Off the Grid sets its 1.0 launch for October 2026 as it leaves early access

The 1.0 date is set

Disclosure: this article covers blockchain-based games. Gaming Trend Wire does not offer financial advice and does not speculate on token prices.

Gunzilla Games has committed to a full release for Off the Grid, its free-to-play battle royale, in October 2026. According to EGamers, the 1.0 launch will end the game's early-access run, which began on 8 October 2024, and lands roughly on the game's two-year anniversary. Wikipedia lists the same October 2026 target and confirms the game is out now in early access on PlayStation 5, Windows and Xbox Series X and S.

The studio has framed the finish line with a five-phase roadmap that runs from June to October 2026, with each phase adding systems ahead of launch.

What the roadmap adds

The earlier phases focused on the fundamentals. EGamers reports that phase one in June targeted performance, weapon balance and social features; phase two in July added Legendary Weapons, a Marketplace 2.0 and proximity voice chat; and phase three in August reworked the HUD, improved gameplay feedback and shipped a new tutorial.

The run-in matters most. Phase four, in September 2026, introduces a proprietary AI anti-cheat system that runs alongside Easy Anti-Cheat, an acknowledgement that cheating is the make-or-break issue for a competitive shooter. Phase five in October pairs a creator and streamer campaign with the launch of Ranked Season 3 and the 1.0 public release.

The blockchain part, and how optional it is

Off the Grid is built on GUNZ, which Avalanche describes as a gaming-focused blockchain fully built on its network and customised for low-latency play. The design uses in-game tokens for gas fees, so players do not need separate cryptocurrency to transact, and it lets players hold in-game items, including customisable weapons and cybernetic limbs, as NFTs.

Crucially, Gunzilla has said the NFT elements are optional, and Wikipedia notes the same. That framing fits a wider 2026 pattern in which blockchain games push ownership features into the background rather than gate play behind a wallet.

Avalanche also positions GUNZ as more than a single game's chain. It says other studios can build on the network using a GUNZ SDK and white-label components, including a built-in companion app, marketplace and NFT minting engine, so Off the Grid doubles as the flagship for a wider gaming platform.

Where the game stands

The pre-launch numbers Gunzilla cites are healthy for the category. EGamers reports about 4,000 new users a day, more than 150,000 subscribers to the paid OTG Pro tier, and retention up sharply since launch, with day-one retention 2.5 times higher, day-seven twice as high and day-30 up 1.7 times. On the chain side, GUNZ has drawn 437,000 cumulative wallets and about 23,000 daily active wallets.

The pedigree is unusual for the category. Wikipedia credits filmmaker Neill Blomkamp with the narrative direction and lists author Richard K. Morgan among the writers, on a battle royale for up to 60 players built in Unreal Engine 5 with trios and solos modes.

The game has also taken Game of the Year at the GAM3 Awards, a web3 industry event, in both 2024 and 2025, per EGamers. We are reporting the studio's stated plans and metrics; dates can slip, and we do not cover token prices.