Dreamhaven and its studio Moonshot Games have officially revealed their ambitious new project, Wildgate, a sci-fi PvP team-based first-person action-adventure game that combines spaceship combat with squad-based shooter mechanics. The game represents a fresh entry into the competitive co-op FPS market with some unique twists that set it apart from other titles in the genre.
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| "A Prospector character prepares for battle in the vibrant and dangerous world of Wildgate" |
Game Concept and Mechanics
Wildgate places players in the role of Prospectors, adventurers who explore a dangerous region of space called the Reach in search of valuable Artifacts. Teams of up to four players pilot customizable spaceships, engaging in both ship-to-ship combat and on-foot firefights. The core gameplay loop involves locating Artifacts in procedurally generated environments and either escaping with them through a Wildgate portal or eliminating all opposing teams.
The game's developers have created a compelling blend of different gameplay styles, including ship piloting, gunplay, mining, and exploration. Players must manage critical resources like Fuel for powering their ships and Ice for cooling their reactors. Ships can be damaged during battles or by environmental hazards, requiring crew members to make repairs and put out fires with specialized tools.
Ship Combat and Boarding Mechanics
One of Wildgate's most distinctive features is its approach to spaceship combat. Teams can engage in dogfights, but there's also a Sea of Thieves-inspired boarding mechanic that allows players to physically infiltrate enemy vessels. Once aboard, players can engage in gunfights with the crew or sabotage critical systems, potentially causing catastrophic reactor overloads.
The development team has implemented interesting physics-based gameplay, though they mentioned having to tone down some elements to prevent motion sickness. Early prototypes had ships spinning at 6,000 miles per hour and doing a rotation every second or two, which proved too disorienting for players.
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| "In the heat of battle, players engage with innovative mechanics to manage flames aboard their ships" |
Character Customization and Progression
Players can choose from different Prospector characters, each with unique abilities. The game features a light hero-builder system where players select two weapons and two equipment pieces for their character. Weapons range from auto-tracking bullets to healing guns and sniper-like beam rifles, while equipment options include shield generators, drill charges for damaging enemy ships, and extra ammunition.
Cosmetic customization is also available, with character skins, weapon skins, emotes, sprays, and even fireworks that can be launched from ships. Ship cosmetics are included as well, though the developers emphasized that all ships of the same type will have identical base capabilities to ensure fair competition.
Business Model and Release Plans
After extensive internal discussions, Moonshot Games decided on a premium pricing model rather than free-to-play. Justin Lane, Business Lead at Moonshot, cited both market conditions and the team's size as factors in this decision, noting that building the capabilities required for free-to-play would be a very large task for their relatively small team.
The developers are considering potential partnerships with subscription services like Game Pass or PlayStation Plus to help grow the player community, though no decisions have been finalized. The game is scheduled for a full 1.0 release later in 2024, with public testing planned for the summer months.
Post-Launch Support
Wildgate will follow a seasonal content structure after launch, with new releases planned every three to four months. These updates will introduce new Prospector characters, ships, upgrades, and variations of the Reach environment. The development team has outlined content plans for the first few years of the game's life.
Inspirations and Lore
The developers cited several games as inspirations for Wildgate, including Sea of Thieves, Guns of Icarus, Overwatch, Fortnite, Apex Legends, and Subnautica. The latter was particularly influential for creating the game's sense of awe and wonder and its believable and scary world full of spooky dangers.
While the game has extensive background lore, most of it will be hidden within the game for players to discover rather than being presented through a campaign or cutscenes. Adventure screens featuring key art and descriptive text will provide glimpses into the universe, with more adventures planned for future updates.
Upcoming Playtest
For those eager to experience Wildgate firsthand, the first public playtest is scheduled to run from Thursday, April 10 to Monday, April 14, 2024. Interested players can sign up now, ahead of the game's planned 2025 release.