Five years after the free-to-play multiplayer mech shooter Hawken Mode was canceled after a turbulent development, the brand is being revived by 505 Games as a PvE-focused, and initially single-player, Hawken Reborn.
The original Hawken burst onto the scene back in 2011 with an extension A striking work-in-progress trailer, but struggled to find an audience once in the real world. A failed early access attempt in 2014 saw development stall until a “reboot” in 2017, but even that wasn’t enough to get the stragglers on the mechanical realm, and the game’s PC servers were ripped off forever the following year.
Which makes Hawken an odd choice for revival, but here we are, five years later, with the free-to-play Hawken Reborn Listed now on Steam And it’s getting ready to launch into Early Access as a “truly in development” title on Wednesday, May 17th.
This initial version of Hawken Reborn, described as “very early in its life cycle”, will contain six playable story missions accessible via the Merc Net menu, one playable area, and radio missions for “replayability and early exploration”. It will also include five mechanics, as well as “multiple weapons and thrusters to craft and customize depending on your playstyle”.
505 says it expects Hawken Reborn to remain in Early Access on Steam for about 18 months, with new content appearing “once our key foundations are in place.” These new additions will include new mechanics and missions, with cooperative multiplayer and an “epic story” coming as part of the game’s full launch at a later date.
505 doesn’t mention plans for a non-PC platform, but alien species could get their first taste of Hawken Reborn when it hits Steam early Wednesday, May 17.
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