Three years ago, the makers of the brilliant RTS Homeworld released a stunning trailer for a new game called Hardware: Shipbreakers. The genetic connection to Homeworld was obvious, and became official when the studio partnered with Gearbox later that year. We haven't heard much about it since then, but today Gearbox announced a new, final title, Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak, and a January 2016 launch date.
Deserts of Kharak will be an "origin story" centered on Rachel S'Jet, obviously a relative of some sort—mother, maybe grandmother—of Homeworld Fleet Command Karan S'Jet, who leads a team from the Coalition of the Northern Kiithid to investigate a strange anomaly found deep inside enemy territory. It will feature ground-based real-time combat across "massive environments" of dune seas, huge craters, and vast canyons, with a full campaign as well as ranked online play.
"All of us at Blackbird are super-proud of Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak, and we owe it to the outstanding team at Gearbox," Rob Cunningham, CEO of developer Blackbird Interactive and art director on the original Homeworld games, said in a statement. "Words fail to describe how exciting it is to be releasing a new Homeworld game, deepening the story for both existing fans and a new audience."
Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak wlill be out on January 20. You can find out more at desertsofkharak.com.
