Creative Assembly is best known for deliberately-paced games like Alien: Isolation and the Total War series, but it’s about jump headlong into the multiplayer action realm. The developer is partnering with Sega to introduceHyenas, a team-based shooter coming to PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and PCs in 2023. The title takes its cue from tech headlines, but also doesn’t take itself (or its gameplay mechanics) too seriously.
You join three-person teams to raid spaceship shopping malls for the coveted merch left behind by Mars billionaires. You’ll have to compete against four other loot-seeking teams while simultaneously dealing with security systems, hired goons and zero-gravity. You can not only flip gravity on and off, but use bridge-making goo and other special abilities to claim the upper hand. And yes, it’s pretty silly — you can expect appearances from Richard Nixon masks, Sonic the Hedgehog merch and Pez dispensers.
The creators are currently accepting sign-ups for a closed alpha test on PCs. They’ve also made clear there will be no “pay to win” systems. While that suggests you might have the option of buying cosmetic items, your success should depend solely on talent. It’s just a question of whether Hyenas will be good enough to pry gamers away from multiplayer shooter mainstays like the Call of Duty series or Fortnite.