Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1538144
BY ERIC MARKS MPSE 108 M PS E . O R G n the late 1990s, while many of us were warming up to the blazing speed of cable modems, arena shooters were all the rage with gamers around the world. Characterized by highly imaginative weapons, lightning-fast gameplay, awe-inspiring locations, pulsating music, online multiplayer and a first-person perspective, arena shooters laid the foundation for some of the most successful games of today. You don't need to look far to find the seeds of arena shooters in 2025. For those who were lucky enough to play them in the late '90s, very few franchises stood tall among the rest. One of these franchises came from a little-known game developer at the time called Epic Games. Unreal Tournament hit players with a Shock Rifle's burst of energy when it was released in 1999. The game is impossibly fast, frenetic, high octane, and it made you feel supremely powerful while playing it. With its uniquely addictive gameplay, the Epic Games team had captured lightning in a bottle. Twenty-six years later, I got to chat with leaders from the Unreal Tournament sound and music teams, as well as iconic lead game designer Cliff Bleszinski, who later created the Gears of War franchise as well. Here's how this magical game came to life. I