Hyenas release date speculation, plus Alpha test and gameplay news
As we look ahead to Creative Assembly's new IP, here's all you need to know about Hyenas.
A new IP is always an exciting event, especially when it’s an original idea from an already established (and well respected) team of developers.
The devs responsible for the critically acclaimed Alien Isolation and the fan-adored Total War franchise are jumping into the realm of wacky multiplayer FPS. We’re in the midst of a cultural obsession with futuristic and colourful wacky violence at the moment (no thanks to Netflix’s Cyberpunk: Edgerunners), so Hyenas is arriving at just the right time.
The folks at Creative Assembly announced Hyenas earlier this year, and RadioTimes.com had the opportunity to speak with the developers at Gamescom 2022 this summer. You can take a look at our interview in the video player atop this page!
And although there is no exact Hyenas release date confirmed as of yet, we know it’s slated to come out all guns blazing in 2023. However, we don’t think it’ll be a long wait. The game has been in development for over four years, and there was an Alpha test for PC released in Europe last week.
When is the Hyenas release date?
Although there has been no Hyenas release date announced as of yet, the Alpha test does hint that we won’t be on tenterhooks for long once 2023 rolls in.
As we’ve said, Creative Assembly have been working on the game for four years, and the trailer (released in June) looks as polished as ever. Even though the first Alpha tests were closed, they were underway from July 14th to July 18th for PC players in the US.
Still, all it says on Steam is "coming 2023", so that’s all we can give you for now with any certainty. Although anything else is speculation, we hope it’ll be an early release.
Can I pre-order Hyenas?
As of September 27th, Hyenas isn’t available to pre-order. The official website states the following: "Please keep an eye on our social channels for information on when Hyenas is available to pre-order. For now, please wishlist the game on your digital store of choice!"
If you’re impatient to start blasting in this offbeat and zany universe, we suggest keeping an eye on Steam or whichever platform you use. Keep it in your wishlist and you’ll be notified as soon as any news comes in.
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Which platforms will Hyenas be on?
Hyenas will be Creative Assembly’s first release for the current generation of consoles. Luckily, for those of us who haven’t forked out on the new tech, it’ll also be released on the PS4 and Xbox One. It’s always nice to know our hardware isn’t obsolete!
Of course, Hyenas will also be released on PC. The recommended specs are the following: 64 bit Windows 10, 6th gen intel processor, 16GB of RAM, 6GB of VRAM, and DirectX 12. There is always some wiggle room for specs (we’ve just shared the recommended), but you’ll always need 31GB of drive space.
Hyenas story and gameplay details
We know little about the setting of Hyenas so far, but what we do know sounds very Cyberpunk. By that we mean high tech, low life, advanced scientific discoveries, mass poverty. Creative Assembly have revealed that it’s a future in which billionaires have left Earth to colonize Mars, leaving the rest of us behind (echoes of 2013 film Elysium).
However, what makes this setting unique is the state of the planet on which we’ve been abandoned. The billionaires used zero gravity tech to get to Mars, the after effects of which have shattered Earth, leaving it in a shattered state known as 'the Taint'.
This melds well with the gameplay, which, by the looks of the trailer, will be zero gravity pandemonium. We’ll either be floating through the maps or grounded via gravity boots, and using a multitude of weapons to beat our opponents, help our teammates, build bridges (we mean literally, here), and steal retro collectables.
We spoke quite a lot about gameplay in our interview with the Hyenas developers at Gamescom, which you can watch below!
Is there a trailer for Hyenas?
There is! And the trailer shows just how zany the world is.
It looks like a tongue-in-cheek, ultra-violent cartoony universe, not dissimilar to that of Borderlands. Even though the trailer only teases the gameplay, it gives us a strong idea of what Hyenas will be all about: the vibrant aesthetic, the otherworldly action, and the wacky sense of humour that colours the whole thing. Check it out below!
How to join the Alpha test for Hyenas
We’ve already mentioned the Alpha testing that went on in July, but we’ll finish by sharing a few more details about it. It was first put out in mid-July to give players a taste of what’s to come.
David Nicholson, Hyenas' executive producer, described the purpose of the Alphas as, "To take on the biggest games in the industry, we need to hear what players think, right up front and early. If you're in, we want to take you along for the ride. That's why after today's announcement, we're also launching into the first of our public Alpha tests."
Inevitably, footage of gameplay has already been leaked due to the Alpha tests (this is why we can’t have nice things), but this was last month, and we’re still just as excited to get our hands on it ourselves.
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Authors
Ben Huxley is a freelance contributor to Radio Times, with bylines also in TechRadar, WhatCulture, GAMINGbible, and Live Science. A writer of fiction, too, he has a few short stories published and a novel on the way. He has a BA in English Literature, and an MA in creative writing.
