Recently, Harebrained Schemes announced a Kickstarter campaign to create a spin-off of the classic turn-based BattleTech game that first launched in 1984. Since then, it raised nearly $2.8 million, smashing its original goal of $250,000. The game was originally scheduled for release later this year after being delayed from the original launch date of May 2017 per its Kickstarter page; however, today in a press release, the publisher announced that this will move ahead to 2018.
According to the publisher Paradox Interactive, the developer needed more time to create the game that fans of the series deserved:
“Throughout development, our Backers have been clear: ‘Don’t rush it, just make it great.’ and we have taken that advice to heart. HBS, Paradox, and our Backers all share a deeply personal attachment to this project and we are committed to delivering a game that not only meets the high expectations of our Backers and fans but introduces BattleTech to a new generation of players.”
The developer also noted that it didn"t want to rush development as it would have been a "disservice" to fans. However, fans will not be left out in the cold. Harebrained Schemes announced that the Backer Beta - the beta available to backers that pledged $50 or more - will receive a new update that improves the game significantly; these changes include gameplay improvements, AI upgrades, UI enhancements, and balance changes. This beta will be pushed out during this week.
A separate update coming afterward will allow gamers to pit their skills against other human players with the introduction of a PvP mode. Although no official dates have been announced in the press release, the developer did update backers on a so-called "Double Secret Multiplayer Beta" going live this week.
Image via Kickstarter
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