GTA 2-Inspired Free-to-Play Battle Royale Renames Itself Again

Okay, so here’s the deal. Remember Geneshift? Yeah, that game that was like a nostalgic wink to folks who miss the old top-down Grand Theft Auto. Dropped back in 2017, Geneshift felt like stumbling into a weird parallel universe where crime games met battle royales. At one point, it even went by the name Gene Shift Auto — which, let’s be honest, was a bit on the nose — only to lose that GTA homage vibe for something entirely new. Now? It’s got a fresh name: Skillshot City.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t surprised when I first played it. Imagine blending GTA 2 vibes with the kind of leveling you’d see in League of Legends. You’d zoom around, grab loot, take out opponents, and level up as if sportscasters were narrating your life. You had modes galore, and recently, since it morphed into a free gem on Steam, it’s all about the battle royale life. Same chaos — shoot enemies, race through the city, pimp out your MOBA-style character skills. But now, it’s with a “last one standing” twist. Kind of like musical chairs but with more explosions.

Anyway, so Ben ‘bencelot’ Johnson, our heroic solo dev, decided to pull a switcheroo. Skillshot City is the new face, aiming to lure in hardcore PvP enthusiasts rather than GTA nostalgists. Seems he got tired of folks thinking they were diving into another GTA clone. Honestly, I get it. People couldn’t resist pointing out how much it looked like GTA2, almost as if they suspected it was hiding something.

Johnson explained it himself — in a post that was part PSA, part confessional. The original name banked on the GTA lookalike vibe. Cops, missions, gangsters — the whole shebang. It was like a siren song for anyone yearning for that retro gangster feel. But the new focus? It’s all about players who drool over combos, who crave those cinematic kills and crafting the perfect build. It’s about that thrill of the game that keeps you coming back for “just one more match” until the birds start chirping outside.

Now, in case you were wondering — no, the game didn’t exactly break player count records. Apart from a hilarious incident where bots, not humans, flooded the place seeking Steam Trading Cards, player numbers were modest. The rebranding gambit hopes to change that as it gears up for its 1.0 launch. Yeah, believe it or not, despite eight years in the wild, it’s still clinging onto that early access badge.

So here we are — Skillshot City, a top-down mashup of GTA nostalgia and LoL-style progression. Free, chaotic, and, you know what? Just plain fun. If you’re curious (and why wouldn’t you be?), you can snag it free on Steam. Who knows, you might just find your next obsession.

For more game escapades, we’ve got lists of the best multiplayer and best crime games. And oh, FYI, we’re also on Google News for all your PC gaming fix — plus, there’s our buzzing Discord if you want to chat this over with fellow enthusiasts.