Relic Entertainment announces turn-based strategy game Earth vs Mars for PC

The makers behind the popular strategy game, Company of Heroes, named Relic Entertainment, have unveiled a new project titled Earth vs Mars. This upcoming turn-based game involves Earth’s military battling an alien invasion from Mars. Anticipated to debut on PC via Steam this summer.

Earth vs Mars” is the inaugural smaller-scale, “indie-style” game from Relic Entertainment’s innovative division, Relic Labs. Unlike its larger, established real-time strategy games, this initiative offers a platform for Relic to venture into new sub-genres, innovate, and roll out games more frequently.

Here is an overview of the game, via its Steam page:

About

For several decades, it is believed that Martians have secretly visited Earth, capturing various terrestrial creatures – animals and humans alike – with the intention of extracting their fundamental atomic energy for the creation of strange, Martian-inspired hybrid beings. This time, however, their presence suggests a more ambitious objective: to lay claim over our own planet.

In this tactical game that takes turns, a surprising band of commanders will steer Earth’s armed forces against a powerful Martian onslaught. Engage in combat with advanced flying saucers, gravitational tanks, and formidable alien soldiers, all while striving for the planet’s preservation.

Or simpler: In this strategy game where you take turns, an unconventional team of commanders guide Earth’s military defense against a massive Martian invasion. Battle advanced flying saucers, grav-tanks, and strong alien warriors to save the planet.

The ‘Splice-O-Tron’ is your hidden advantage. It enables you to merge humans and Earth’s native life forms, producing potent hybrid soldiers for the battlefield, who can serve alongside Earth’s conventional forces.

1. It rains down acid from the sky like a swift cheetah-flier.

2. Rush headlong into battle with fearsome human-rhinoceros hybrid soldiers.

3. Launch attacks on the forest edge with your lethal infantry of squirrel-cow hybrids.

As the game advances, you’ll discover various species of creatures, substantial unit enhancements, and commanding abilities that could shift the game’s outcome. However, as your army adapts, so will your adversary’s, and you’ll encounter a wide range of opponents, such as “The Creep,” a sentient organic weapon, and the Martians’ own genetically-altered monstrosities.

Key Features

In the upcoming months, you’ll find detailed insights about every essential aspect. For the time being, I’ve provided a brief overview instead.

Single-Player Campaign – Earth vs Mars will feature an expansive narrative focused campaign composed of over 30 hand-crafted missions.
Online Multiplayer – Battle against other commanders, either as the armies of Earth or as the forces of the Martian Invaders. Lots more information to come!
VS Mode – Battle against the AI on custom maps giving lots of replayability to single-player fans.
Map Editor – Fully featured Map Editor allows you to create custom maps and scenarios. Again, more information to come in time!
Splice-o-tron – Bringing some old-school Relic flavor to this genre, the Splice-o-Tron will be a key mechanic in the game. Combining creatures with human “volunteers” will allow you to field an array of exciting and powerful hybrid units.
Unit Abilities – Many of the Units in Earth vs Mars will have their own unique abilities, adding new strategies and gameplay depth to this style of game.
Commanders – There will be multiple commanders in the game, each bringing passive and active abilities that enhance the way you play.
Beautifully Realized 3D World – We’re excited to bring 3D units, tilesets, and stunning effects to turn and tile-based players in Earth vs Mars.

And here is a FAQ containing additional information:

When is Earth vs Mars coming out?

We are targeting a summer 2025 release for Earth vs Mars.

Will Earth vs Mars be coming to any other platforms?

Initially, we’re aiming to debut “Earth vs Mars” on Steam for PC. But depending on the game’s response, we might explore other platforms down the line.

How much will Earth vs Mars cost?

At this point, we haven’t set a definitive cost for it, but we’re considering the pricing of comparable games within the same genre as a guide.

What languages will Earth vs Mars support?

We’ll have more news on all the language options for Earth vs Mars closer to its release date.

Will Earth vs Mars be Steam Deck compatible?

The game “Earth vs Mars” won’t support Steam Deck at its initial release, yet the development team is actively considering it.

When will you share more information about the story, characters, units, Splice-O-Tron and more?

In the upcoming months, our development team has plenty of updates to reveal through blog posts, videos, and live broadcasts. To keep yourself informed about these updates, consider joining the official Discord server of Relic Entertainment.

Is this game’s style and genre significantly distinct from what Relic Entertainment has previously worked on? Should I expect any potential concerns or changes?

Absolutely! “Mars vs Earth” is the debut title in our lineup at Relic Labs, offering a platform for us to experiment, innovate, and have some fun with smaller scale projects. Rest assured, we’re also continuing to develop large-scale, traditional real-time strategy games simultaneously. For more insights into our new development approach, you can check out these articles: [link 1] and [link 2].

Will Earth vs Mars have any post-launch downloadable content or expansions?

Initially, our efforts are centered around perfecting the main game titled “Earth vs Mars“. Should players find this enjoyable, we’re excited to develop more content for the game in the future.

Watch the announcement trailer below.

Announce Trailer

2025-02-18 18:47

Announce Trailer

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