Gamescom Opening Night is a source of many exciting announcements, and for fans of real-time strategy games, gameplay footage of the highly anticipated sequel Homeworld 3 developed by Blackbird Interactive might just take the cake. The trailer from Gamescom shows off many of Homeworld 3's features including the new cover system, UI, and combat, as well as the long-awaited release window.
Perhaps one of the most important details in the trailer is the reveal of the game's release window, which will be during the first half of 2023. It's been over 20 years since the last space-based entry in the Homeworld franchise, Homeworld 2, making this a particularly special development for fans who have waited decades. Blackbird Interactive previously worked on Deserts of Kharak, a land-based prequel to the Homeworld series which was released in 2016, shortly after the release of Homeworld Remastered.
The new trailer from Gamescom Opening Night kicks off by showing the new Mothership, Khar-Khushan, exiting hyperspace with the same iconic animation from previous Homeworld games, an indication that Homeworld 3 is sticking to its roots. Several ship designs are seen throughout the trailer, including fighters, missile frigates, assault frigates, resource collectors, and an enemy carrier. The visuals and UI have expectedly seen a significant upgrade from past Homeworld titles. Agile fighters convincingly dogfight through space while larger ships explode spectacularly leaving behind hunks of debris.
The trailer shows the innovative new cover system which is the most significant innovation coming to the Homeworld franchise. Cleverly placed cover objects give players multiple paths to evade enemies and prepare ambushes, particularly a huge tunnel beneath the enemy's missile frigates and a series of floating panels that give the player's fighters cover from their missile barrages. Careful use of cover objects will be an important aspect of gameplay in Homeworld 3, which emphasizes the unique verticality the series is known for. Resource collectors appear to have replaced the role of marine frigates in past games, and are capable of capturing enemy ships if they can survive the approach.
Gamers can now wishlist Homeworld 3 on both Steam and the Epic Games Store ahead of the game's release. A $180 Homeworld 3 Collector's Edition is also available for purchase which features a seriously impressive set of physical scale models of various Homeworld 3 ships such as the Mothership, a Hiigaran torpedo frigate, and a Hiigaran destroyer. The Collector's Edition is available for pre-order on Gamestop and Amazon and will be released on June 30, 2023.
Homeworld 3 is in development and will be released in the first half of 2023 on PC.