Steel Hunter: Final Preview
Blog Andrew Joseph 25 Mar , 2025 0
On paper, the Steel Hunter is a serious left turn in the World of Tanks Developer War. But just because the developers' next project is rooted in a sci-fi, futuristic environment and has a larger mechanic source than life span, doesn't mean they haven't taken advantage of the 27-year multiplayer expertise of this mecha hero shooter.
I spent about 45 minutes racing other machinery to a extraction point in the Royale-Lite extraction mode, trying half of its seven-character launch lineup. Although I encountered some obstacles when I was used to controlling robots that were shaped like a spider, I could see Wargaming’s multiplayer lineage full of display.
Apart from the short tutorials, which led me to introduce the movement and control of the Steel Hunter, I also spent all my time. This extraction-based pattern is a bit like a big Royal battle with zooming: two squads are dropped onto the map and sent to points of interest, and in the process picking up something useful. Each mecha is full of weapons and abilities, so you can buy various upgrades for your mechanic stats, healing items, and experience points instead of guns or armor like Fortnite.
While you can find some loot in the wild, most upgrades and loot will be found from nearby NPC drones. These weaker enemies are scattered on each map and have enough battles to cope with their pain if another team is also attacking you.
Different points of interest emerge during the game, bringing you and your non-AI opponents to each other, creating random barriers around useful supply declines. Finally, the extraction points are marked on the map, causing all remaining teams to summon towards their final goal. Once you get there, you need to defend the extraction point (if someone beats you there) for a while before the game is over.
This is always the best part of the competition I've played as players descend on Cokepoint, trying to outperform each other using their various toolkits of machinery. Perhaps the agile Fenris tries to maintain control over the extraction point, while the self-healing razor draws the lid, hiding behind the lid to mend itself, and they try to maintain control over the extraction point in an unsuspecting duo. Or, maybe snipers, the sadist might post on a defensive loom when it comes to defensive barriers to protect glass cannon teammates.
I played all four mechas in different competitions, most fond of heartbreak and weaver. Weaver has this very satisfying Gatling gun, which just melts the health and shields of the enemy and their sport feels the best. Aiming at the sight with heartbrokenness reveals weaknesses in each enemy, bringing extra rewards to patients, precise matches.
If there is any problem with the demo I play, that's the thing in the middle. While it's fun to pick weaker enemies, grab their loot and find other players, these maps all feel too big until the end. I'm sure some of this is due to the fact that I was fighting AI-controlled robots in early builds of the game, but this inconsistent speed contradicts the relatively fast game time.
To keep the team at the benefit of being questioned, the studio is a well-greased multiplayer machine at this point. Just because the Steel Hunter trades historical context for future novels doesn’t mean that the studio throws the baby out with bath water. It's obvious that according to its release plan, the battle was released through some of the past multiplayer games.
Starting with the upcoming early access release on April 2, Steel Hunter will start with seven playable characters, one mode and only a few maps without monetization. This calculated startup method, with a promise of new content every 5-6 weeks, shows the team’s pedigree and wit in multiplayer. This approach gave me confidence in Wargaming's ability to listen to its player base and get feedback on the final 1.0 release. The battle even mocked the first new character of the Steel Hunter after issuing, reaffirming his commitment to the three-month season.
If you wish to jump into the Steel Hunter, you won't have to wait long as it enters early on April 2nd.
