It’s been quite some time since there were new offerings in the popular Homeworld series. The original game — the first ever fully three-dimensional Real Time Strategy (RTS) game — came out back in 1999, with sequels following in 2000, and 2003. Since then there’s been a bit of a dry spell in the series. More recently, the IP rights were acquired by Gearbox Software, and in 2015 a remastered collection of the original games was released. Now, a mere week from today, and brand new entry in the Homeworld series will be unveiled, when Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak is released on PC.
Deserts of Kharak will mark a reunion of sorts. Gearbox has partnered with Blackbird Interactive to develop this sequel to the Homeworld series. Blackbird was formed by founding members of Relic Entertainment, the developers of Homeworld. Blackbird was working on an RTS of their own called Hardware. After Gearbox obtained the IP rights to the Homeworld series, they approached Blackbird and Hardware was quickly changed to a proper entry into the lore of Homeworld.
Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak will release for Windows PC on January 20th, 2016. You can read more in the full press release below:
Full Press Release
Lead the expedition that started it all… Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak
Before you can find your Homeworld, you must first unlock the secrets of the desert.
Blackbird Interactive and Gearbox Software invite you to visit the deserts of Kharak in this new Homeworld story, where danger lurks behind every dune.Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak is set for release on January 20th on Windows PC.
The planet is dying, but deep in the southern sands of Kharak, an anomaly has been discovered. Could Kharak’s salvation lie in the desert? Led by chief science officer Rachel S’jet, the Coalition of the Northern Kiithid sends an expedition deep within enemy-controlled territory to investigate the finding, which could forever alter the fate of humanity.
“When we signed this project in front of the crowd at the 2013 PAX Dev, Randy [Pitchford] spoke about Gearbox’s commitment to quality entertainment and taking risks, and they have fully delivered on that message,” said Rob Cunningham, chief executive officer of Blackbird Interactive. “All of us at Blackbird are super proud of Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak, and we owe it to the outstanding team at Gearbox. 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 alike.”
“After more than a decade-long hiatus for Homeworld, it is an immense honor in the last year to launch two new entries in the Homeworld franchise: an incredible, critically acclaimed remastering of the original Homeworld games and now the all-new, ground-based, real-time-strategy game called Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak,” said Randy Pitchford, president of Gearbox Software. “This revival of Homeworld is possible not merely because of commitment within my studio at Gearbox Software, but is due to Rob and his crew at Blackbird, along with other key members of the original Homeworld team, who have come together to deliver a modern spin on the ground-based roots of the strategy genre with an epic story that takes us back to where the Homeworld saga began.”
Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak features:
- EXPERIENCE AN ORIGIN STORY
Join Rachel S’jet as she leads an expedition to find salvation across an exciting campaign in this prequel from some of the original creators of Homeworld and Homeworld 2.- HEAVY-DUTY HARDWARE
Take control of fleets occupying both land and air – from nimble light attack vehicles to massive heavyweight cruisers — and harness the abilities of your forces to conquer the desert.- MASSIVE ENVIRONMENTS
Fight your way across dune seas, deep craters, and the vast, hostile canyons of Kharak. In order to succeed, your style of play will have to adapt and change to meet new environments and new challenges.- TACTICAL COMBAT
Position your fleet to take advantage of the high ground or create ambushes across dune lines in terrestrial combat. Attack your enemies’ resource operations or assault their military head-on.- STRATEGIC DECISIONS
Meaningful choices in resource management, fleet composition, and technology research will directly impact your chances of survival.- ONLINE MULTIPLAYER
Compete solo or with friends to achieve a variety of win conditions. Rise through the ranks to become the most powerful Fleet Captain on Kharak in competitive play.For more information about Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak, visit www.desertsofkharak.com.
About Blackbird Interactive:
Founded in 2010, Blackbird Interactive is based in Vancouver, British Columbia, and is built by founding members of Relic Entertainment. Development started on a sci-fi, Homeworld-inspired game called Hardware. With the acquisition of the Homeworld license, Gearbox Software partnered with Blackbird Interactive to bring a new, true-to-form title to the series.
For more information about Blackbird Interactive, visit — http://
blackbirdinteractive.com/ About Gearbox Software:
Gearbox Software is respected industry-wide for award-winning, best-selling video games developed for all major video game platforms. Founded in 1999 and headquartered near Dallas, TX, Gearbox Software is well known for the creation, development, and management of its original blockbuster video game franchises including the critically acclaimed, award-winning Brothers in Arms franchise and the record-breaking, genre-setting Borderlands franchise. In addition to having developed video games in some of the world’s greatest video game brands, including Half-Life and Halo, Gearbox Software has also acquired and produced content for powerful, landmark intellectual property, including Duke Nukem and Homeworld. Gearbox Software’s success has been supported through many key and mutually beneficial business relationships with the world’s greatest video game platform and publishing partners including Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, Valve/Steam, Apple, and Take-Two/2K.
