On its Steam page, the company said it wants the community “to play a significant role in helping shape the game’s future. The game has its foundation in place, with the initial story missions set and various initial mechs and weapons to acquire.”

Hawken Reborn will be in early access for about 18 months, though 505 Games wants to “adjust as the game develops and ensure it gets the time it needs to be ready for a proper 1.0 launch.” The current phase is about polishing, gameplay optimization and improving the UI, enemy interactions, etc.

Phase 2, “and beyond,” adds new missions, mechs, and other content to enjoy. It’s billing the official release as “the start of Hawken’s next chapter, with cooperative multiplayer, exciting new content to explore and collect, and an epic storyline to dive into.” Even with the launch of version 1.0, Hawken Reborn will remain free to play.

When early access launches, you can play through six story missions, replayable Radio Missions in Patrol and a single zone. Five mechs will also be available with different weapons and thrusters to customize them with. Additional options are coming in future updates.

Check out the minimum system requirements below and some screenshots from the store page.

Unlike its previous iteration, Hawken Reborn is a PvE title. Set on Illal, a dystopic planet suffering a plague of nanites called the Giga, players become mercenaries in mechs. You’ll battle megacorporations, other factions, and more. It sounds very similar to FromSoftware’s Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon, which is out on August 25th.

However, instead of ACs, players pilot Axes and can build new ones with blueprints while upgrading them with weapons parts. Radio Missions provide scrip and resources for upgrades, with enemies becoming tougher over time. You’re encouraged to return to base lest you get nothing. There’s a bit of extraction shooter mixed in with the PvE that could be interesting.

Promising new regions on Illal and an evolving story with new characters, the initial Arc will have six missions for players to jump into. Stay tuned for more details shortly.