DEFECT: Cyberpunk Shooter Where You Possess Your Enemies and Rule the Chaos

Revel in the Anarchy of DEFECT

DEFECT is an upcoming cyberpunk squad-based immersive shooter, which will provide players with a chance to experience what it’s like living in a city controlled by THE SYSTEM -an all powerful artificial intelligence- while being forced away from the world you once knew. Created and published by emptyvessel, the game is set to deliver an in-depth single-player campaign, challenging co-op missions and a competitive PvP that celebrates all-out mayhem.

The forthcoming DEFECT video game mixes grim dystopian narratives and fluid combat mechanics, allowing players to alternate between characters and factions in the middle of fighting. From the grime-coated alleyways to the high-tech nerve centres, DEFECT is aiming to provide epic game play that's as bloody as it is beautiful.

The DEFECT PC game doesn't have a release date announced yet, but it's hype trailer is already making splashes throughout the gaming community.

Checkout the Extended Gameplay Reveal Trailer for Defect here

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A City Under The System

Centers on humanity last standing city the deteriorating metropolis and its clash of order versus rebellion. It is under the rule of a cold, logical AI called ‘The System’ and most people feel either loyal towards or in rebellion against this machine-run society.

Players can serve more than one faction:

• The System Enforcers: Harsh police units set to enforce AI law.
• Rogue Police Elements: Ex-police turned renegades, seeking their own kind of justice.
• Gangs & Outlaws: Criminal factions determined to take the city under their control.

This strata-world design means no mission feels the same, no corner comes completely safe and every decision stretches that fine line between control and chaos.

DEFECT Gameplay – Control, chaos and cybernetic possession

At the very heart of it's gameplay is squad-based tactical combat and all the trappings that go with it; including a number of slightly futuristic mechanics such as auto-reviving, respawn beacons and hot-swapping gear. Topping the list is a cybernetic possession system — let’s call it a mechanic that lets you leap into enemy bodies in combat. This power shifts everything from how players position themselves to strategic planning as they adapt on the fly, physically changing perspectives.

In the single-player mode, the missions revolve around objectives of a story nature such as:

• Smuggling contraband across AI-controlled zones
• Assassinating key targets
• Nabbing cowards or saving the “others” from their own people

By comparison, PvP and Co-op are a whole new game of unpredictability. The 4v4v4v4 structure leads to multi-squad chaos, and with several changing objectives in any given match, no two rounds play alike.

Players can gear up in their squad car or gang hideout, choosing weapons and tech before heading out on each deployment. The arena is always changing, and cobbling together a rare pickup mid-battle can change everything.

Beneath the System: A Dystopia Worth Unpacking

DEFECT’s city is not a mere backdrop — it’s alive, and decaying, and reactive. The ground floors decay into crime and corruption; the penthouses gleam with AI-enforced order.

This is a world that feels heavily indebted to Judge Dredd, Ghostrunner and Cyberpunk 2077, but one which has its own identity based in squad mechanics and high-stakes mission design. Exploration and environmental storytelling appear to be big parts of it, particularly in single-player play, where players will discover the truth about The System — as well as their own humanity.

Modes Made for Every Type of Player

Want to fly alone? Team up with your friends? Push other teams around the map by taking over factories and deploying massive soul-gunners!

Single-Player

• Deep offline campaign
• Tactical missions across diverse districts
• Story-driven progression

Co-op Mode

• Dedicated PvE challenges
• High replayability with team-based objectives
• Tactical coordination over brute force

PvP (4v4v4v4)

• Multi-squad combat
• Dynamic objectives that evolve mid-match
• Incentives for control, kills and completed missions

Such a structure encourages players to experience DEFECT in the way they wish: as either a story-driven shooter or as an intense tactical brawler.

The Look and Feel – Neon Nausea

DEFECT is a hell of a looker. The trailer showcases hyper-detailed environments, cinematic kill animations and lighting that pulses to the beat of combat. Every frame screams cyberpunk grit — the crumpled city streets, holographic billboards and flickering neon paint a picture of organized chaos.

Fans have noted the game’s Judge Dredd influence, particularly in character design and world tone. And there is, too, a kind of Doom and Ghostrunner that straight dynamism runs through — brutal, fast, styled.

Mick Gordon, which is best known for designing DOOM’s original soundtrack, might be possible to be related in the game’s music. If true, DEFECT’s sound could be one of its hallmarks — equal parts industrial metal and electronic wrath that fits just-right in the setting’s brutal rhythm.

System Requirements

Minimum Requirements

• OS: Windows 10/11 (64-bit)
• Processor: Intel Core i5-8400 or AMD Ryzen 5 1600
• Memory: 16 GB RAM
• Graphics: NVIDIA RTX 2060 (6GB)
• DirectX: Version 12
• SSD Recommended

Recommended Requirements

• OS: Windows 10/11 (64-bit)
• Processor: Intel Core i7-9700K or AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
• Memory: 16 GB RAM
• Graphics: NVIDIA RTX 3070 (8GB)
• DirectX: Version 12
• SSD Recommended

How community react to gameplay trailer of DEFECT

Defect "The Destruction" trailer hits the web, 30 minutes of gameplay captured A new "extended" gameplay video for DEEFECT has gained a lot of attention online, with excited players giving it praise for its innovative gameplay mechanics and visuals. Here’s what the readers are saying:

“Bro, this is literally Dredd in cyberpunk style. I’m sold.”
“That body snatch mechanic is wild — Ghostrunner meets Doom vibes.”
“If Mick Gordon is doing the soundtrack, this will go crazy.”
“Finally something that doesn’t look like another extraction shooter.”
“Reminds me of Judge Dredd mixed with Cyberpunk 2077. Love the aesthetic.”
“The transitions between hosts are so smooth. Please don’t be another early access disappointment.”
“We need more single-player FPS like this instead of battle royale clones.”
“Cybernetic possession as a mechanic? Never seen that before.”

The trailer has struck a strong chord: many are hailing it as one of the most promising indie FPS projects in years.

FAQ – DEFECT Video Game

Q: What is DEFECT?

A: DEFECT is a first person shooter for the HTC Vive, where player control defense droids to fight off the tension-filled town and hope that The System never sends its faceless agents in waves too large for the modified Anti-Air robots you. Players will be able to battle solo, together in co-op or in massive PVP war battles.

Q : Which Platforms is DEFECT coming out on?

A: At present, the PC version of DEFECT is only available on Steam. Console iterations have not been mentioned.

Q: Does DEFECT feature any single player options?

A: Yes. The game includes a complete offline single-player mode with story missions and AI opponents.

Q: What is the unique aspect of DEFECT gameplay?

A: Its cybernetic domination mechanic (where you can hop between enemy bodies mid-fight) and dynamic multifaceted missions make it stand out in the shooter crowd.

Q: Will DEFECT have co-op or PvP?

A: Yes. That includes co-op PvE missions and a 4v4v4v4 PvP feature, for chaotic multi-squad fights.

Q: Who is developing DEFECT?

A: The game is being made by emptyvessel, an indie studio that creates cinematic, visceral shooter experiences.

Final Thoughts

DEFECT is a striking, atmospheric interpretation of the classic cyberpunk genre — offering instead fast-paced tactics combat, inspired by XCOM and its tabletop descendents. With its mix of single-player storytelling, squad-based PvP and the groundbreaking possession mechanic, it could well carve itself a niche among modern shooters.

Stunning visuals and a great community reception alongside an emphasis on control and chaos ensures DEFECT could be one of the most thrilling things to happen in cyberpunk gaming.

As long as DEFECT’s ultimate release date remain up in the air, however, all of our eyes won’t ever drop from emptyvessel — or The System waiting to be defied.