After the pandemic (2020-2021), several pharmaceutical companies in Brazil and around the world received enormous investments for the development of a universal vaccine that would immunize people against multiple diseases with a single dose. Many nations were also seeking a single solution for all health problems related to vaccine-preventable diseases. This led to highly advanced studies, many of which were highly secretive, because during the pandemic, some nations of the world, including Brazil, thought the disease might be related to a biological weapon. This caused a significant portion of the investments made in the biological research area to be secretly used for the development of biological weapons.
Using the properties of the fungus Sporothrix brasiliensis, which is capable of affecting humans, scientists from the Brazilian pharmaceutical company River Lab (RvL) decided to alter the fungus so that it could directly affect the human brain. The objective of this alteration would be to turn the infected host into a vehicle for the propagation of the fungus, making the only goal of the infected human to disseminate the fungus at any cost.
This genetic manipulation could lead to an epidemic outbreak since the fungus would be highly contagious and could easily spread through physical contact with the infected host. Although not transmitted through the air or water, the spread of S. brasiliensis fungus with these new properties could have serious consequences for public health, leading to a major sanitary crisis wherever the fungus was released.
After two years of intense research and over 200 tests of the Sporothrix brasiliensis fungus with its new properties, the scientists at the Brazilian pharmaceutical company River Lab finally achieved the desired result. Now, the host infected by the fungus has the sole purpose of proliferating it through physical contact, and can become aggressive if someone tries to prevent this proliferation.
As a result, River Lab decided to scale up the fungus tests and move on to larger animal subjects, with some samples being transferred to the Rocinha laboratory, to continue the studies in a more secluded area, since the World Health Organization (WHO) does not allow laboratories to conduct tests on large animals. As a result, River Lab maintained an illegal laboratory in the Rocinha region, where it conducted tests on large animals, including reports of tests on humans.
To continue their studies and tests, River Lab chose to transfer its activities to another laboratory. This is because the World Health Organization (WHO) does not allow laboratories to conduct tests on large animals. As a result, River Lab maintained an illegal laboratory in the Rocinha region, where it conducted tests on large animals, including reports of tests on humans.
The Epidemic
In the Vidigal region, a civil conflict occurred resulting in the death of two residents during a failed police operation. According to reports, the police were responsible for the fatal shots. The tragedy sparked a strong outrage among the population, who began to carry out several protests in the area. In response, the authorities conducted "pacification" operations in the region, but such actions ended up generating even more anger from local residents. These events also provoked widespread spurning of the police, the army, and the government.
On the day the fungus sample was transferred from the RvL-Copacabana laboratory to the RvL-Rocinha laboratory, the vehicle carrying it was being escorted by vehicles similar to those used by the police. The route passed through Avenida Niemeyer, which crosses the Vidigal region. As they approached the area, a group of rebels opened fire on the escort vehicles in an ambush. However, they did not know that they were only escorting the River Lab vehicle carrying the sample. In the ambush, all vehicles were hit by gunfire, including the one carrying the briefcase with the sample container. As a result, the briefcase was damaged, causing an accidental leak in the Vidigal area.
Given the national security risk that the leaked fungus sample posed, the government activated the bio-defense special forces that were on standby at the Copacabana Fort. These forces are known as DQBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Defense).
After the arrival of the DQBRN military personnel to the location, the residents were perplexed by the presence of an army group equipped with special suits in the area, without attempting to climb the hill. The military personnel asked that no one approach the area and began a cautious investigation. This situation drew the attention of local residents, who began recording videos and sharing what was happening on social media. At the site, there was a yellowish coloration and a light dust hovering over the environment.
The military personnel remained on site for a few hours, cleaning up the affected area, and then withdrew.
The day after the fungus sample leak, some residents began to show worrying symptoms, including vomiting, fever, restlessness, irritability, and nausea. There were reports of infected people attacking each other, but this information was immediately covered up by the local authorities. At one point, a journalist heard rumors about what was happening in the area and decided to investigate.
The military forces responsible for the security of the area were positioned at all the entrances to the hill, but the journalist managed to enter with a hidden cellphone. When he reached the area of the leak, he started live streaming, showing the real situation of the site.
The military identified the journalist and, concerned about the biological risk and safety in the area, tried to interrupt the broadcast. The journalist, in turn, fled towards the entrance of the hill, but the military, considering the area extremely dangerous, decided to shoot him in the back, unknowing that everything was being transmitted live.
This violent action by the military sparked a great popular revolt throughout the country, with the news spreading also abroad. The pressure from the media was so great that the government ended up partly acknowledging what was happening in the region, claiming only that a rebel group was causing chaos in the area and announcing a general blockade. However, the government did not mention anything about the leaked sample, manipulating the media so that the information would not be disclosed and threatening to confiscate the broadcasters that did so. As a result, virtually no Brazilian media outlet was reporting on the subject.
The containment
On the second day after the leak, the government mobilized almost all the construction companies in the state for an "experimental project for epidemic containment." According to the government, the goal was to prepare and test the logistical and industrial capacity to deal with high-risk pandemic cases. In just three days, practically the entire Vidigal area was isolated by barricades, barbed wire, and military presence, preventing any exit from the region. Meanwhile, the construction companies worked on building the containment walls, which were completed in just 14 days, a significantly reduced time frame considering the complexity of the required engineering.
A No-Fly Zone (NFZ) was established in the region, prohibiting any aircraft from flying over the area. With the fungus already spread throughout the area, the inner zone of the walls turned into a scene of complete chaos, with only those who were armed or lived in strategic points on the hill remaining.
In addition, satellite signals, internet services, and even electricity were cut. Electricity was only available in some areas designated as "safe zones", thanks to generators and solar panels installed there.
The government decided to keep the military forces in the area to monitor all points. The Navy was tasked with preventing escapes by sea, while the Air Force used drones for aerial monitoring. The Army, in turn, designated soldiers to watch the wall towers.
However, after the infection took over the area, the military realized that only a specific group, the DQBRN, would be able to intervene within the walls. However, these soldiers were not prepared for the type of combat required in the slums. With the hills under Rebel control, the government recognized that the military was at a significant disadvantage and suffering many casualties.
Because of this, the Army concluded that it was necessary to create a new group of soldiers with specialized training in biological and urban combat. In collaboration with BOPE, a new elite division was created with advanced training, thus giving birth to the Organization of Rescue, Domination, and Massive Extraction, or simply ORDEM.
ORDEM is a group of highly trained military personnel in urban and biological combat, created to deal with extreme situations such as those found in Vidigal and Rocinha. At that moment, ORDEM was chosen because it was the most suitable group to climb the Vidigal hill, which was under the control of the Rebels.
Members of the ORDEM undergo rigorous training and have the best equipment available, provided by the armed forces. This ensures that they are always ready to deal with any risky situation.
The intervention
When the ORDEM was created, the walls had already completely surrounded Vidigal and Rocinha, which had previously been contaminated. The world was in chaos and the government, taking advantage of the situation, acted authoritatively and imposed its will without caring about the few bits of information that managed to reach the outside world. In fact, most countries were involved in a large war that ravaged Eastern Europe, plunging virtually all major powers into a chaotic scenario.
This chaotic situation allowed the government to use Vidigal and Rocinha as biological experiment fields, using the ORDEM to carry out interventions inside the walls and ensure that no rebel group could carry out escape or destruction operations of the walls. Thus, the government maintained control over people that lived within the walls, establishing a base behind the Dois Irmãos hill.
With the media blocked and information being hidden or denied, the few rumors about what was happening in Vidigal were ignored by most countries, which claimed to have more important priorities at that time. What leaked out ended up becoming just conspiracy theories.
Despite all the chaos that plagued the world, the ORDEM continued to act inside the walls of Vidigal and Rocinha, carrying out interventions and maintaining the order imposed by the authoritarian government. Meanwhile, the residents lived in a scenario of fear and uncertainty, not knowing what was happening outside the walls and having to deal with the consequences of the biological experiments carried out by the government.
When a rebel group established alliances, the ORDEM immediately acted to attack and demoralize them, fearing that the faction could use the alliance to counterattack and escape, causing a possible leakage of information about the Fungi-Virus beyond the walls. This would be problematic, as the survivors could clarify everything that was happening daily within the walls, which was a great mystery to the population. The government always claimed that the area was uninhabited and that everyone had been evacuated, without mentioning the infected. And, with media control, the population believed this version
In 2031, the air force detected, through drones, an infected much larger than usual. After analysis, the armed forces decided to eliminate it and collect samples for study. An infected of this size could compromise the containment structure if it were somehow under rebel control, so the ORDEM was called to deal with the situation.
It had been a long time since the ORDEM had intervened within the walls. When they received the mission for a new intervention, rumors began to circulate among the survivors, many of whom took refuge in the safe zone behind the Two Brothers Hill, controlled by the ORDEM. However, several other survivors also circulated in this zone, including the rebels. When they heard these rumors, the rebels began to prepare for a new ambush against the ORDEM.
On August 27, 2031, the ORDEM began its intervention by advancing towards the electrical network field located in Rocinha. However, they did not know that the Rebels were waiting for them. Ambushed in an alley, the Rebels opened fire, causing panic and confusion among the ORDEM's military personnel, who were stunned by the sudden attack. The intense exchange of gunfire resulted in a significant number of casualties, leading to the mission's failure.
Despite the failure, the samples needed to be extracted. The surviving military personnel from the attack were tasked with staying in the area and infiltrating among the survivors. Without permission to leave the walls without the samples, they formed the Militia, which would continue to answer to the ORDEM and act on its behalf within the isolated area.
In order to help survivors defending themselves against the infected, the armed forces began to airdrop supply crates with high-powered weapons and equipment. This allowed the survivors to fight the infected, reducing the need for ORDEM interventions.
Life inside the walls
When the walls were built, the factions that had been confined in the isolated areas began to fight for complete control of the region, considering that the higher parts of the hill were the safest. For a while, the slums were engulfed in war, with infected and factions fighting everywhere. However, when the dust settled, it became clear that the top of the hill was no longer safe. Survivors had to find other places to live within the isolated area, and thus the safe zones emerged.
Some survivors went to live in the forest, while others settled near the sea or the walls, under the "protection" of the militiamen who answered directly to the ORDEM.
Money had completely lost its value, and survivors began to extract copper from the power grids and recycle everything they could. This served as a currency for trade, and representatives of the safe zones were able to make deals to exchange copper for supplies, thus maintaining a considerably stable social life, which seemed impossible years before.
The Rebels and the Militia continued to be at war, but they reached an agreement: it was forbidden to attack the safe zones, and this agreement was respected until the present moment.
The non-aggression agreement in the safe zones opened up an opportunity for life within the walls. The Pier safe zone was controlled by the Rebels, the zone located behind the Dois Irmãos hill was controlled by the militiamen, and there was a zone in the forest controlled by those who had chosen to live away from urban areas. They lived organically, and their representative sought to understand more about the behavior of the infected.
In 2032, life inside the walls was possible thanks to the continuous efforts of exploration groups that seek supplies in the cities to stock the safe zones. Additionally, the air force provides modern equipment that allows the Rebels and Militia to face any biological threat, thus protecting the containment structure and preventing the leak of the Fungi-Virus.
Story based on the game: RIO-X | Raised In Oblivion X Written by: Renan Ferreira | Razz EN-US Version: Marta Baptista Illustration: Hannah Carneiro | h.nnart Original base: Jhoniker Braulio / Bannaker Braulio
What will RIO-X be
Firstly we thank you for taking us this far, your help and trust made them gain space in the gamer universe, and it is for you and for millions of other Brazilian gamers that we are dedicating ourselves every day so that RIO-X becomes make it one of the best games for each of you, so we at FIRST PHOENIX STUDIO leave here the most sincere thanks. If you are one of the first users of RIO or have it on your Steam, access our Discord that was created especially to provide support and teach you step by step how to redeem your items, rewards and how they will work in and out of the game.
Below one of the pre-sale skins
IMMERSIVE ECOSYSTEM CONCEPT ㅤㅤ RIO-X oR Raised In Oblivion X, is RIO - Raised in Oblivion reimagined, a game about a zombie apocalypse in Rio de Janeiro, starting in the Vidigal área and expanding throughout the city.
The player must enter RIO-X Portal, select the login method and then complete the registration, in which is necessary to enter an email, password and display name (nickname). Afterward, it is possible to select one of ten free characters available to be attributed to that account. The character can only be changed every 90 days. If a player doesn’t have a wallet, a Magic Wallet will be generated, which can be used normally on the RIO-X Marketplace. After creating the account, the player must download RIO-X on the Portal, or on any other platform where the game is available, like Steam.
GAMEPLAY ㅤ RIO-X is a survival multiplayer game, with a strong competitive side. The first-person gameplay is based in games like Insurgency Sandstorm, Escape From Tarkov, CS:GO or Call of Duty (Infinity Ward Engine). We built a passive ranking, where the player can evolve different attributes of the account organically.
Controls:
Optimization RIO-X had a wide optimization of the scenarios, so the final game requirements are lower compared to RIO - Raised In Oblivion base v.steam. - The game also includes the Nvidia DLSS system.
VoIP Now RIO-X also allows voice communication (VoIP - Voice over IP), with the system VIVOX.
Combat mode When a character gets shot, or shoots, it enters combat mode, which activates HUD elements to perfect playability during a conflict. In combat mode, the player is prevented to exit the game for 2 minutes — this is to prevent players from exiting once they realize their character might dir.
The general gameplay was greatly improved, becoming more fluid, with adjustments on the speed to pick up items, jump, movement, sight, weapons’ changing pace, possibility to cancel an interaction, etc.
Another considerable alteration was the removal of the necessity to find chargers to load the weapons. Now the weapons include chargers, so it’s only necessary to find ammo and load them.
Outline We created an outline for the items, which highlights them in low-visibility locations. The outline color changes according to the rarity of the item.
New areas New locations were added to the map, like the cargo ship
Vraal Gas Station
Deposit
and, of course, Rocinha.
- The entire Vidigal neighborhood is being rebuilt from scratch, and the prediction is that it will be integrated on the first big update after launch.
New screens All the screens were remade. Besides, now it’s possible to see which player killed you directly on the death screen, and also on the kill feed.
Night Vision The night vision system will be available in a specific helmet. Players who are able to find that helmet can activate and deactivate night vision at any moment. When activated, it’s not possible to use the iron sight, so all weapons will be tilted to the side.
- The night vision helmet has a damage absorption similar to a level 2 helmet. - There is an icon representing night vision when a character is using the NV helmet.
Sound All the sound design of the game was recreated, including shots, steps, impacts, environment, etc.
Animation We recreated all third-person animations using a new system. The idea is to allow a camera transition to third-person once the player enters the safe zone, similar to want happens on FarCry 6.
Entire HUD activated
- Example of RIO-X with the entire HUD activated.
SMARTWATCH
The character has levels of life, hungry, thirst and stamina, and players must constantly look for supplies to maintain those levels.
It’s possible to check the status of your character on a smartwatch that is positioned in the wrist of all characters. By pressing H you can see the levels upclose. It’s also possible to check time and day on the watch, and it has an integrated compass.
RANKS
When first entering RIO-X all players will be ranked as Civilian (C) and they can evolve as they fight other players. There will be a total of 20 ranks. You can check your rank on the section “Stats” on the main menu, or by opening the list of players in the server (ESC). ㅤ Each rank represents 100, so each player can accumulate up to 2100 points. Civilian (C): 0 - 99 Amateur survivor 5 (AS): 99 - 199 Amateur survivor 4 (AS) 199 - 299 Survival master: 1899 - 1999 Favela owner: 1999 - 2100
Each kill equals 2 points towards the rank, and it can be worth more if the player has a high reputation. Reputation The reputation system was created to balance PvP between players. It works like a reward for killing, as you can make more consecutive kills, your death will be worth more for other players.
A player with 0 to 1 kills is worth 2 points. If you eliminate two players in a row, you’ll be worth 5 points and a personalized status will be allocated to your profile, which will evolve as you continue to eliminate other players, until you can make 25 kills in a row, or be shot death.
You can check your reputation icon on the main menu or checking the list of players by pressing (ESC). You can also see the reputation of a player once you eliminate him.
Distributions of rewards in PvP
For killing a player with:
Receiving points for collecting airdrops is a way to reward players that aren’t focused on PvP, preferring a more passive approach — similar to receiving 2 points for planting a bomb on CS:GO (same value as a kill).
- Points are attributed to the first player that interacts with the airdrop box.
Loss of points
The loss of points will be applied when the player is killed.
LEVEL
Basic level system, made of 100 levels that can be reached through the elimination of other players, infected, airdrop collections and conclusion of missions.
Each level will require a fixed amount of XP for each 10 levels, following a pattern of 100 XP increase for each 10 levels.
A frame around the level indicates the level, and changes every 10 levels, similar to Steam’s UP system.
0 - 9 100XP per level 10 - 19 200XP per level 20 - 29 300XP per level 30 - 39 400XP per level 40 - 49 500XP per level 50 - 59 600XP per level 60 - 69 700XP per level 70 - 79 800XP per level 80 - 89 900XP per level 90 - 99 1000XP per level 100 1500XP
Receiving XP: Infected = 10 XP Player = 50 XP Collect airdrop = 100XP
OBS: XP is not lost after death.
SAFEZONES
Safezones functioned as a social area, with interaction, life between AI and players.
Inside RIO-X players cna find three types of safe zones, located on the edges of the map:
Safe Zone - Pier - located by the seaside on Rocinha
Safe Zone - Forest - located on the forest area of the map, where the “Boys neighborhood” was located
Safe Zone - Military - located behind the hill of Vidigal
All three safe zones will follow the same concept
1x - Weapon seller
1x - Supplies seller
1x - Global inventory
1x - Shredder
1 - NPC exchange
1x - ATM
The safety structure on safe zones will be based on the concept of invisible domes that enclose the area where PvP is blocked, whis is made discreetly in the middle of the forest.
You'll also be able to do story missions in a system we're still working on and will talk about shortly.
EXCHANGE ITEMS
Copper Copper is basically the coin of the game. You can get it by exchanging all kinds of scrap found throughout the map, on the lore. Due to the absurd quantity of communication cables found on the slum, survivals started extracting copper wires and using it to get items on the safe zones. As time went by, it became the main exchange item behind the walls.
Scrap:
Each item is equivalent to 5 copper units. Each item can have up to 5 stacks on the inventory.
The amount of copper is always visible in the inventory, and can be used to buy items of “Common” and “Uncommon” rarity on the safe zone. When killed, each player loses 10% of their copper.
Niobium Nioubium is an intermediary coin, it can be found when defeating high ranked enemies or exchanged by copper in the exchange NPC. 1 Niobium unit = 100 Copper units
The ammount of niobium is always visible in the inventory, and can be used to buy items of “Rare” and “Legendary” rarity in the safe zone. - When killed, each player loses one niobium unit.
BLOCKING POINTS
The contention inside the walls is made by Brazilian Military Forces. To avoid the exit of survivors of the fungi-virus outbreak and the consequent spread of the disease in the city, the government took extreme measures, surrounding the entire place.
At the gates the Organization for Rescue, Domination, Extraction and Recovery, or simply ORDER, an organization created by DQBRN and BOPE for this specific situation, doesn’t let anyone out. They are also responsible for the defense of the safe zones.
- When approaching the gates, the ORDER will issue a warning, asking for immediate distancing. If the player refuses to oblige, he will be executed.
Up in the sky, the air force uses vigilance drones to monitor everything that is happening in the slums of Vidigal and Rocinha.
In the sea, the navy avoids that anyone escapes the isolated area, either swimming or using a boat.
- After swimming a few meters away from the shore, the navy will issue a warning asking to turn back. If the player doesn’t oblige, he will be executed.
We created a bullet protection system for different body parts.
HELMETS Construction helmet - 10% damage absorption
Bulletproof helmet - 20% damage absorption
Reinforced helmet - 30% damage absorption
VESTS Simple vest - 10% damage absorption
Police vest - 20% damage absorption
Military vest - 30% damage absorption
GLOBAL INVENTORY
Each safe zone includes a global inventory, a general safe which can be accessed in any safe zone, through any server.
THE INFECTED
According to the storytelling, the infection that caused the epidemy in the region of Vidigal and Rocinha it’s the mix of a fungi and a virus, that makes the infected attack any player. Their primary sense is hearing, since as time passes by, the fungi strands damage the vision of the host (in advanced levels).
In the previous version of RIO - Raised in Oblivion, the infected were just an extra in the gameplay, which was primarily focused on PvP. Now we are bringing a more robust infected system, making them have a major impact in the game experience.
Infected base - Level 1 Common infected, which can be anywhere in the map. They are slow, but lethal.
Heavy infected - BOSS The Boss can only be found in specifical places. Its resistance his high, as well as the rewards for killing it. The boss poses a significant threat, and its recommended to play in group to try to eliminate it.
AIRDROP
The airdrop is a box of supplies released by an air force C-130 Hercules cargo plane. The box contains weapons of occult rarity, that can only be found on the airdrop, as well as exclusive equipment and of course RIOCoin.
That's what we can report for now, for more details. enter our official Discord and see our complete ecosystem.
We thank you all for your patience, we never put the project aside, we are just rebuilding a good part of what was released in July 2021, we believe that all the wait will be worth it.
- First Phoenix Studio.
Special announcement
We are pausing the sale on STEAM, following our new schedule of updates and improvements, but don't worry, the game will still be on STEAM receiving the new updates. RIO is in the X integration phase and will be part of a new gaming universe, our vision is to make the game competitive, make it have goals and make it worth your time spent in the game, we want to present you with positive memories and new amazing experiences, so we're working on what's to come and initially we've prepared a list of updates that are in development, check it out:
- New account creation system integrated with web3; - New general character system; - New kill system, respawn model and death screen design; - Patent system, containing 20 patents divided into 5 tiers; - Points delivery system by number of kills, system attached to the patent system; - General account EXP system, containing up to 500 levels; - Global player rank, defined by rank criteria, followed by level and survival time; - Clan system, along with global ranking system for clans; - Update on the party system; - VoIP (voice over IP); - AirDrop system, containing rare weapons, including a new rarity category; - Four Safe Zones containing the global inventory, weapon shops and supplies.
Finally, those Survivors who purchased on STEAM and pre-orders will soon be able to redeem rewards on our official website. We thank you all for believing and trusting our work. Humbly, First Phoenix Studio Team.
Rocinha soon
Hello survivors, below are some images of Rocinha, which is still under development, the rain system should also arrive soon in RIO, with several improvements in Vidigal along with the new lighting, in addition we will have many other news that we will reveal soon.
Update available
Hello survivors, update available from steam, patch 0.10.2
- Added PARAFAL - Improved animations in general - Improved lateral movements with a weapon - Added drop animation - Created quick backpack exchange system (It is no longer necessary to drop all your items to change your backpack) - Fixed some collision points
new ballistics
Hello Survivor, just going to say that the new weapons ballistics system is ready, and from the feedback from the people who tested it with our team, it seems that we managed to get what the players were asking us to do, we were very happy with the result, in Next week we will release together with PARAFAL, in addition we are also working on a new map, which would be the same but much more optimized and which already contains Rocinha with the new lighting and rain system, we still don't have a specific date, stay with a stretch of rain system.
