Red 5’s ‘Crystite Challenge’ Promotion Introduces First Pet To Players In Firefall

In an interview with Shacknews, Red 5 Founder and CEO Mark Kern revealed some additions for the upcoming free-to-play MMO shooter Firefall.

“One new feature that we’re really excited about is introducing the new ‘Pet’ system into Firefall.” Kern revealed. “I mean, when’s the last time you heard about a shooter with pets?” He’s got a point, I’ve never seen a FPS with pets, but pets are a familiar feature in many MMOs.

“We had to had to do little things to actually make it interesting,” he admitted. “Not only can you get a pet, but we’re thinking that there’s actually an item you can buy in the store to load your gun with special ammunition so you actually shoot the other guy’s pet.” This action would “despawn” your enemies companion for a short time. Though Kern clarified that players will “for sure” be able to kill pets, they haven’t yet figured out the best way to do it. “The item is one way,” he said.

As of right now, the first Firefall promotion Red 5 is announcing is going to be on a Wednesday promotion called ‘Crystite Challenge’ According to Kern, players can invite friends into the beta to earn Crystite and unlock a special pet. The first special pet is part of a partnership with Penny Arcade that will feature the character “The Merch.”

“The Merch is awesome because he’s all about merchandising and he fits with our item-based theme.” Firefall’s Crystite Challenge begins on Wednesday, giving players a chance to earn The Merch pet, although the pet itself won’t be usable until the game launches, around December.

Check out our hands-on Firefall demo as Mark Kern walks us through a dynamic invasion.