Yager Announces The Cycle

Yager, the developer best known for Spec Ops: The Line, has announced its new project this week - The Cycle.

It's a "PvPvE", which will see you completing a variety of contracts in a 20 minute match. The planet you're on isn't healthy, for some reason, so staying longer is detrimental to your health. If it lets you stay longer, anyway.

There are 20 players in each match, along with a slew of other monsters to watch out for. There will be a strong focus on "emergent social dynamics", as Yager's managing director, Timo Ullman, said:

Players strive to achieve objectives while making and breaking temporary alliances. Anyone can attack anyone, and anyone can ally with anyone. Players can be cooperative and competitive at the same time. So, if you meet new players on your way, anything can happen.

Here's the official storyline:

The galaxy in the game is controlled by Factions, while the outer reaches remain unclaimed. In their race to control these frontier resources, the Factions need contractors to do their dirty work. Each player is one of these contractors. They will compete for objectives such as collecting minerals or hunting wildlife while being careful to avoid or take down the competition.

Yager plans to release a closed alpha in early August, which you can sign up for from here. This will be PC only for the time being. The Cycle should be ready for release towards the end of the year for PC, with consoles in the pipeline but ready at a later date.

Check out the trailer and screenshots above, and the game features below.

The Cycle – Game Features

• A new Frontier: Explore the world of Fortuna III – a hostile, beautiful new world, full of fortune, alien life, and other players looking to take its riches.
• Storm: The cycle leaves only a narrow window of opportunity – stay too long, and you will be trapped on the planet.
• Pacting: Players can meet on the surface of Fortuna III and join uneasy alliances with one another as they complete contracts.
• Black Market: Players have a wide arsenal of weapons and gear available to them, all with different playstyles, that can be purchased during a match.
• Crafting: Players can spend their precious credits on creating new gear to take into the next match.
• Quests: Shooting may give you an edge – but the best prospectors are those who can take on dangerous jobs for factions during a match.
• Customisation: A wide selection of gear that players progress through, tailoring their character to their individual playstyle, with more options regularly added.