At the Gamescom conference this August, we had the chance to try out Hyenas, the upcoming multiplayer shooter game from Sega and Creative Assembly.

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And thanks to the Hyenas closed beta that is kicking off this week, you'll soon be able to try it as well.

The fun, frantic gameplay sees teams of players competing to hunt down retro merch within futuristic spaceships. One of the playable hero characters is a Sonic cosplayer, another is a drag queen, and another is a ballerina.

We enjoyed our first hands-on with the game (although our team didn't win the match), and we even had the chance to ask the developers for some tips. Read on for all that and more!

When is the Hyenas closed beta?

The Hyenas closed beta will kick off on Thursday 31st August 2023 for PC via Steam. The game's X account, formerly Twitter, seems to suggest that the beta will start at 3pm BST for players in the UK.

Wondering how to access the Hyena's beta? On the game's Steam page, you can sign up to take part in the beta test. You'll have to be selected, though, so keep your fingers crossed!

Developer shares Hyenas gameplay tips

Hyenas developer Christoph Will shared some handy tips for incoming players, during our interview at Gamescom, and some of them were delightfully simple: "Press all the buttons and shoot everything."

Take a look at the video below to see Will's advice in full! And don't forget to check out the PVE mode before you try the PVP, unless you're really impatient to start taking on real people.

Where did that Sonic cosplay in Hyenas come from?

One thing that is bound to stand out when you play the Hyenas beta is the Sonic cosplayer character, named Hero-Ki, who frantically sprints around the map in a DIY blue blur outfit.

At Gamescom, we couldn't resist the opportunity to ask about the thinking behind this character and how it came to be. See the answer in the video below!

If you do jump into the Hyenas beta, have fun! The game can get a bit chaotic, but we think you'll have a good time with it overall.

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Authors

Rob Leane Gaming Editor
Rob LeaneGaming Editor

Rob Leane is the Gaming Editor at Radio Times, overseeing our coverage of the biggest games on PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, PC, mobile and VR. Rob works across our website, social media accounts and video channels, as well as producing our weekly gaming newsletter. He has previously worked at Den of Geek, Stealth Optional and Dennis Publishing.

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