Homeworld 3 launches in two months, and the highly-anticipated space RTS has a big legacy to live up to on launch. Developed by Blackbird Interactive and published by Gearbox, trailers so far promise an expansive strategy game amongst the cosmos with a galactic story for the ages. The game will finally release after a lengthy period between announcement and launch – five years, to be exact – and while series prequel Deserts of Kharak dropped in 2016, this sequel comes over twenty years after Homeworld 2.
Given the long time between drinks for the Homeworld franchise, there are a lot of changes to expect. In the five years since announcement, Homeworld 3 has undergone a highly-successful crowdfunding investment campaign, cancellation of said campaign, delays, and periods of time with no news whatsoever. Understandably, fans of the RTS are watching this one with a close eye.
If you’re keen to find out more about Homeworld 3 ahead of release, we’ve got you covered. Here’s everything we know about the game so far.
Table of contents
Homeworld 3 News & Leaks
- December 10, 2021:Homeworld 3 Shows First Gameplay, Looks Great
- Two years on from being announced, the first gameplay footage of Homeworld 3 has dropped.
- December 9, 2021: Surprise: Homeworld 3 Will Appear At The Game Awards Tomorrow
- Gearbox and Blackbird Interactive have dropped a teaser via social media that an update on Homeworld 3 will appear during The Game Awards preshow.
- June 8, 2021:Homeworld 3’s Weird Crowd-Funding Scheme Has Been Cancelled
- Due to ‘recent changes’ at Gearbox, the Fig Homeworld 3 crowdfunding scheme has been canned.
- August 31, 2019: Homeworld 3 Is Coming, Hell Yes
- Twenty years after the release of the first game in the series, we got news today that there’s going to be a third mainline Homeworld game.
Homeworld 3: Release date
When can you expect the release?
The Homeworld 3 release date is 13 May, 2024. Players with advanced access through the Fleet Command and Collector’s Edition will be able to jump in from 10 May, three days before official launch.
Why have there been delays?
Homeworld 3 was set to launch on 8 March, however news of a delay came in early February. Blackbird Interactive and Gearbox Publishing released a joint statement confirming the delay, which was decided after a “careful analysis of feedback” from playtesting. The statement confirmed the delay would allow the developer to “ensure that we’re making the final tweaks needed to deliver at the level of quality that we strive for and you deserve.”
Homeworld 3: Price
Homeworld 3’s standard edition will set you back $89.95 AUD on Steam, although there are multiple other editions available at varying prices. The Fleet Command Edition is $134.85, and comes with the following content:
- Base game
- Year One Pass (includes three DLC drops with new playable factions and artefacts)
- Digital Soundtrack by Paul Ruskay
- Play 72 Hours Early
- Multiplayer Customization Set
- Profile Banners
- Ship Decals
- Multiplayer Name Colour
- Engine Trail Colour
The Deluxe Edition is $119.90, and comes with the base game and Year One Pass. All pre-orders of the game include the Kushan Carrier War Games Skin. Unfortunately, it looks like the physical collector’s edition of Homeworld 3 isn’t readily available in Australia, although can be purchased via third-party sites like Amazon.
Homeworld 3: Trailer
There’s been a number of Homeworld 3 trailers released since it was first announced in 2019, showcasing story and gameplay. You can watch them below:
Homeworld 3: Gameplay
Homeworld 3 is described as a sci-fi grand RTS much like its predecessor. Players will engage in fleet combat in a fully 3D space, controlling ships amongst the cosmos. As an RTS, strategy is key to success, with your fleet carrying over from mission to mission, ship damage and all. You’ll be able to battle between crumbling ruins and galactic worlds, using the environment to your advantage – although environmental effects like particle storms and asteroid fields will pose as challenging obstacles even for the most smooth fights.
While Homeworld 3 boasts run of the mill fights against AI, there’s also the option to engage in PvP with 1v1, free-for-all, and team battles on the table. There’s also the three player co-op War Games mode that blends RTS gameplay with roguelike features – you’ll take on a randomised series of combat challenges and claim artefacts to power up ships, unlocking new fleets as you go based on your success.
Homeworld 3: Crowdfunding
The upcoming Homeworld game was initially crowdfunded on Fig in late 2019 – although it wasn’t any normal crowdfunding venture, given Gearbox had already fully funded the game. The campaign leaned more towards investment, with players able to share in the game’s profits if it launched to financial success. Backers could also take part in surveys and make suggestions on the development of the game. The campaign was successful, with 8400 fans raising around $US1.5 million, although the Fig campaign was canned in 2021. In a statement released when the news that crowdfunding had been cancelled, Fig said the following:
“As you may be aware, there have been recent changes at Gearbox. Due to these developments, Fig will no longer be collecting investment reservations for Homeworld 3, and all investors that placed an investment reservation in Homeworld 3 will NOT have that investment collected. Rest assured knowing that Fig never charged you for your investment reservation and that this will not affect Homeworld 3 pre-orders. In addition, the game and all associated rewards are still coming to those who purchased them.”
While not 100% clear, the “recent changes” were likely Gearbox’s sale to Embracer in early 2021.
Homeworld 3: Platforms
Homeworld 3 is releasing exclusively on PC (Windows), with no news on whether Mac or console players will get a look-in down the line.
Homeworld 3: System Requirements
Blackbird Interactive announced the Homeworld 3 system requirements in November 2023 – while obviously a big jump from the requirements for the original games, they’re not too demanding. Here’s what you’ll need to run the game at minimum, recommended, ultra, and beyond:
Homeworld 3: Review
Keep an eye out once the new Homeworld game launches for a review on the grand RTS – we’ll update this piece once any review coverage is live.
Image: Blackbird Interactive / Gearbox Publishing
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