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This week, Hex Publishers and Random Games will release Unioverse: Reyu, the first in a series of one-shots set in the world of the online, blockchain-based game. The one-shots are by the creative team of writers Joshua Viola & Angie Hodapp, artist Ben Matsuya, and cover artist AJ Nazzaro, and each issue will explore the backstory of the six initially-playable characters in the game. Ahead of the release of the first one-shot, The Beat has an exclusive first look at the trailer for the one-shot series.
Here’s how Hex Publishers and Random Games describe the Unioverse:
Set in the near future, the Unioverse story centers around a technology discovered on Mars that allows anyone to instantly transport their consciousness across galaxies. A playable alpha sequence from the first Unioverse game, The Proving Grounds, was launched this year by a team of gaming and entertainment industry veterans behind titles such as Grand Theft Auto, Donkey Kong Country and Crackdown. The narrative direction of the Unioverse is led by Brent Friedman, a master storyteller whose previous credits include writing on Star Wars: The Clone Wars, The Walking Dead, Call of Duty, and Star Trek: Enterprise.
Here’s a breakdown of the six Unioverse one-shots and characters:
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Issue 1: Reyu (Release date: 5/9): Reyu, respected warrior, the last of his kind, must bring a notorious assassin to justice. But Reyu knows something about the assassin that just might change the course of his own fate.
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Issue 2: Krishah (Release date: 6/6): Krishah never misses her mark…until she does. Now, the religious cult that controls her offers her one shot at redemption: Kill Reyu.
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Issue 3: Tor Gret (Release date: 7/11): Merge Keeper Tor Gret is forced to take on the merciless Vipers and their sadistic leader alone, since the mercenary he hired to fight alongside him got a better offer. Tor will deal with him later…
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Issue 4: Annill (Release date: 8/8): A bombing at a political soirée forces bodyguard Annill to risk her life saving many important guests. While waiting for the all-clear, she recalls the tragic history of her planet and her people.
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Issue 5: Vella Janx (Release date: 9/5): Vella Janx and his loyal companion, 9Bot, agree to help Tor Gret complete a dangerous exfiltration mission. But when a better offer from an enigmatic stranger comes along, Janx is all in. Business is business…
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Issue 6: Silas Kyruk (Release date: 10/10): Silas Kyruk lost everything the instant Malcolm Orion reawakened the Mass-O. But this mastermind has a plan to get it back. All he needs are the finest, most capable fighters in the Unioverse—Reyu, Krishah, Tor Gret, Annill, and Vella.
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In a statement announcing the comics, writer Joshua Viola described getting to create backstory for the game’s core characters, and offered more info on what’s in store for readers in the first one-shot:
“As a writer, it was exciting to build upon the established lore of the videogames and give players and readers alike an opportunity to really familiarize themselves with our heroes and the sci-fi sandbox they’re playing inside,” said co-writer and Hex Publishers Founder Joshua Viola. “In issue one, readers are introduced to our hero, Reyu—the legendary Ja’din hunter of the fabled Origin 5 Species. Reyu, the last of his kind, is on a mission to bring a notorious assassin to justice, but he knows something about the assassin that might change the course of his own fate.”
Check out the exclusive trailer reveal below. Unioverse: Reyu will be available digitally via Comixology tomorrow. The first three one-shots are currently up for digital preorder, and all five one-shots can also be ordered in print from Hex Publishers.