Dungeon Crawler Carl meets The Finals in this wild new FPS
Korean developer NC unveiled Like or Die, a new first-person shooter, during Gamescom 2026's Opening Night Live showcase. The game draws heavy visual and mechanical inspiration from Embark Studios' The Finals, featuring destructible environments, traversal tools such as zip lines and jump pads, and players who explode into pixelated cubes on defeat, but reframes the arena battle around live-streaming rather than sponsor-backed competition.
In Like or Die, players stream their matches on a fictional platform called Quaya, competing for likes and gifts from watching sponsors. A closed-doors preview showed the game's premise extends beyond Earth: NC's head of IP, Kim Hwan, revealed that in the game's alternate-universe Seoul, aliens and creatures across the galaxy also watch the stream, evoking comparisons to Dungeon Crawler Carl, though these viewers won't be visually depicted in-game. The game's Steam page discloses limited use of generative AI in asset production, alongside human artist refinement, and NC is targeting a closed test before the end of 2026, with no confirmed release date yet.
In short
- NC's new FPS Like or Die echoes The Finals but with livestreaming.
- Players chase likes and sponsor gifts on fictional platform Quaya.
- Closed test targeted before end of 2026; no release date set.
Explained simply
First-person shooters put players in the role of a character who sees the action through their eyes. Many set matches in arenas where players fight, move through the environment and compete to defeat one another. Destructible buildings and tools such as zip lines can change how these battles unfold.
Like or Die is a planned shooter from South Korean developer NC, set in an alternate version of Seoul. Its players broadcast their matches on a fictional platform called Quaya, hoping to attract likes and gifts from sponsors watching online. The game’s imagined audience also includes aliens and creatures from across the galaxy, although they will not appear on screen.
The premise links the fighting to the popularity of a live broadcast, while the wider audience gives the fictional world a cosmic scale. NC has said it plans a closed test before the end of 2026, but has not confirmed a release date.