What you need to know
- Piranha Games Inc. has recently unveiled MechWarrior 5: Clans, a new entry in the MechWarrior franchise.
- This game will follow the story of a group of mech pilots called Clan Smoke Jaguar as they fight to survive during a brutal period of the MechWarrior universe called the Clan Invasion.
- MechWarrior 5 will be released sometime in 2024 for Xbox, PlayStation, and PC systems.
- The MechWarrior franchise is a series of shooters/strategy games that aim to simulate the realistic experience of piloting giant mechs in a war that's been going since 1989.
On April 2, 2024, Piranha Games Inc. revealed the first official gameplay trailer for MechWarrior 5: Clans, a new entry in the MechWarrior franchise at GDC 2024. This standalone title in the MechWarrior series promises to draw in new fans and veterans alike with the franchise's trademark tactical shooter gameplay, new maps, and gameplay mechanics, an in-depth storyline, gorgeous graphics powered by the Unreal 5 Engine, and more.
The game currently has a tentative release date of 2024 and will be released on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam.
The plot of this title follows a group of mech pilots called Smoke Jaguar Clan. As a member of the Clan, your goal is to help your teammates complete their training on a world called Huntress and participate in the Clan Invasion, a historical event in the MechWarrior franchise's lore that hasn't been explored in detail since 1995's MechWarrior 2.
As you progress through the single-player campaign, you will be pulled into a gripping story filled with political and military intrigue, moral dilemmas, and heart-pounding action.
As for gameplay, MechWarrior 5: Clans will feature the iconic tactical mech combat the series is known for where you will have to plan out your attacks and perform squad-based assaults to eliminate the enemy.
Players will also be able to customize their mechs with a variety of weapon systems, armor, equipment, and special upgrades to help them survive getting blown up by enemy mechs. To achieve victory, players will need to pick the right loadout for each mission and take into account each map's biome so they can exploit it to their advantage.
As a member of the Smoke Jaguar Clan, you will have to coordinate with your teammates, deepen your bonds with them, and protect them if you hope to destroy your enemies and conquer the Inner Sphere.
This game will also introduce new gameplay tools to help players control their squad better such as a command radial menu, and the Battlegrid system which will give you a bird's-eye view of the battlefield so you can keep tabs on your enemies and allies.
Do you have what it takes to be a MechWarrior?
We at Windows Central happen to be fans of mecha-style combat games of various styles. Whether it is realistic tactical simulators like MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries (we reviewed in 2021), turn-based strategy games like Battletech (which reviewed in 2018), or high-flying action games like FromSoftware's Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon (which we reviewed in 2023), we'd always be there to suit up and see if they offer a mecha-smashing good time.
Will this title live up to the MechWarrior franchise's 35-year legacy of high-quality mecha games and become one of the best Xbox games and best PC games? We will have to wait to find out when MechWarrior 5: Clans launches later this year for Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam.
