What you need to know
- Exoprimal launched on July 14 for Xbox Series X|S, XB1, PC, and PS4/PS5.
- The game’s core Dino Survival mode combined elements of PvE and PvP.
- Savage Gauntlet is a new co-op-only mode dropping today at 8 pm PDT.
Exoprimal has been a fascinating release in 2023. The chaotic, dinosaur-packed action game fuses elements of Overwatch and Earth Defense Force into a compelling offering unlike anything else. While over one million players have competed in the frantic wargames, not everyone has loved the forced PvP aspect of Exoprimal’s core Dino Survival mode. If this describes your experience with the title, you’ll be excited to hear that Capcom is adding a new co-op-only Savage Gauntlet mode today at 8 pm PDT. Unfortunately, there’s a bit of a catch.
Players who wish to participate in the aggressively challenging five-player co-op Savage Gauntlet mode must complete the main story in Exoprimal. Depending on your habits and performance, this can take roughly 60 matches of Dino Survival to achieve. In my case, this achievement took about 22 hours. It’s unclear whether Capcom will remove this restriction in the future, but for the first weekly rotation of Savage Gauntlet, this will be a firm barrier to entry.
Savage Gauntlet removes all PvP elements in Exoprimal, including rival Exofighters and Dominator summons. These special cooperative missions task teams of five to overcome overwhelming dinosaur encounters as quickly as possible. Your squad’s speed and performance will be ranked each week, and there will be limited-time rewards to earn for your participation. It’s recommended that you bring high-level characters and upgraded modules into Savage Gauntlet matches.
Our review of Exoprimal painted a conflicted picture of PvE versus PvP balance in the class-based action title. With a dedicated group of friends, there’s no denying the grin-inducing potential of Exoprimal, but understandably, the competitive nature of the experience is divisive. If the PvP isn’t for you, check out our list of other awesome games in Xbox Game Pass.
