SWAT Sim Ready or Not’s Success On Console Proves FPS Fans Are Ready for Something Different

Initially, it might appear that Ready or Not shares similarities with popular games like Call of Duty and Battlefield. You play as a proficiently-skilled, weaponized government agent, experiencing the action from a first-person viewpoint, utilizing firearms, grenades, and military equipment in a realistic, gritty environment. These elements are familiar to fans of the First-Person Shooter (FPS) genre. However, Ready or Not employs these standard features in unique ways, offering a refreshing twist in a congested market.

It seems the novelty and uniqueness of the game Ready or Not has proven to be profitable, as it’s garnering substantial success across various platforms. The game made its debut on PC towards the end of 2023, attracting a large portion of its intended audience, but was later released for consoles as well. Remarkably, the console version sold more than one-million copies within just four days, outperforming its PC sales significantly. Despite being available on PC for over a year prior, giving it ample opportunities for word-of-mouth promotion, the console sales of Ready or Not are particularly impressive. In fact, they serve as an example of a broader trend in first-person shooter games.

Ready or Not Is a Big Success, Proving that FPS Fans Are Tired of the Status Quo

The FPS Market Has Grown Stale Over the Years, Especially On Console

It’s intriguing to note that the strong sales of the game “Ready or Not” seem to coincide with the release of “Call of Duty: Black Ops 7“, which has received a lot of criticism and is often seen as evidence of general weariness towards the annual “CoD” format. With its dominance, “Call of Duty” is currently the most significant first-person-shooter franchise, even influencing rivals like “Battlefield” and “Halo“. However, this dominance has led to an oversaturation of the FPS market, shifting it away from originality and innovation, as seen in the early days of classics like “GoldenEye” and “Halo: Combat Evolved“.

As a devoted fan, I can’t help but feel that despite the consistent profits raked in by Call of Duty each year, there’s a substantial number of us craving something fresh, yet still rooted within the military sim genre. That’s where Ready or Not steps in, with its SWAT-simulation concept and strategic mechanics that stand in stark contrast to the games mentioned earlier. Unlike these titles, Ready or Not is less about rapid-fire shooting or lightning-fast reflexes and more about strategic planning, preparation, and foresight – keys to victory in this game. It’s not the adrenaline-pumping, “shut off your brain” gaming experience that many would associate with CoD. Instead, it offers a more thoughtful, tactical challenge that I believe many players, including myself, are yearning for.

At present, Ready or Not is experiencing a wave of negative reviews on Steam due to its perceived censorship on gaming consoles and reported performance problems following the latest update.

Ready or Not Indicates a Shift in Console Gaming Demands

Ready or Not isn’t just another conventional shooter game that has made it big on consoles, but its rapid sales speed indicate a high demand for distinctive shooters among today’s gamers. Traditional franchises like Call of Duty and Battlefield might continue to exist, but they may be starting to lose their stronghold in the first-person shooter (FPS) market. As the boundaries between PC gaming, independent gaming, and mainstream console gaming blur, more gamers are realizing that the FPS genre doesn’t need to be confined to annual military shooters; instead, it has potential for expansion and innovation. Success stories like Ready or Not could inspire other developers to broaden the market even further.

Read More

2025-07-25 21:34