One of the surprise reveals of Summer Game Fest 2022 was Stormgate, a brand new real-time strategy IP from Frost Giant Studios. Stormgate is being developed by some of the ex-Blizzard devs responsible for Starcraft 2, who describe it as a “truly social RTS,” and promise it will deliver all the good things that made RTS games an industry mainstay in the early 2000s. Players can sign up to put these claims to the test when the Stormgate closed beta begins.
Stromgate closed beta access
The Stormgate closed beta will launch in mid-2023, and those interested can sign up right now on the game’s official site. Currently, reservations are only open to PC players on Steam, where the title is available to wishlist. We don’t know if the game will release on consoles, but it seems unlikely given the nature of the RTS gameplay which makes these games much more at home on PC. We also don’t know how long the closed beta will run for ahead of the eventual release date for Stormgate.
The reveal trailer didn’t lift the curtain on any gameplay details, but it did hit us with a strong retro RTS vibe. We saw a Nova-esque character face off against a Diablo-like enemy, which introduces us to two of the playable factions in Stormgate. Aside from its aesthetic, Stormgate promises to bring back other features that Starcraft 2 fans are nostalgic for: competitive 1v1 ladder matches, a story campaign, map editor, co-op missions, and for what it’s worth, esports infrastructure.
It will be interesting to see what playing an authentic old-school RTS feels like in 2023. Many studios have tried hard to revive the glory days of RTS gaming, but these attempts rarely hit the mark. While we await the closed beta to open, all we can do is hope Stormgate breaks the pattern of real-time strategy stumbles and proves to be an enjoyable game.
