There are few times that are as exciting for the gaming community as the summer. The start of warm weather in many parts of the world also brings with it a treasure trove of new game announcements from every corner of the industry. This year, game companies seem to be going all out, taking advantage of the return of events like E3 to give gamers one of the biggest summer announcement schedules in a long time. One such company that is delivering in a big way for this year's festivities is Koch Media.
Koch Media is ushering in a new era not only for itself, but for the newest generation of gaming as a whole. One of the company's biggest announcements for the summer is a brand new publishing label known as Prime Matter. This label will cover a swath of immersive games for a range of audiences, and the release schedule for Prime Matter is already shaping up to be very impressive. Game Rant attended a Koch Media pre-show that detailed every new game currently in development under Prime Matter, in addition to some pleasant surprises.
Payday 3
One of the biggest announcements to come from the pre-show was the reveal that Payday 3 is officially in the early stages of development. The next installment in the frenetic co-op FPS has been a long time coming since Payday 2 released in 2013, and Starbreeze Studio will be taking the helm once again to ensure that fans get a Payday experience they can be happy with. The game is slated for a 2023 release on PC and consoles.
Crossfire Legion
For fans of the RTS genre, Blackbird Interactive will be giving players an all new experience in the form of Crossfire Legion. The game will be taking on futuristic military themes and has been partly developed by some of the same people that worked on Homeworld and Company of Heroes. It will support both single player and multiplayer, and it's set for a 2022 release on PC.
King's Bounty 2
Set to be the first game published under the Prime Matter label, King's Bounty 2 will be bringing players back to the world of King's Bounty that was established so many years ago. The tactical fantasy RPG from 1C Entertainment will put players in the middle of medieval political conflicts with a mystical twist when it lands on PC and consoles August 24.
The Last Oricru
Keeping with the medieval themes, The Last Oricru will be putting players in world that blends both sci-fi and the medieval to make an immersive action RPG. One of the game's biggest focuses is on relationship building, as players will have near-complete control over how the story plays out based on their decisions. It will also include drop-in drop-out co-op for players that want to bring a friend along. The Last Oricru is planned for a 2022 release on PC and consoles.
Encased
The video game industry is filled with a lot of niche genres that can be difficult to break into, one of them being the isometric RPG. That hasn't stopped Dark Crystal Games however, as Encased plans to blend elements of classic Fallout with an alternate history of 1970s America to give players an all new RPG experience. Along with King's Bounty 2, Encased will be one of the first games to be published under Prime Matter when it releases this September for PC.
Gungrave G.O.R.E
The next installment in the Gungrave series, Gungrave G.O.R.E will serve as an "anime come to life" title that puts players in control of a wild third-person action RPG adventure. It will include the same ultra-violence that previous Gungrave games are known for, while taking full advantage of the new gameplay possibilities that are available today. The game is currently being developed by Iggymob for PC and consoles, and it is set to release sometime in 2022.
The Chant
Moving away from outright action games, The Chant is a third-person horror title that combines elements of the supernatural and cosmic to create one thrilling experience. Developed by Brass Token, the game looks to use a range of dynamic lighting and visual effects to fully immerse players in this frightening new world. The Chant is specifically set for a Q2 2022 release, and players should expect it on PC and consoles.
Codename: Final Form
Perhaps the one game with the least amount of information behind it at the Koch Media pre-show was Codename: Final Form. Nevertheless, the game appears to be a fast paced FPS from Reikon Games that focuses heavily on cyberpunk themes. Given how much more work it seems has to go into the game, the release is TBA for now. Players looking for some more co-op in their lives, however, should be excited to find that it will support up to 3 player co-op when it releases on consoles and PC.
Dolmen
With how many titles are in the works for Prime Matter, there's bound to be some that look more ready for launch than others. One such game that seems rather fleshed out already is Dolmen from Massive Work Studio. The third-person action RPG takes heavy thematic inspiration from the world of sci-fi and H.P. Lovecraft, as well as heavy gameplay inspiration from the Dark Souls series. Players can expect to find challenging combat that they can take on in either single or multiplayer when the game releases on PC and consoles sometime in 2022.
Echoes of the End
A large portion of the games announced for Prime Matter seem to be putting a greater focus on the PS4 and Xbox One generation of technology, but there is one title in the plans that appears to really be taking advantage of the new hardware available to developers. Echoes of the End looks to be a cinematic, medieval fantasy experience that takes players through a world of magic and intrigue. The third-person action adventure title will contain some puzzle elements, as well as the ever-popular relationship building that has permeated the RPG genre for the past few years.
Perhaps the most exciting thing about Echoes of the End is the fact that developer Myrkur Games will be using Unreal Engine 5, which has already proven capable of creating incredible in-game visuals. This does come at a slight cost, however, as Echoes of the End does not yet have a release window. Whenever it gets one, gamers can expect it to release on PC and next-gen consoles.
Scars Above
Alice in Wonderland and the Alien films are two dramatically different properties, but Scars Above plans to combine them both to make a unique sci-fi action game in Scars Above. Combining smart combat with rich exploration, Mad Head Studio plans on bringing the game to PC and consoles sometime in 2022.
Painkiller
Prime Matter is bringing back the Painkiller franchise, but it's too early to say exactly what that means. Whether it's a remaster, reboot, or sequel of sorts, fans of the series will just have to sit tight until more information comes to light.
Legacy Games
In addition to the mountain of new games that will be published under Prime Matter, a handful of Koch legacy titles will be receiving some expansions under the new label. Information was also a bit scarce here, but gamers can start to get excited about a new Wasteland 3 DLC coming this summer, a Switch release for Kingdom Come: Deliverance, and a definitive edition of Outward sometime in the future.
With a lot of the other big game companies building hype around long-awaited sequels or remakes, Koch Media is really subverting expectations by introducing a whole new publishing label and a dozen different games to go along with it. With the newest console generation starting to gain steam, all of these new releases should serve as a hopeful sign of what's to come in the world of gaming. Prime Matter certainly has some work to do, asserting itself amongst the other big names in the industry, but Koch Media already looks to be ensuring that Prime Matter starts off on the right foot.