Pirahanna Games today announced MechWarrior Online, a free-to-play title due out in the second half of 2012 for PC
The game is set in the year 3049 during an interstellar war. Players can expect to see plenty of upgrade and tweaking options to customize their Mechs, including weapon types and appearence. Online modes revealed so far include Conquest and Versus, though we can expect to hear more in the future. Up to four players can also band together in their own Mercenary Corp for hire.
“We’re excited to lead the MechWarrior franchise online for fans of the series,” said Russ Bullock, co-founder of Piranha Games. “We’re proud to partner with Infinite Game Publishing, and are thankful for the fans of the MechWarrior series that have been so patient for the next MechWarrior game to arrive. Infinite Game is a partner who understands both the world of games publishing and the crucial technical needs of today’s AAA online gaming experiences."
MechWarrior Online promises a 'dynamic and ever-changing universe" in addition to daily story and content updates. In an interview with PC Gamer, Piranha confirms MechWarrior Online is fully first-person and comparable to MechWarrior 2 through 4, not the Xbox game MechAssault released in 2002.