You’re going to be pleased to know that the studio has announced a limited-time closed beta for the game from April 16, 2026, all the way through to the 20th. It will be available on all consoles and PC, and registrations are currently open. It’s looking quite exciting with a bevvy of available tanks and eight maps alongside a variety of gameplay modes that have you attacking and defending for control of the battlefield in many different ways. You’re going to be joined by three others in its PvP gameplay loop, and the atmosphere is very much that of a nasty warzone where anything can go wrong.

We’ve previously covered how the game’s monetization isn’t going to affect your gameplay, with only cosmetics and the like being a part of its purchases. This one looks quite good, but you can always check out the beta test’s trailer showcased below if you don’t want to take our word for it.

World of Tanks: HEAT is currently in the works for PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X/S. It doesn’t have a release date.

World of Tanks: HEAT will focus on offering players more fast-paced combat than what Wargaming typically tends to offer. Players will command hero-enhanced tanks in epic 10-on-10 battles. Tanks can be customised with advanced weapon systems and armour modules. Players will also get to take command of experimental vehicles, each with their own unique abilities.

In the announcement press release, Wargaming CEO Victor Kislyi has described World of Tanks: HEAT as being the studio’s “bold vision for the franchise” thanks to its fresh setting as well as new gameplay mechanics and faster pace of gameplay. The studio has also confirmed that the monetisation of World of Tanks: HEAT will focus purely on cosmetic items, time savers, and battle passes.

World of Tanks: HEAT is coming to PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. Wargaming has also confirmed that the upcoming title will be compatible with the Steam Deck, and that it will be released on all platforms simultaneously, while also offering players cross-progression. However, no release date for the title has been confirmed yet.

Entering early access on April 2nd for PC, Steel Hunters focuses on mech-based combat, with players able to select and customize Hunters from different factions. Matches involved players battling AI enemies, ranking up and equipping modules before eventually extracting, but they can also fight each other.

Wargaming didn’t provide an exact reason for sunsetting the title outside of concluding that “continuing development is not sustainable. We know this isn’t the news anyone wanted to hear, and we genuinely share in your disappointment.” Alongside keeping servers online for the next three months, it’s unlocking all Hunters (including some never-before-seen choices) for everyone to try out.

It will also add custom game support in “the coming weeks” and host a goodbye tournament with more details coming soon on Discord.

Stay tuned for updates, and check out our early access review on Steel Hunters here. We praised the extensive environmental destruction and mech design, but the confusing progression, repetitive gameplay loop, and sheer amount of currencies bogged down the experience.

Once you learn what Steel Hunters actually is – a PvEvP extraction third-person shooter where the mechs are akin to heroes – the excitement dulls. The gameplay flow is understandable and easy to get into, but this melting point of genres is equivalent to visiting the Four Corners Monument. You’re not getting the best experience each could offer, and the intersection itself isn’t all that fancy.

"The overall number of players doesn’t offer much room for chaos, and though the risk of being third-partied is almost non-existent, there must be a happier medium than this."

The “premise” is that a catastrophic event has altered the Earth and caused the emergence of Starfall. This resource is valuable for some reason, and various factions emerge to gather it, using giant mechs called Hunters. Granted, it’s likely little more than a reason to explain away the variance in Hunter design, like why one faction has mostly bog-standard human-like mechs with workhorse kits or why another consists entirely of quadrupedal beast machines that would give the Maximals a run for their money. I’m okay with this, but if you’re expecting something deeper or really any semblance of lore, you’ll have to wait.

That being said, I have some gripes on how the premise factors into the overall flow of matches. After completing Basic Training, two modes open up – Last Stand and Skirmish. The former sees 12 players battling with various AI combatants on the map, while the latter only features PvE threats, likely to help familiarize players with different objectives. It certainly can’t be to learn more about dealing with the AI foes because there’s currently only one type – drones – and their only other attack is calling down a missile strike.

Thus, the 12-player Last Stand is where you’ll spend most of your time. Once you land, the impetus is on taking out drones, gathering Energy to level up your Hunter to improve its stats and unlock other abilities, and finding Modules to improve your damage, shields and base health. Higher-rarity modules equal higher increases.

Unfortunately, Last Stand only facilitates two-player squads with 12 players in total, which results in some battles feeling pretty tame. The overall number of players doesn’t offer much room for chaos, and though the risk of being third-partied is almost non-existent, there must be a happier medium than this.

"It’s not an extraction shooter where you gather loot, exit the map, and curate a loadout before jumping back in."

Even then, matches quickly whittle down to three surviving squads. If half of those are bots – and based on their aim and overall damage output, they may well be – then it feels more like 2v2v2. This means a lot of downtime and a lot of shooting relatively harmless drones.

Since Modules only offer straight increases to your stats (and no random perks or anything worthwhile), it’s better to ignore the small fry and Uncommon Supply Pods from level 2 onwards and focus on the Guard Drones, Rogue Drones or Legendary Scouts to get more XP and potentially higher rarities. There are special consumables which provide benefits like reducing the cooldown on abilities and transforming you into a giant Colossus mech, but the latter felt so rare in matches that it wasn’t worth pursuing.

Because the match flow is so quick, it’s not long before you’re level-capped with enough high-rarity modules. There’s nothing left to do afterwards but rush to the extraction zone, capture it and wait for the timer to tick down while the sole surviving team (or two) attempts to stop you. While it’s initially exciting to roll up on a duo and try to take them out, especially when drones are in the mix, these duels quickly become one-note.

This raises another problem with the overall structure of Steel Hunters. It’s not an extraction shooter where you gather loot, exit the map, and curate a loadout before jumping back in. There aren’t zones with higher threat levels or tougher enemies that could incentivize this, nor are there alternative means to extract. Extraction is simply a means to force PvP against the last remaining squad. Whether you come in first or second doesn’t really matter either.

"It’s also worth mentioning that the entire roster isn’t available to unlock from the start – completing the introductory missions provides Constructs (yes, another currency) for unlocking two additional Hunters."

What about Starfall, the reason that all these factions are fighting? You’re awarded Starfall Shards at the end of a match, which can be converted into Starfall with Platinum. You can then spend this to upgrade your Hunter’s level and unlock Points, which can be used to unlock certain passives in their Skill Tree. Certain upgrades require Credits, also earned from matches and the prominent Battle Pass.

Why this confusing system? Well, Platinum is also used to upgrade the free Battle Pass into Pro and Premium tiers. There aren’t any microtransactions, but if Platinum becomes the default premium currency, then I’m not sure how I feel about using it to essentially boost your Hunter’s level, especially since you unlock access to stat increases and ability upgrades at higher levels. Last Stand matches according to a range of Hunter levels, which should level the starting field somewhat.

However, you still get Skill Points from leveling a Hunter, which can go into upgrades in the current tier. Because of the matchmaking range, the chances of a truly level start that’s dependent on your map knowledge and skill is very low, if non-existent. And besides, fighting over Starfall, when everyone – which may as well be two other teams – obtains Shards regardless of the outcomes, causes the whole premise to fall apart.

It’s also worth mentioning that the entire roster isn’t available to unlock from the start – completing the introductory missions provides Constructs (yes, another currency) for unlocking two additional Hunters. You can earn more Constructs by leveling your account, which is all well and good right now, but I’m still skeptical about potentially monetizing this as well.

I’ve gone on about the progression and overall match flow, but what about the Hunters themselves? Though they’re slower than, say, the mechs in Titanfall or even Mecha Break, I kind of like the overall weight of their movements.

"Nevertheless, I’m still perplexed about WarGaming’s long-term goal with Steel Hunters. Maybe it felt that a typical hero shooter wouldn’t have much room to survive in the current market (which is understandable)."

Tying jump and dash to the same charges felt annoying at first, but You’re not jumping in the middle of combat because the latter are too valuable for avoiding damage, so it’s mostly for traversal. In that case, why do all the Hunters have such measly, pathetic jumps that rarely surmount much of the terrain?

Ability-wise, there’s nothing that you haven’t seen before, but credit where it’s due for making each Hunter feel different, even among the same faction. The Ursus plays like an up-close brawler with its short-range cannon and armor, while the Fenris uses more hit-and-run tactics, potentially closing the gap to melee a weak enemy. The mod selection for altering their abilities is pretty limited right now, but at least they ensure a bit more variety for your play style. I didn’t feel all that much synergy between different heroes (like in your average hero shooter), but given the flow, it’s unsurprising.

Steel Hunters doesn’t offer much content currently. However, it is free-to-play, so nothing is stopping you from giving it a whirl. The overall aesthetic of the mechs gives Transformers vibes (more Michael Bay than Hasbro), but it works, and the quips from each Hunter provide a bit more personality without feeling overdone. Sound design is also on point, reinforcing the heft and weight of these machines.

Nevertheless, I’m still perplexed about WarGaming’s long-term goal with Steel Hunters. Maybe it felt that a typical hero shooter wouldn’t have much room to survive in the current market (which is understandable). However, it could do much more with the premise, mechanics, and Hunters than simply a superlite extraction shooter with dollops of confounding progression. The current plan is to remain in early access for four to six months while adding new modes, Hunters, progression paths and maps. Hopefully, it lives up to its potential and ups the chaos beyond this surface-level hodgepodge of genres.

This game was reviewed on PC.

As you probably guessed, they battle with giant mechs called Hunters, each with unique weapons, mods, abilities, and more. While other players oppose you, there are also PvE battles and varying objectives. Early access launches with the “core gameplay mechanics, maps, Hunters, and progression systems” to serve as a starting point.

New Hunters, maps, modes, progression systems, quality-of-life features, and balance changes will be added throughout the early access period. The current plan is to remain in early access for four to six months, “polishing the game and preparing it for a robust full release.” While monetization won’t be available initially, it is coming at some point for the sake of testing.

In the meantime, players can claim the Recompense Battle Pass for free until April 29th. There are even options to upgrade it to Pro and Premium tiers by playing the game. Wargaming has also confirmed that all progress made is permanent with no more wipes. Stay tuned for more updates in the meantime.

Better known for World of Tanks, World of Warships, and so on, the developer said it wants to “build Steel Hunters with you.” “By starting in Early Access, we can refine and expand the game together, ensuring every shot fired and every Hunter unleashed is finely tuned.”

Fortunately, it’s not looking to remain in early access for long. “This won’t be a drawn-out process. Our goal is to move quickly to a full release once your feedback has helped us polish the core experience.”

When early access launches, it will provide a “polished foundation of Steel Hunters” with the “core gameplay mechanics, maps, Hunters, and progression systems.” Wargaming will add quality-of-life features, polish the gameplay and add more Hunters and maps throughout the early access period alongside monetization.

Occurring on a post-apocalyptic futuristic Earth, Steel Hunters focuses on rival factions collecting Starfall using giant robots. Each has a unique playstyle and abilities which players can customize with different gear, weapons, and mods.

It also boasts extensive destruction, with Hunters using ruined buildings for cover and attempting to one-up their opponents. There are also AI enemies to watch out for. Stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks.

Steel Hunters will be an online multiplayer title that blends mechanics from various genres, including battle royale and extraction shooters. Players pilot gigantic mechs, each of which has its own play style, progression system, and unique kit.

Players can take on various objectives to try and get new gear that they can then use in future matches against their opponents. The extraction shooter mechanics will have players not only fight each other, but also AI-controlled enemies to try and get their hands on loot.

While Steel Hunters doesn’t yet have a release date, Wargaming has kicked off a closed playtest for PC players. More details on the playtest are available on the game’s official website.

Fallout and The Elder Scrolls publisher Bethesda Softworks has announced a new office opening in Moscow, Russia. The new office will help with Bethesda’s current roster of games, and presumably with future titles. Simeon Chirikov is managing director, and along with experience at Electronic Arts, he’s also worked at Wargaming, which developed the popular World of Tanks.

The Moscow office will have other functions – along with overseeing sales in Russia and CIS, it will also handle marketing. In a recent statement, Bethesda Europe managing director Sean Brennan stated, “The opening of the office in Moscow is a very exciting moment for Bethesda.

“We have an incredible roster of upcoming games including Fallout 76, The Elder Scrolls: Blades, RAGE 2, Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot, Wolfenstein: Youngblood and DOOM Eternal, as well as a number of live titles that continue to perform well including The Elder Scrolls Online, Quake Champions, and The Elder Scrolls: Legends. Simeon’s extensive knowledge of the Russian and CIS markets will help us to maximize and deliver upon all these titles’ potential.”

This will be Bethesda’s ninth office worldwide, joining key publishing locations like London, Paris, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Sydney, and so on. Currently, Bethesda Game Studios is working on Fallout 76, which will be going into beta on October 23rd for Xbox One and October 30th for PS4 and PC. The game will officially launch on November 14th, but the studio also has Starfield and The Elder Scrolls 6 in development for the future.

World of Tanks players can enjoy another one of the War Stories campaigns today as “Runaway Tiger” launches on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Xbox 360, and enjoy an alternate history story in the game.

Supposing a history where the Allies have broken into a German production facility, players control French Resistance fighter Durieux, capture a prototype of the Panzer VI tank and deliver it to the Allied Forces. This is the fifth campaign to launch for the game under the War Stories banner, and can now be enjoyed for free.

Wargaming continues to build new content onto their World of Tanks game, and that rolling support means that we’re not likely to see a sequel, at least for now. Previously, Wargaming has said they would consider a Nintendo Switch version if the user base got big enough. Given that the Switch just hit a major milestone, that might be the next story out of Wargaming.

The Xbox One X is a powerful system, and it is a joy seeing games in all their 4K glory running on it. It is clear that initial fears about developers not utilizing its hardware, or only doing so to a token extent, were unfounded, too- it seems like they are legitimately excited to bring their games up to speed on the new console.

One of these developers is Wargaming, whose World of Tanks remains one of the most popular games in the world right now. World of Tanks has been enhanced for the Xbox One X- and speaking to Microsoft, TJ Wagner, Creative Director and Executive Producer admitted that just the prospect of showcasing the game in 4K and HDR on the Xbox One X was exciting enough for them as developers.

“Being able to render the full detail of the source assets for tanks and environments all at 4K resolution and with HDR lighting improvements is enough excitement in itself – plus it is very rewarding not only for us developers, but also for the players out there, as they can see what we have achieved on this great piece of hardware,” he said.

It’s good to see developers taking to the Xbox One X- the PS4 Pro, in contrast, had a more muted response and consequent uptake among developers last year. It seems like Microsoft’s more radical new hardware has galvanized the developer community far more.