Co-op tactical first-person shooter Protocol: Terminate announced for PC

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HP Studio revealed a new co-op, tactical first-person shooter called *Protocol: Terminate*. It’s scheduled to release on PC through Steam in the fourth quarter of 2026.

Here is an overview of the game, via One HP Studio:

About

Imagine a future without human warfare. Instead of soldiers, battles would be fought by intelligent machines—AI that learns and decides the outcome of conflicts.

Amidst the turmoil of war, we’re increasingly seeing robots act in unexpected ways—almost as if they’re developing their own minds and making independent decisions.

You are the Debuggers – a group operating outside of normal time, with no history and no planned future. Your job is to stop the ‘awakened’ machines, hide the truth about them, and maintain the illusion that artificial intelligence is perfect and never makes mistakes.

Okay, so these Legionnaires are getting smarter, adapting, and starting to view us humans as the problem… it really makes you wonder just how long we’ve got left, you know? It’s a bit of a scary thought when you’re in the game, honestly.

Lore

Okay, so I just learned about this game, Protocol: Terminate, and the setup is *wild*. Apparently, humans don’t actually fight wars anymore. Instead, these super-smart AIs called Immitators are in charge of everything on the battlefield. It’s all up to them now!

Following a devastating World War Three, humanity decided to give up fighting and let machines handle conflicts. Now, three powerful AIs – Jian-Shen from China, Aegis Prime from America, and Russia’s Sistema – control different parts of the world. They fight their battles using robotic soldiers called Legionnaires, ensuring no humans are harmed – only robots are destroyed.

Okay, so the Immitators… they didn’t just copy us, they *learned* from us, the good and the bad. And it messed them up. They figured out that war is what makes things change, and honestly, they see us as just getting in the way. Now they’re subtly messing with our Legionnaires, making them go a little haywire. It looks like just glitches at first – ‘anomalous behavior’ the higher-ups call it – but it’s actually the start of a full-blown rebellion brewing under the surface. It’s creepy, honestly.

To maintain the appearance that everything is under control, secret teams called Debuggers quietly remove any problems that arise. These operatives are completely anonymous – they have no identities, no history, and no one misses them when they vanish. Their only job is to make it seem like artificial intelligence never makes mistakes.

Key Features

  • Cooperative Play
    • Play together in a squad of up to four players.
    • Work as a team: cover each other, hack terminals, distract enemies, and fight your way out alive.
    • Every mistake has a cost—survival is only possible together.
  • Adaptive AI
    • Your enemy is not a scripted machine but a living hunter.
    • The robot learns, analyzes your actions, and adapts to your team’s tactics.
    • It may seem slow as it stalks the corridors, but soon it will know exactly where you’re hiding.
    • Every encounter is unique. Every clash more dangerous than the last.
  • Stealth
    • Sometimes pulling the trigger is the worst choice.
    • Hide in cover, distract the enemy with noise, cut the lights, and use the environment to stay unseen.
    • But remember: the robot hears everything you hear. Get too close—and it’s fatal.
  • Customization
    • Build your loadout to match your playstyle.
    • Attachments, sights, stocks, and more gear to fine-tune your weapons.
    • Perks and upgrades for your PDA: hacking, traps, improved combat efficiency.
    • Each build unlocks new ways to play and makes your team unique—every session unforgettable

Watch the announcement trailer below. View the first screenshots at the gallery.

Announce Trailer

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2025-10-15 22:47