however, Bleszinski has let it all hang out, confirming that Boss Key Productions is his new studio, which he founded alongside former Guerrilla Games Co-Founder Arjan Brussee, and announcing the studio's first project. And wouldn't you know it, the game's a shooter.

Currently codenamed BlueStreak, this new game is touted as a free-to-play sci-fi PC arena shooter (that's a mouthful). Moreover, Boss Key will be partnering with Nexon for this game.

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Alongside the announcement, Bleszinski coyly brushed aside rumors he was working on a MOBA, proving that even though he is setting off on his own the former Epic Games Design Director is still interested in the shooter genre. And given that we wouldn't be surprised if BlueStreak borrowed from the pages of Unreal Tournament and Gears of War's playbook.

That being said, it appears Bleszinski has spent his vacation time well, analyzing the trends of the industry, and hopefully finding ways to build upon those ideas. He's been a fairly vocal (and critical) voice in the industry as of late, letting his opinion be heard on everything from Xbox One's DRM problems to Microsoft's recent acquisition of the Gears of War franchise.

Still, a free-to-play shooter isn't the most original concept, so presumably Boss Key Productions would need to explain how their game stands out from the pack. Unreal Tournament revolutionized online multiplayer and Gears of War refined the idea of a cover-based shooter — what will BlueStreak's stamp be?

Unfortunately, this initial tease is all we get for now. For that matter we don't know how long BlueStreak has been in development, but if a recent business filing is correct it sounds like Boss Key has only been a company for a few months.

Coincidentally, this puts BlueStreak on a similar trajectory to Epic Games' upcoming Unreal Tournament reboot, which adds a little more intrigue to the equation. Will Bleszinski's F2P shooter be able to top his former employer's F2P shooter?

What would you like to see from BlueStreak? Are you disappointed that Bleszinski is making another shooter?

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Source: Boss Key Productions

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