It would grow in fame with FASA’s MechWarrior franchise, which sought to capture the feeling of being a MechWarrior pilot, attempting to reign in multiple tonnes of moving steel, ammunition, and explosives throughout tense operations. Though the developer’s glory days are long past, MechWarrior has carried on thanks to Piranha Games, known for 2013’s MechWarrior Online and, more recently, 2021’s MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries.

"The campaign is otherwise fairly straightforward – once school is out and the invasion is on, you’re assigned missions on different planets."

Despite the numerical similarities with the latter, MechWarrior 5: Clans is a new standalone title that’s more narrative-focused, as you take control of a new Star of cadets from Clan Smoke Jaguar. What starts as a trip to Huntress to graduate into full-fledged MechWarriors quickly erupts into a full-blown invasion of the Inner Sphere and the start of Operation Revival. As Star Commander Jayden, you lead your allies – Ezra, Mia, and Liam – into conflicts against other BattleMechs in various biomes.

Since story-telling is a greater focus here, there are plenty of cinematic cutscenes, in-mission dialogue and events, and more to connect you to the cast and greater war. For the most part, MechWarrior 5: Clans succeeds in this regard, though some characters can come across as somewhat superficial. At some points, it’s due to the dialogue and voice acting – I can buy Ibrahim Ismiril as the gruff instructor trying to whip these recruits into shape (tired as the cliché may be).

But it feels unconvincing when Liam proclaims his desire to break free from his namesake and rebel against tradition. On the other hand, the squad’s descent from tough recruits who think they’re ready for war to experiencing its harsh realities first-hand makes for some decent story-telling. Overall, it seemingly boils down to direction – the main cast (and the many other characters encountered throughout the story) put in solid enough performances, even if some of them cross the line into outright silliness. At least the lore and stakes remain compelling.

The campaign is otherwise fairly straightforward – once school is out and the invasion is on, you’re assigned missions on different planets. Though the objectives often boil down to neutralizing opposing targets, they do mix things up. “Touchdown” starts fairly rote as you try to locate Santander’s Killers, but things suddenly go wrong, erupting in a massive melee.

"You might want to throw on some of the biggest guns and lasers available, especially when enough slots are available. However, if it’s over the tonnage limit, forget about Command even allowing it on the battlefield."

Subsequent missions also task you with scanning environments for switches to open gates, hack mines, etc. It’s nothing you haven’t seen before, but MechWarrior 5: Clans has competent pacing, offering enough downtime before encounters and ramping things up in a suitable fashion.

Each mission has differing battle areas, visibility conditions, tonnage, and biome types, which all tie into your choice of arsenal. This is where the real variety – and the essence of MechWarrior – kicks in. Your Star begins with several BattleMechs – the Light Kit Fox, Arctic Cheetah, and Mist Lynx alongside a Medium Viper – but you can quickly expand the roster to include all the classics, from the Gargoyle to the iconic Timber Wolf.

The type of BattleMech determines tonnage, which influences what you can equip. You might want to throw on some of the biggest guns and lasers available, especially when enough slots are available. However, if it’s over the tonnage limit, forget about Command even allowing it on the battlefield. Thankfully, you can strip away and refashion the default loadouts as you see fit, from forgoing extra ammo to free up some slots and tonnage for other weapons to adding tools like Probes for improved sensor ranges or Heat Sinks to improve heat dissipation.

The latter can become important to deal with lower visibility and excessive HUD distortion from the enemies’ ECMs, or hotter climates, especially in locations that don’t have water sources for quick cooling. If a unit runs too hot, it can shut down in combat and become ripe for the slaughter. There are also options to assign weapon groups and adjust Chain Fire Mode for sequential weapon firing, which further helps to manage heat dissipation.

"Whether you’re employing jump jets to reposition, panning to catch sight of flying targets, or adjusting your reticle to account for projectile travel distance and spread, it feels like the best recreation of BattleMech combat yet."

Of course, you can hire Scientists to research projects to improve weaponry and tools based on components salvaged from each mission. A chassis in combat also accrues XP to spend on improving its torso rotation angle and speed, acceleration, top speed, and more (or other Omnipods with different loadouts).

If that weren’t enough, your pilots also gain XP to level up their respective skills, which can further influence the loadouts you may want to opt for. I could put Jayden on energy weapons and pour XP into upgrading their range or go all in on missiles and ballistic weapons thanks to the reduced cooldown time for both. Once again, it’s straightforward but works well enough. You also have the marketplace for acquiring new weapons, BattleMechs and tools as the situation dictates.

As for combat, it’s methodical and weighty, which is precisely the point and the highlight of MechWarrior 5: Clans. Whether you’re employing jump jets to reposition, panning to catch sight of flying targets, or adjusting your reticle to account for projectile travel distance and spread, it feels like the best recreation of BattleMech combat yet.

Even touches like ECM disrupting your HUD or land tanks and other obstacles getting crushed underfoot feel just right. Though you could opt for the classic control scheme, which separates locomotion from aiming, there are also modern controls for a more traditional shooting experience. The gameplay can take some getting used to, but ducking in and out of cover to land pot shots on an opposing BattleMech feels just as good as going toe-to-toe with fisticuffs and flamers.

"If you felt that Mercenaries skimped on the campaign and narrative, MechWarrior 5: Clans should fill that void."

The AI can feel uneven at times, with enemy units sometimes running into walls and having trouble getting out. I also felt that my allies were a little enthusiastic about shooting me in the back, though assigning them to take out different targets with the BattleGrid or having them form up with the command wheel is handled well enough. Both can feel awkward at first, especially during the heat of battle, but are easy enough to pick up and master.

Visually, MechWarrior 5: Clans is a step up from Mercenaries. Environments offer more natural atmospherics and dense foliage, while BattleMech models are extensively detailed. Clan Smoke Jaguar’s faces and expressions sometimes cross over into the uncanny valley, but otherwise, the facial animation is decent. Performance is prone to the odd stutter here and there, but for the most part, it felt pretty smooth after knocking down a few settings. Bugs also felt minimal, though there was one that necessitated a mission restart.

If you felt that Mercenaries skimped on the campaign and narrative, MechWarrior 5: Clans should fill that void. It offers extensive customization while recreating the feel of piloting a BattleMech with staggering realism while offering enough solid progression systems to encourage experimentation. There are the odd blemishes here and there, but it’s still a worthy successor to the MechWarrior name.

This game was reviewed on PC.

A cinematic, narrative-driven campaign that makes proper use of the BattleTech universe and its lore is something that fans have been desperate for for a while, and with its launch trailer, MechWarrior 5: Clans continues to look like it’s going to make good on that promise. From its characters to the action it showcases to the bits and pieces of lore scattered throughout, the trailer certainly looks promising, especially in terms of production values. Check it out below. 

MechWarrior 5: Clans is due out on October 17 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, and will also be available via Game Pass at launch.

It’s been announced that MechWarrior 5: Clans will be available via Game Pass day one when it launches next week. More specifically, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers will have access to the game on the day of its release. 

Meanwhile, Piranha Games has also showcased a new gameplay trailer that offers another look at upcoming title’s mech action, while also revealing its Digital Collector’s Edition. Priced at $79.99, it will bonus in-game cosmetics, a digital artbook, a digital OST, and more. View the trailer below for more details.

MechWarrior 5: Clans is due out on October 16 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. 

MechWarrior 5: Clans launches on October 17th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. Check out 15 things you should know before enlisting based on hands-on time with a preview build.

Campaign

MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries has a story, though it’s not quite the deepest, with players accepting contracts for different factions. MechWarrior 5: Clans is different, as players take control of a new squad of pilots (known as a Star) from Clan Smoke Jaguar. After training, they’re thrust into the Clan Invasion of the Inner Sphere. It’s much more character-driven, with over 90 minutes of cinematics as Smoke Jaguar undergoes various conflicts across multiple planets, attempting to survive.

Characters

Among the core cast is Jayden, the Star Commander; Liam, who has a rebellious streak; Ezra, the more open-minded of the squad; and Mia, who’s driven yet compassionate. They’re tested by Kit Commander Ibrahim Ismiril, who becomes a mainstay of the story and offers his fair share of wisdom (and tough love) to Smoke Jaguar. Other characters emerge, adding on to the intrigue and conflicts that Smoke Jaguar faces.

Player Hub

The Player Hub is your de facto base, where you can choose which missions to embark on. It also features access to the different Facilities and Barracks, which we’ll get into later, and showcases your Honor Level, Merits, and Kerenskies used to purchase parts and BattleMechs.

BattleMech Types

MechWarrior 5: Clans offers four types of BattleMechs – Light, Medium, Heavy and Assault. These include mainstays like the Mist Lynx, a Light OmniMech which is good at all ranges thanks to its machine guns, LRM-10 launcher and Streak SRM-4, or the Viper, a Medium OmniMech with high maneuverability and armed with a Laser, AMS, and SRM4 launcher. Other options like the Mad Dog, Dire Wolf, Warhawk, Timber Wolf, and many more also return for your destructive pleasure.

MechLab

The MechLab is where you’ll spend time customizing the squad’s BattleMechs. There are multiple parts – the legs, torso, arms, and head – and each has different slots to fit weapons and other tools like Active Probes, Ferro Armor Pods, ammo, and much more. Other options open up over time, though you need to consider a BattleMech’s tonnage and balance things out.

Marketplace

While you can purchase different weapons and parts directly from the Mech Lab, the Marketplace offers its own selection of goods. There are Lasers, Gauss Rifles, and Flamers to acquire, but you can also purchase equipment and entire BattleMechs. It’s also a great place to sell excess parts and reinvest them into other upgrades.

Pilot Skills

Outside of customizing your BattleMech, each Pilot has different Skills to improve in the Barracks. As they earn XP, you can invest in increased melee damage, better handling, decreased cooldown on weaponry, and a chance to evade enemy attacks. Some Pilots, like Liam, have differing Skills like Electronic Warfare for increased Active Probe and ECM range and effects. Meanwhile, Mia possesses Heat Management for a higher rate of heat dissipation and more heat capacity.

Research

To further improve your squad’s combat weaponry, you’ll need to research different projects, like the duration of ER Lasers and reducing their cooldown or increasing the range of Active Probes. Scientists must be on hand to research projects with Components salvaged from missions.

You can bring on more Scientists, upgrade the Salvage Operations and much more, though it will take a few Cycles to complete projects. You’ll also want to earn Mech XP and unlock Chassis Upgrades to improve a BattleMech’s top speed and acceleration, torso movement speed, and more.

Combat

Those new to MechWarrior shouldn’t expect something fast-paced like Gundam or Zone of the Enders. It’s more grounded and heavy, and you’ll feel the weight of BattleMechs as they stomp around or hover and drop back down.

Each unit has limited ammo for each weapon, though Lasers generate Heat and have a short cooldown before being used again. During combat, you can target different parts of enemies and destroy them, but the same applies to the squad. Damage doesn’t automatically heal either – you need to find a repair station to recover and refill on ammo.

Heat Management

Depending on the climate of a biome and the weapons used, your BattleMech will generate heat. Too much, and your unit can shut down. Heat can be managed by dipping into water sources, but it’s also worth installing Heat Sinks and considering the different weapons installed. Of course, you must also consider the Cooling, Heat Capacity, and much more.

Modern and Classic Movement Styles

MechWarrior 5: Clans offers two ways to control your BattleMech. Modern is more conventional, with your movement aligning with your reticle’s aim, similar to a first or third-person shooter. Classic offers more control, with your BattleMech moving independently of your aim, allowing for relatively free aiming. The latter takes some getting used to but adds to the immersion.

BattleGrid

During combat, you can issue orders to your team with a Command Wheel and have them form up on you, focus a target, guard a location, etc. However, there’s also the BattleGrid, where the camera pulls out and provides an overhead view of the action, allowing you to manually hand out marching orders for your team. It’s possible to queue up actions, and get a better view of the battlefield and where threats are coming from to decide the best tactics.

5 Player Co-op

While you can play through the entire game with AI teammates and guide them accordingly, there’s also support for co-op. Other players can assume the roles of Smoke Jaguar members and experience the entire campaign together. As enjoyable as it is to issue commands and manage the battlefield, there’s nothing like wreaking havoc with a full squad.

Unreal Engine 5

Unlike Mercenaries, MechWarrior 5: Clans is developed on Unreal Engine 5, with the team leveraging it in “every way we possibly can.” Speaking to WCCF Tech, Piranha Games CEO Russ Bullock confirmed the full use of Nanite and Lumen, Chaos for the dynamic destruction, motion capture for the cinematics, and World Partition. Thus far, it’s leveraged quite well, and the full-scale mech battles are fun to witness.

PC Requirements

In terms of system requirements, PC players will need an Intel Core i5 8400 or AMD Ryzen 5 2600, 16 GB RAM, and an Nvidia GTX 1060 or AMD Radeon RX 590 with 6 GB VRAM, at the minimum, which is enough for 720p resolution at Low-Quality settings. Recommended requirements include a Core i7 8700 or Ryzen 5 3600, 16 GB RAM and an RTX 2080 or Radeon RX 6700 for 1080p at High-Quality settings. A solid-state drive is “strongly recommended,” and you’ll need 80 GB of space for installation. On the plus side, it’s confirmed that an internet connection isn’t required for single-player.

First announced back in September 2023, MechWarrior 5: Clans is a more story-focused spin-off of MechWarrior 5. The game takes place in the year 3050, and will focus on the story of the Clan Invasion, where players will take on the role of Clan Smoke Jaguar as they take part in battles across the galaxy.

Despite being a standalone spin-off MechWarrior 5: Clans will make use of the same core gameplay that is present in MechWarrior 5, offering a dense, technical experience when it comes to piloting mechs, as well as the logistics of running a clan. The game will also feature new progression and customisation items that will allow players to further tinker with their arsenal of mechs throughout the story.

MechWarrior 5: Clans also got a gameplay trailer back in March. The game is coming to PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.

Originally unveiled back in September 2023, MechWarrior 5: Clans is a new standalone game in the MechWarrior franchise. While not a full-fledged sequel, the game instead acts as a standalone title that makes use of its core gameplay to tell the story of Clan Smoke Jaguar. The game is set in the year 3050, during a conflict known as the Clan Invasion.

As you might notice from the video, MechWarrior 5: Clans has a larger emphasis on its story than MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries did. The story will have players hopping across a variety of planets, all featuring hand-crafted maps and missions. The game also features a new progression system, as well as new ally-directing tools for more tactical options.

MechWarrior 5: Clans will be coming to PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, and is slated for release sometime later this year.

Despite keeping the MechWarrior 5 name, Clans will be a completely standalone title that makes use of of the core gameplay of its namesake. It will, however, feature a more focused, linear campaign that tells the story of Clan Smoke Jaguar, and will be set in the year 3050 during a conflict known as the Clan Invasion.

MechWarrior 5: Clans will have quite a bit of focus on its story, which will take players across a variety of planets featuring hand-crafted maps and missions. There will be a host of new customisable Clan Mechs. The game follows the exploits of an elite five-mech squad of rookie pilots.

Gameplay in MechWarrior 5: Clans will hang on to the simulation-styled mechanics of its predecessor, while at the same time introducing new progression and customisation systems for pilots to tinker around with in an updated Mech lab with the new Hardpoint and Omnipod systems.

“We’re still working on MechWarrior, which has been somewhat surprising to me, that we’ve been able to work on it this long, which is great,” Bullock said in an interview with podcast No Guts No Galaxy. “Everyone knows we have DLC 4 coming out for MechWarrior 5, and there is another MechWarrior game in development at Piranha.”

Bullock compares it to single-player and co-op game MechWarrior 5, but calling it a standalone product.

“Think of it more in line with MechWarrior 5, but a standalone game, a standalone product. So I guess that’s an exclusive announcement for you but that’s all I’ll say for now.”

The last major game released by Piranha Games, MechWarrior 5, puts players in charge of a mercenary company as they travel through the MechWarrior setting, taking on contracts, and outfitting and piloting various tank-like mechs.

Bullock has stated that the game won’t be officially unveiled for quite a while.

“Think of it more in line with MechWarrior 5, but a standalone game, a standalone product,” said Bullock. “So I guess that’s an exclusive announcement for you but that’s all I’ll say for now. So it’ll be a while, you’ll have to wait around to see what that is. But yeah, more in-line with a MechWarrior 5 type of experience, meaning it’ll be a game that comes out on all the platforms, PC and console.”

MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries, originally released in 2019, is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

The blog post details that MechWarrior 5‘s console port will include some fan-requested quality-of-life features, as well as support for adaptive triggers and haptic feedback. Furthermore, the launch of the game is accompanied by a new expansion called Heroes of the Inner Sphere.

The port took over a year to develop, and fan expectations are naturally high with this one. MechWarrior 5 received acclaim with its PC release, so it wouldn’t exactly be a surprise if the console version also manages to garner the same acclaim. A point worth mentioning here is that the game’s PC and Xbox versions are already available on Xbox Game Pass, while PlayStation players are expected to be paying a full price for the game.

This 5-minute long developer segment goes in-depth about what makes Mech Warrior 5: Mercenaries‘ combat click, and how the developers managed to create the combat thoughtful and strategic. Unlike most games on show for the event, MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries has been out for roughly 2 years at this point in time.

Multiple updates and a Heroes of the Inner Sphere DLC have kept the community alive by providing new content. Mech Warrior has been a long staple of PC gaming, and the developer segment is a way to celebrate the franchise and its community. There are a whole lot more announcements coming your way, so stay tuned.