Wargaming is perhaps best known for theWorld of TanksandWorld of Warshipsfranchises, but it seems intent on adding another well-known name to that list:Steel Hunters. Wargaming pulled back the curtain on this new title atThe Game Awards 2024. Its latest IP,Steel Huntersis a free-to-play PvPvE Mech game, featuring elements of the hero shooter, battle royale, and extraction genres.
InSteel Hunters, players are not a pilot operating a mech; the mechs, known as Hunters, have been given souls to fight over Starfall. A catastrophic event has left humanity all but extinct and fighting for survival, and its future relies on a rare alien resource known as Starfall. This material is scattered all over the devastated Earth, with megacorporations and other factions using Hunters to wage war against one another over this resource.
AsWargaming’s take on a hero shooter, each Hunter is a fully fleshed-out character with its own distinct playstyle, kits, and progression systems. Games can be won by extracting with the necessary resources, leaving other Hunters on the map empty-handed, or by eliminating all other Hunters on the map. As such, the Hunters themselves feel like they’re taken right out of thepopular hero shooter genre, but the gameplay touches on the popularity of battle royale and extraction games. One key difference is thatSteel Huntersputs an emphasis on tactics and understanding team comp and individual Hunters over having quick reflexes (as seen in traditional shooter games).
Hunters
A crucial aspect of that is Duo Symbiosis, where players are able to combine tactics and abilities with another Hunter. In general, each Hunter’s build and tactics can be customized with unique gear combinations (and of course collectibles and cosmetics) to bring out unique strategies when facing other Hunters in the Hunting Grounds. While it remains to be seen how customization works, from a gameplay and cosmetic perspective, thedesigns of each Mechopen a lot of doors. These Mechs aren’t just humanoids, like Heartbreaker or Trenchwalker, but some borrow elements of animal design, like Ursus and Fenris.
While it remains to be seen when fans can fully dive into The Hunting Grounds inSteel Hunters, some fans will be able to check out what the game offers a little sooner.Steel Huntersis hosting a10-day closed playtest via PC, and fans can expect more news to come throughout 2025.
