Free RTS game Stormgate sets a date for campaign launch and early access exit

The elevator pitch for Stormgate has always been an enticing one - a free-to-play RTS that's a spiritual successor to Starcraft thanks to the numerous ex-Blizzard devs helping create it. However, when it launched in early access last year, it came with a fair few kinks that needed ironing out. Well, after almost a year of toil, Frost Giant Studios says it's ready to take Stormgate out of early access - and drop its long-awaited debut campaign, Ashes of Earth. You haven't got long to wait for these landmark moments either, as both will occur on Tuesday, August 5.

Focusing on the Vanguard, Stormgate's human faction, Ashes of Earth will be a 12 mission campaign that really kicks the strategy game's narrative into gear. A star-studded cast is also lending their voices to Ashes of Earth, such as Shang-Chi and Barbie actor Simu Liu, Critical Role and videogame voice acting legend Matthew Mercer, and even Starcraft designer Chris Metzen. It's an exciting prospect, and one that needs to land in order to get folks invested in this new universe for the long haul. However, to challenge the illustrious names in our best RTS games list, Stormgate will need more than just a dazzling campaign.

That's why alongside Ashes of Earth, Stormgate is leaving early access. The most polished and vital experience is Stormgate's 1v1 competitive mode, with Frost Giant claiming that all of the game's launch units and factions are now complete, fleshed out, and balanced, ready for some intense PvP battles. There are three asymmetric factions for players to master: the "demonic" Infernal Host, the "angelic" Celestial Armada, and of course the Vanguard. Tapping into a core feature of competitive fighting games, Stormgate also features rollback netcode to keep multiplayer matches feeling smooth and fair.

"After a year of progress with the help of our community's feedback, we believe that our campaign and 1v1 are ready for a broader audience," Frost Giant says. "We will obviously continue to incorporate feedback on these modes moving forward, but we feel that these modes are at a point where players at large can enjoy them."

Two other core pillars of Stormgate will also be available when it leaves early access - co-op missions and its versatile terrain editor - but Frost Giant makes it clear that these are not the finished products and will be worked on over time. The promised 3v3 mode, Team Mayhem, will also arrive later this year.

Stormgate leaves early access and launches its Ashes of Earth campaign on Tuesday, August 5. You can read its full Q+A about this milestone update right here.

For more, check out our list of the best strategy games on PC right now. If you're on the hunt for some new peripherals, also be sure to swing by our best gaming mouse guide.

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