Space shooter Wildgate is surging on Steam with brand new demo

As someone who's played one or two Blizzard games in my time, I've had my ear very close to the ground when it comes to Dreamhaven, Mike Morhaime's new developer and publisher. First came Sunderfolk, a playful co-op Dungeons and Dragons-inspired adventure that I can't recommend enough. Now, there's Wildgate, a fast-paced FPS game set in a vibrant, cartoon reimagining of space. With its release date finally being revealed at Summer Game Fest, a new open beta is live right now, and it's proving very, very popular.

Wildgate's three core tenets are as follows: outsmart, outrun, or outgun. You and three other members of your crew have been tasked with securing the mysterious Artefact, located somewhere in the space game's ever-changing galactic no man's land, The Reach. Issue is, however, that you're one of five teams vying for a chance at securing said ancient treasure, meaning you'll have to face off against myriad other Prospectors in order to snatch it for yourself. You'll go head-to-head with your opponents both in-person and on your own ship, and in true battle-royale style, the last team standing wins.

But let's be real, what piqued your interest was the 'ship battles' part. In Wildgate, your ship is your home base; it's where you spend your time ahead of your heist, and where you'll end up when the Artefact is in your hands. You'll need to keep it topped up on fuel, ice, and, of course, ammunition, and you'll be able to equip it with various weapons to suit your team's playstyle. When battle ensues, it'll be absolute chaos, so either prepare your arsenal ahead of time, or sneak onto your rival vessels and execute some smooth sabotage - the choice is yours.

While your ship is certainly important, choosing the right Prospector is absolutely essential. There are seven different characters to choose from, including the beta's newest additions, Adrian and Kae. The former's jetpack allows him to blast enemies to smithereens and zip out to safety, while the latter's eerie telepathy can be used to hurl objects and perform impressive, chasm-clearing jumps. Getting the right team comp is a must, and a quick glance at the roster tells me that Ion - a hulking lizard creature who deals two times the normal damage - is going to be pretty popular.

The beta also adds three new points of interest: The Drill Station, Juggernaut, and Refiner. All of these locations offer new challenges, but given that the Reach changes with each match, don't get too used to their exact positions on the map.

The Wildgate beta runs until Monday June 16, and has already seen a surge of new players. According to Steam DB, after just 24 hours, the game has pulled in over 13,000 players, and that number is rising exponentially. It does, however, currently sit in the 'Mixed' category, with reviews citing performance and optimization issues as the primary issues.

Dreamhaven and Moonshot Games have confirmed that the Wildgate release date is set for Tuesday July 22. You can join the beta here, and add the game to your wishlist.

If you're looking to get some practice in, check out our list of the best FPS games to ensure that your team gets out alive. Or, if you're just looking for something new to play with your friends, we have a rundown of all the best multiplayer games.

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