Move over, Space Force. The United Citizen Federation is once again recruiting young warriors to take up arms against a life form so sinister it threatens the entire galaxy.
Coming just after the 25th anniversary of the release of the cult classic “Starship Troopers” (November 1997), Offworld Industries and Sony Pictures Consumer Projects are bringing the fight against the Arachnids to a computer near you.
A first person shooter, “Starship Troopers: Extermination” will allow players to join 12-member co-op squads to defeat the maniacal alien bugs that want to end the human race and take over the galaxy. Because remember, the only good bug is a dead bug.
The game “puts players on the far-off front lines in an all-out assault against the Arachnid menace,” according to the its release page. “Squad up as a Trooper in the Deep Space Vanguard, an elite Special Forces group within the Mobile Infantry. And get ready to stomp some Bug because no Trooper will ever stand alone as they line up sholder-to-shoulder with their fellow Vanguards – trusty Morita Assault Rifles in hand – to battle against hordes of bloodthirsty insectoid aliens on the hostile surface of the planet Valaka.”
Specs call for gamers on teams to work together to achieve mission success by acquiring resources, protecting bases, and, of course, killing bugs.
And while there is little available information when it comes to exactly how players are expected to take down the aliens, the likely approach, as Dr. Carl Jenkins (Neil Patrick Harris) says in the original film, is as follows: “Your basic Arachnid warrior isn’t too smart, but you can blow off a limb, and it’s still 86 percent combat effective. Here’s a tip: aim for the nerve stem, and put it down for good.”
An official release date for the full game has not yet been set, but the early access game is expected to hit Steam in 2023.
Sarah Sicard is a Senior Editor with Military Times. She previously served as the Digitial Editor of Military Times and the Army Times Editor. Other work can be found at National Defense Magazine, Task & Purpose, and Defense News.