Marauders is the latest game to attempt to capture the tension and excitement of Escape From Tarkov. Currently in development by Small Impact Games, the game certainly aims to make some impact when it launches later this year. It breaks up the competitive shooter formula in a number of ways, and will allow players to not only scavenge through derelict ships and space stations for loot, but also to customize and pilot their own spaceships. Marauders is currently in closed alpha, and its release date is planned for the latter half of 2022.
Marauders will be distributed by controversial publisher Team17, who is yet to announce an exact release date for the game. The closed alpha playtest ends on May 9, and a closed beta will take place before a more definite launch of the game, though the time frame for this second playtest has not been announced yet either. That said, Team17 has announced that Marauders will launch “soon” after the playtests end, and the game is already available for pre-order on Steam. We expect Marauders to launch in Q4 of 2022, or Q3 at the earliest.
If you are unfamiliar with the type of gameplay Marauders emulates, consider the team-based dynamics of battle royale games like PUBG and Apex Legends, but slow them down dramatically. Like Escape From Tarkov, in Marauders players risk permanently losing their character and all of their equipment when they get into a match. Other “hardcore” game design features include a limited and clunky inventory and a lack of outlines for members of your team (which leads to accidental team-killing more often than you’d think.) All of this creates a very cautious, slow-paced, and tense experience, which can be quite thrilling when you get used to its quirks.
