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IRVINE, Calif. – August 13, 2024 – Frost Giant Studios is excited to share that Stormgate™, the team’s highly anticipated real-time strategy game, has officially entered Early Access on Steam and is now available to play for free! Available on Windows PC or through NVIDIA’s GeForce Now cloud gaming platform, players can dive into thrilling 1v1 and 3-player Co-op Missions, enjoy custom 2v2 team games, and get an early look at an initial set of Campaign missions as the development team continues to evolve the game.
Stormgate players will wage war on post-apocalyptic Earth in a new science-fantasy universe, where humanity remains under siege after a cataclysmic invasion by demonic forces. Players can choose to command one of three highly asymmetric factions: the Vanguard, a resilient human defense force deploying rocket-powered mechs and faithful robot dogs; the Infernal Host, a demonic army with war-mongering brutes and pestilence-spewing dragons; and the Celestial Armada, a mysterious faction of angelic Biosynths with its deadly Machine Legion. Each faction offers unique gameplay mechanics, units, Heroes, and strategies for players to explore. Epic real-time strategy battles await!
Stormgate is a more approachable RTS
Stormgate revitalizes classic RTS gameplay with modern innovations that make it more approachable. The “BuddyBot” can assist co-op players of all skill levels, acting either as training wheels or an always-on helper for the game’s economy and base-building. This allows newer players to enjoy rich RTS gameplay like seasoned pros, but without the stress of needing high “actions per minute” (APM). Automated control groups and the quick macro panel simplify inputs, lowering the skill floor without affecting the skill ceiling.
Next-gen SnowPlay technology
SnowPlay, Frost Giant’s custom-built technology, transforms Unreal Engine 5 into the most advanced RTS engine to date. Thanks to SnowPlay, Stormgate features 64 tick-rate servers instead of the typical 8, empowering smooth and responsive gameplay. (Tick rate measures how frequently a game refreshes its information.) With SnowPlay, Stormgate also offers players rollback, which minimizes stuttering caused by lag for the first time in a large-scale RTS. Stormgate’s distributed server infrastructure, powered by Hathora, delivers global matchmaking that minimizes geographic ping disadvantages, for games that feel fun and fair.
Early Access is only the beginning
Frost Giant is committed to partnering with its community throughout Stormgate’s development. This commitment was evident throughout Stormgate’s pre-alpha, alpha, and beta phases, and will continue with Early Access. Players can share feedback directly with the development team as Frost Giant works on preparing Stormgate for its future 1.0 release. The team plans to be in Early Access for at least a year of active development.
Players can now jump into intense 1v1 battles or team up in 3-player Co-op Missions featuring powerful Hero characters. For those interested in shaping the future of Stormgate’s narrative, three early campaign missions are also available to try out for free, allowing players the opportunity to provide feedback and influence the development of the Campaign mode. Game director Tim Campbell recently shared details regarding specific improvements the team is prioritizing in a detailed developer blog: “The Road Ahead for Campaign.”
In this critical Early Access phase, Frost Giant’s developers will incorporate community feedback into the evolution of Stormgate. On the development roadmap, players can track assorted development priorities: progress on the Campaign, improved visuals (e.g., addition of facial animations for cutscenes), audio and performance improvements, and new major features (e.g., a competitive 3v3 team mode). The Frost Giant team also plans to release a powerful editor that will give players the same tools that the developers are using to build Stormgate, empowering players to create their own maps, mods, and custom games to share with the world.
An RTS actively supported by a dedicated development team
Following a successful preview phase where the game enjoyed rock-solid server stability with more than 99% uptime, Stormgate is now open to a wider audience, with the added benefit of a comprehensive balance update released last week. Members of the Stormgate community responded with praise to the patch and a blog providing detailed explanations for the changes.
“Early Access is just the beginning of our journey, not the end. We’re committed to making Stormgate a game shaped by our community’s feedback and passion,” said Tim Morten, Frost Giant Studios’ CEO and Production Director. “The progress we’ve made so far has been a direct result of the collaboration with our players, and we’re excited to continue this journey together. Early Access is an opportunity for us to listen, learn, and evolve the game alongside our community, and we can’t wait to see where this adventure takes us.”
Free to play, the right way
While the core game experience is free to play, Stormgate is supported by optional in-game purchases. Players may pay to unlock full progression for Heroes (all Heroes are free to play until level 5), purchase access to additional Campaign chapters (in active development), and even adopt an in-game pet to support the development team. Stormgate does not include randomized gacha purchases or offer “pay-to-win” microtransactions that would compromise the integrity of its competitive experience. .
Music to your ears
Stormgate’s Early Access launch is also an opportunity for more players to hear the game’s exceptional soundtrack. It features compositions by Frank Klepacki (Dune II, Command & Conquer, Stormgate’s Infernal faction music), Tracy W. Bush (StarCraft, World of Warcraft, Stormgate’s Vanguard faction music), David Luis Ortega (music for Blizzard Entertainment, Ubisoft, Dreamworks, Stormgate’s co-op music), and Nga Weng Chio, a nominee for the WSA Game Music Awards 2024 for her work on the Celestial faction music in Stormgate.
Stormgate’s Early Access marks a significant milestone in the game’s development, inviting all players to be a part of its journey. As the community grows, welcoming RTS veterans and newcomers alike, so too will the game: content updates are planned every couple months, along with regular balance updates that will keep the game feeling fresh and exciting.
Stay connected
For more on Stormgate, visit playstormgate.com. For additional background on Stormgate, you can watch the PC Gaming Show documentary. You can also join the official Stormgate community on Discord to connect with other players, share feedback, and keep up with all the latest memes.
About Frost Giant Studios, Inc.
Frost Giant Studios was founded in 2020 by Tim Morten and Tim Campbell, veteran game industry leaders who, along with the rest of the development team, helped create some of the most acclaimed and best-selling PC games of all time. The studio’s debut title, Stormgate™, is a free-to-play real-time strategy game set in an all-new science fantasy universe. Headquartered in Irvine, California, with remote talent from around the world, Frost Giant Studios is committed to a work environment built on collaboration, inclusion, and mutual respect. For more on Stormgate, please visit playstormgate.com.
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