This is just the quickest of updates to confirm that Homeworld 3 has been delayed, with Gearbox and Blackbird Interactive confirming that the last round of feedback has prompted them to put the game back in the oven for a couple of months.
Homeworld 3 is therefore due to launch on PC on May 2nd. In the meantime, there’s a War Games demo playable until February 12 via Steam Next Fest and on Epic Games Store. If you want to play the new roguelike mode as a means of consoling yourself about the delay, you’ve got a few days to make the most of it.
Original Article
Why the fracking hell are you writing about a triple-A game’s recommended PC specs, Mike? I hear you, Friend, but today I’ve got a good reason. That’s because Homeworld 3 has got a roguelike mode in the works and I absolutely cannot wait to get my grubby mitts on it.
As you can see in the image attached, developer Blackbird Interactive has detailed the required systems to play the game, both with and without ray-tracing. I certainly approve of the comprehensiveness of the approach, which provides for a number of different systems, even if it makes it practically impossible for me to cover elegantly.
Instead I’m going to have to share the image, lament at the fact that my old rig isn’t getting anywhere near the ultra settings, but be pleased that the game will still look pretty good if I’m not too fussy about ray-tracing.
Homeworld’s roguelike-inspired mode: War Games
I mentioned a roguelike mode in Homeworld 3, and it’s worth digging into things a bit deeper. First, for the uninitiated, this next game in the series once again takes its inspiration from Battlestar Galactica, so imagine a space fleet fighting for survival against a dangerous foe.
The War Games co-op mode is intended to offer a more streamlined strategy experience when compared to the game’s main campaign. Central to this new mode are so-called artifacts, which will give players a chance to choose from three different units or upgrades. It certainly sounds like a familiar setup. Here’s the official spiel, for your convenience:
War Games, the all-new three player co-op mode extends your game beyond the campaign. Fusing Homeworld’s RTS gameplay with roguelike inspiration, commanders take on a randomized series of fleet combat challenges. Claim powerful Artifacts that augment your ships with more power, speed, and, of course, weapons. Based on your results, you’ll unlock new fleets to shake up your strategy.
For the most part, though, it sounds like more of the same, but with less story and more unpredictability – which I’m totally down for. I look forward to finding out whether I prefer that to the game’s more authored campaign. I’ll do so next year, when Homeworld 3 releases on PC in February, 2024.
The Homeworld 3 release date
Update: as stated above, Homeworld 3’s release date is now May 2.
Following the initial publication of this article, I was trawling the ol’ Internet for new games to tell you about and I whilst I was nosing around on Steam I just happened to notice that Homeworld 3 had been updated with a release date of March 8th – a little later than the initial planned launch in February.
Following up, the Homeworld 3 release date was actually confirmed as part of a PC Gamer event, but for a moment it was nice to think that I’d snagged myself an exclusive. C’est la vie.
Anyway, that was way too many words to relay a simple release date. However, if your thirst for all things Homeworld 3 hasn’t been abated by the above, I’ve got a new article about the roguelike mode, War Games for you to read!
Hit the link for more great roguelikes and roguelites on PC.
