Starship Troopers: Extermination Interview – Campaign, Multiplayer, Post-Launch Plans, and More

2024 has been kind to all the would-be extraterrestrial bug hunters out there, and after having been treated to Helldivers 2’s Starship Troopers-inspired sci-fi antics, it’s now time for the real thing to step into the forefront. After having spent some time in early access, first-person shooter Starship Troopers: Extermination recently launched in full, offering players the chance to deliver into a single-player campaign as well as multiplayer offerings built around the Starship Troopers universe’s beloved brand of action. To learn more about the game, how it progressed during its early access stage, and what developer Offworld Industries has planned for its post-launch support, we recently had the chance to reach out to its developers with a few of our questions. Below, you can read our interview with head of marketing Gareth Woods and project lead Peter Maurice.

NOTE: This interview was conducted prior to the game’s 1.0 launch.

"When Helldivers 2 launched, we were excited to see a resurgence of interest in cooperative shooters and a growing appreciation for team-based, sci-fi action. This validated our belief that there is a strong appetite for games of this genre. 2024 definitely has been a treat for bug hunters."

Given the age of the Starship Troopers property, why did you feel the desire to tap into it for this game?

Gareth Woods (Head of Marketing): Starship Troopers has a lasting appeal, especially among fans of sci-fi. Layer on top of this franchise themes like cooperation, teamwork and humanity’s fight against overwhelming odds, a sprinkle of 90es nostalgia (not to mention a bit of suspicious government activity) and you have the recipe for a compelling universe that resonates deeply with players today. Our goal was to bring the classic film’s universe to life in a way that feels fresh and exciting both for long-time fans and newcomers alike, to create the “authentic Troopers experience”.

The release of the game ended up being timely, with the release of Helldivers 2 earlier this year causing a resurgence in Starship Troopers’ popularity. As developers working on an actual Starship Troopers game, what was the impact on the team when Helldivers 2 launched?

Woods: When Helldivers 2 launched, we were excited to see a resurgence of interest in cooperative shooters and a growing appreciation for team-based, sci-fi action. This validated our belief that there is a strong appetite for games of this genre. 2024 definitely has been a treat for bug hunters. The positive response to Helldivers 2 energized our team, and we saw it as a great opportunity to differentiate Starship Troopers: Extermination further, with its unique features like 16-player co-op gameplay, base-building, and our innovative Carnage system.

How has the early access period been for you? What were your key takeaways in terms of feedback from the community?

Woods: The Early Access period has been incredibly valuable. We’ve gathered crucial feedback from the community about balancing, progression, and various other elements of the game that needed fine-tuning. Players loved the scale of the battles and the sense of camaraderie. I think EA has earned a bad reputation from some developers who may use it as a “cash grab” and never actually use it for the benefit it can be. We’ve certainly done our best to listen to player feedback and do our best to implement it wherever possible. One key takeaway from players is the need to expand on the variety offered, be it missions, bugs or guns and this is something we look forward to doing in the future.

"We look forward to growing the solo play mode in the future as we continue the story of General Rico and the Special Operations Group in future updates that will be completely free DLC to those who own Starship Troopers: Extermination."

What can players expect from the single player campaign in terms of its scale, especially given the involvement of Casper Van Dien?

Woods: The single-player mode is initially more of a solo-play tutorial, designed to give players a softer landing before the chaotic action of the multiplayer “main” game. It was great to be able to work with Casper who truly embodies the role of General Johnny Rico. We look forward to growing the solo play mode in the future as we continue the story of General Rico and the Special Operations Group in future updates that will be completely free DLC to those who own Starship Troopers: Extermination.

What are your post-launch plans for Starship Troopers: Extermination in terms of both single player and multiplayer content?

Woods: We have exciting plans for both single and multiplayer. As mentioned single-player will see us continue the story of General Rico and SOG (and maybe some other iconic characters in the Starship Troopers universe). For multiplayer we have an extensive roadmap that we have shared with the community already which will see us introduce a ton of quality-of-life updates, social features as well as new toys and to play with and Arachnids to squash.

Are there any plans to make the game PS5 Pro enhanced?

Peter Maurice (Project Lead): Not immediately, as the development hardware has not been made available to our Studio at this time.