Award-nominated Payload Studios has today announced that its physics-based, modular vehicle construction and combat game TerraTech is set to enter open beta via the Humble store on Friday 7th November, following a successful closed beta programme over the summer. The studio is also extending its current recruitment drive as it seeks staff in a variety of roles.
TerraTech has been described by The Guardian as potentially being “the next Minecraft” and has been nominated for Best New IP in the 2014 TIGA Awards, up against AAA titles including Destiny and Watch Dogs. The game has been in full development for a little over 12 months, and has been in closed backer-only beta since its successful Kickstarter campaign in July. Keen to involve its player community since early in development (releasing its first public demo of TerraTech via IndieDB as early as May this year), Payload is now extending its beta programme to a larger audience via the Humble Store as it works towards an Early Access release on Steam in early 2015.
To celebrate the launch of TerraTech’s Humble Beta, the standard version will be available for the opening week for just £17.49/$27.99/E22.99 (a discount from the normal price of £19.99/$30.99/E24.99). A deluxe R&D Pack DLC edition, featuring exclusive content and forum access for discussing new features with the developers, will also be available for £26.49/$41.99/E33.99 (reduced from £28.99/$45.99/E36.99).
Vehicles in TerraTech are constructed by combining a huge variety of parts that are crafted or sourced from a number of in-game fictional corporations, each with their own distinct style and functionality. The R&D Pack features experimental vehicle blocks, which will only ever exist in the beta versions of the game and which will provide an exclusive test-bed for the development team and players to experiment with new parts and new ideas, allowing community feedback to directly impact the future of the game.
Payload founder, Russ Clarke, is excited by this next stage in the game’s development: “We’ve had a fantastic response to our closed Beta program, and we’re incredibly excited about taking that to the next stage with the open Humble Beta launch. Everything we do at Payload is community-driven, and Humble has an amazing, engaged community that we think is a great fit for TerraTech. This will allow our experimental, transparent development process to change up a gear and bring TerraTech to a new level, with the help of our players.”
The TerraTech Humble Beta will be available from the Humble Store from Friday 7th November, with the launch sale running until Thursday 13th November. Players will have the option of supporting Humble’s standard charities when purchasing via the Humble Store, but Payload will be supporting UK-based gaming-for-the-disabled charity SpecialEffect (www.specialeffect.org) through any sales via the Humble Widget on its own website.
For more information on TerraTech please visit: www.TerraTechGame.com
Twitter: @TerraTechGame
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TerraTechGame
Twitch: www.twitch.tv/TerraTechGame – streaming every week day at 5pm
YouTube: www.YouTube.com/TerraTechGame
Free demos:
Steam – http://store.steampowered.com/app/285920/
I ndieDB – http://www.indiedb.com/games/terratech