Here’s the good news for people interested in Steel Hunters in early access: The game is free-to-play, even now, so if you just want to see how it plays you will not be spending any money. That is a good thing! Steel Hunters is Wargaming’s new free-to-play multiplayer PvPvE mecha shooter, and early access in this case means around-the-clock access, no wipes, and a newly launched battlepass.
“Our day has come! Steel Hunters has officially entered Early Access and from now on the Hunting Grounds will remain open 24/7. We’re looking forward to exciting battles and the shrieking sounds of clashing metal echoing through our post-apocalyptic maps. All of your progress will from now on be permanent —no more wipes! And there’s a lot of cool new stuff to earn!”
Unfortunately, the game’s Steam reviews thus far aren’t exactly lighting the world on fire. Among the issues cited in reviews are stability problems, login problems, matchmaking problems, map sizes, and a jump that does not actually allow you to jump onto any new terrain. On the plus side, there’s a recipe for what appears to be a Serbian dish in the reviews, so that’s cool.
Worth noting is that Wargaming’s Steam page includes a disclosure about the use of AI voices during testing of the game; apparently, those voices will all be replaced with real humans before the final launch.
“During the beta phase of Steel Hunters, we may use AI-generated voices for certain in-game characters, including the announcer, to support our development process. The majority of the voices in the game are performed by real voice actors, and AI-generated voices will be replaced with human voices before the official launch. This helps us focus on delivering the best experience while the game is still in development.”
