Homefront 2 is now being developed by the subsidiary studio Crytek UK and published by the parent company Crytek (Far Cry series and Ryse: Son of Rome), developers and creators of the powerful CryEngine. Homefront 2 will be running on the brand new next generation video game engine, currently titled CryEngine 4th Generation. It is currently slated for a release sometime in 2014 but this may slide to a later date in 2015. There are currently no specifics regarding which platforms Homefront 2 will be launching on, but the game will be available at retail and via digital download.

• 1. Development
• 2. Story
• 3. Gameplay
• 4. Characters

Development

On December 19th of 2012, the publishing body THQ filed for bankruptcy under the protection of chapter 11 (When the applying entity is not able to service debt or pay the amount due to creditors, under chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code the debtor can retain control of the business, it’s operations and assets as a “debtor in possession” and is then subject to oversight of the court and jurisdiction.) After filing this claim for bankruptcy, Crytek acquired the the rights to the Homefront franchise and all related assets during an asset sale (commonly referred to as the THQ Asset Auction) for the incredibly low price of $500,000, because of this they will replace THQ as the publisher of this game.

Homefront trailer for representation purpose.

In an interview with VG247, general manager Nick mentioned that despite the game’s expected 2015 release date, it may in fact slide further back due to the sale of THQ, he also stressed that the sale would not affect the development of the game, “Crytek’s focus is fairly similar to THQ’s -namely to make the best game possible, so this will not have too much impact on the development itself. However, we might change the release date that we haven’t announced, and move this to another release date we won’t announce yet either.”

He later elaborated on the reasoning behind wanting to buy the Homefront IP by saying, “The worst case scenario for us was that this situation meant that all that work just ended up being thrown into the bin, so we wanted to buy the IP to make sure the team can finish off the game they wish to make. But we always have and will believe in the potential of the IP. This is why we agreed to work on it in the first place, so it’s now beneficial for us to have control over the IP’s destiny.”

Story

There are currently no details available relating to the plot of Homefront 2, but it is likely to continue from the first game’s plot, at least tangentially. Sometime during the second decade of the 2000’s political tension between North Korea and the worlds various super powers are high due to increased passive military aggression from North Korea, this is following the successful testing of a nuclear weapons program and the sinking of a South Korean vessel.

As sickness sweeps through the US and as the country further destabilizes, the GKR (Greater Korean Republic) detonates a HAND (High Altitude Nuclear Device – A preemptive military invasion maneuver which results in a large radius EMP [electromagnetic pulse] which weakens land based counter measures and computer functions) and begins the invasion and ultimately the annexation  in earnest.

Gameplay

Homefront is a first person shooter that follows the fairly standard FPS template of a mix between impressive battles full of explosions and set pieces, taking cover and returning fire.

The first Homefront game came coupled with a rather well recieved and deep multiplayer component, somewhat similar to that found in Kaos Studios’ first game Frontlines: Fuel of War. Whether or not this is being carried over to Homefront 2 is yet to be confirmed, but with the seemingly constant shift towards online gaming it seems somewhat inevitable.

Characters

There has been no mention of characters, both past or present starring in this game or making a return. Any information regarding characters at this point is purely speculation and/or supposition on the part of fans and Homefront enthusiasts.

Note: This wiki will be updated once we have more information about the game.

Crytek general manager, games Nick Button-Brown says that Homefront 2, which was in development at the studio and was planned for a 2015 release, might get delayed a little bit in its release due to the fact that its publisher THQ has been now sold off and shut down.

“Crytek’s focus is fairly similar to THQ’s -namely to make the best game possible,” Button-Brown told VG247. “So this will not have too much impact on the development itself. However, we might change the release date that we haven’t announced, and move this to another release date we won’t announce yet either.”

“The main reason we wanted to purchase the IP was because the game is coming along so well,” he said of Crytek’s acquisition of the IP. “The team in Crytek UK has put their heart and soul into the game, and the progress is great – [our] last milestone was excellent.

“The worst case scenario for us was that this situation meant that all that work just ended up being thrown into the bin, so we wanted to buy the IP to make sure the team can finish off the game they wish to make. But we always have and will believe in the potential of the IP. This is why we agreed to work on it in the first place, so it’s now beneficial for us to have control over the IP’s destiny.”

He also said that Crytek will be revealing details on Homefront 2 “soon”, and expressed his sadness at everything that has happened with THQ, saying that Crytek was “very sorry to see them go” and that they had a good relationship with each other.

Stay tuned for more updates.

Crytek CEO, Cevat Yerli, said: “Since we first reached an agreement to develop Homefront 2, we’ve been firm believers in the IP and its potential to excite and amaze players. Our cooperation with THQ was always positive and we would like to thank them for all their support over the last two years and express our sympathy to those affected by the recent events at the company.”

Homefront 2 will be developed at Crytek’s UK studio in Nottingham.

The Homefront launch trailer.

“From day one, the Homefront 2 team has been committed to creating a game that takes the series to new heights and features the level of quality and innovation associated with Crytek,” said Nick Button-Brown, General Manager of Games at Crytek.

“Nothing has changed with regards our development of the game, and we look forward to sharing the finished product with players,” he added.

Crytek will be releasing the highly anticipated Crysis 3 in March for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC.

Will Crytek be successful in churning out a appealing Homefront game? Let us know in the comments section below.

Stay tuned to GamingBolt for more news and updates.

Crytek CEO Cevat Yerli has revealed that Homefront 2 will be the game that will turn around THQ’s fortunes. The company is going through a rough patch with hardly any cash in hand, however, they have two major games coming like Metro: Last Light and Homefront 2.

The latter is being developed by Crytek and uses the studio’s CryEngine 3. Homefront turned out to be a big flop when you consider hardly anyone talks about it but still managed to sell about 2 million units, and when you consider Microsoft had marketed that really well, they probably broke even on that.

“Our support and collaboration with THQ has been really strong. But obviously, it’s an unsettling experience at times when you read this news [about trouble at THQ],” he said in an interview with RPS.

“I mean, we’ve constantly had a great relationship and communication with THQ’s top management. What’s more unsettling isn’t when we read the news – because we kind of already know these things before the public – but when some of the team members don’t know the details, and they get concerned. And then the fanbase gets that way as well. When the fanbase of Homefront or Crytek gets worried, we need to fix that.”

“We know how our relationship is, but we don’t know what’s happening to fix THQ’s financial problems. That’s THQ’s prerogative. But we have hopes that THQ is going to turn around, and Homefront 2 is a very big part of that turnaround.

“I would say it’s probably the most important project, actually. I would say it’s the IP that’s most relevant along with Saints Row. Those two are pretty much THQ’s flagship.”

The game has no release window but could be released next year for the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.

THQ has revealed that Crytek will make the next Homefront. Danny Bilson of THQ said, “Selecting Crytek to take Homefront forward underscores our strategy of working with the industry’s best talent. Homefront’s unique setting and storyline captivated gamers the world over. With Crytek’s industry leading technology and legendary experience in the FPS genre, we’re supremely confident that the next Homefront will deliver that AAA-quality experience that players demand.”

“We see Homefront as a really strong universe that has a lot of potential and that has been expertly created and marketed by THQ,” said Cevat Yerli, Founder, CEO and President of Crytek. “We believe that bringing our level of quality, creativity and production values to the next Homefront title creates an opportunity for both THQ and Crytek to deliver a truly blockbuster game. It’s really important to us that THQ has the faith in giving us a lot of creative freedom over one of its most important properties to allow us to bring the Homefront world to life in a new and innovative way.”

This is a really good partnership as Kaos Studios didn’t do justice to the first game. The game will release on the PC, PS3 and 360 in fiscal year 2014. It won’t be called Homefront 2 but the title is yet to be named.