Award-winning independent games label Team17 Digital and esteemed Canadian developer Blackbird Interactive have today announced a publishing partnership to bring Earthless, a brand-new science-fiction, roguelike deck builder, to Steam Early Access in 2024.
Founded in 2010 by Rob Cunningham (CEO), Blackbird Interactive helped to create the iconic Homeworld franchise and has since forged its reputation with players and critics alike with its iconic and innovative experiences including the acclaimed titles Hardspace: Shipbreaker and Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak, and the recently released Minecraft Legends.
In Earthless, players will experience a rich, sci-fi story of loss, hope, and human endurance following the destruction of the Sun. They will captain humanity’s final generation ships through space in a series of roguelike adventures, exploring a web of ever-changing and treacherous star systems while engaging in strategic, grid-based combat with mysterious, interstellar enemies. During each voyage, players will also build a deck of unique tactical abilities and manage the crew on board their vessel, making difficult ethical decisions that could directly impact the well-being of their team … and the survival of humanity.
Outrun the Sun in Earthless’ debut cinematic announcement teaser:
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Rory McGuire, President of Blackbird Interactive, said:
“We love that Team17 believes in nurturing great independent teams and enabling those developers to achieve visionary experiences. From Worms through to DREDGE, Team17 has been a company we have wanted to work with for a while and it has been a pleasure to collaborate on Blackbird’s next sci-fi experience, Earthless. We look forward to showing more soon.”
Michael Pattison, Chief Executive Officer, Team17 Digital, said:
“We’re thrilled to be partnering with Blackbird Interactive on Earthless. They have a rich pedigree in developing engaging sci-fi and strategy experiences, making them perfectly placed to take the deck builder genre into exciting new frontiers. Working with studios like Blackbird Interactive underlines Team17’s strategy of collaborating with the most creative indie studios around the world and helping to bring their visions to gamers. We can’t wait to share more about their brand-new interstellar odyssey in the coming months.”
Earthless Key Features
- Captain on Deck: Captain a starship in daring roguelike voyages through webs of treacherous and ever-changing star systems to lead the survival of the species. Engage with enemies in tactical grid-based combat and make difficult decisions that could directly impact the well-being of your crew.
- Play the Hand You’re Dealt: Collect over 75 cards (with more to come in future updates), each with unique abilities and tactical combinations. Build the perfect hand to boost your capabilities and steel your ship against mysterious, interstellar threats.
- Win Their Hearts: With each new voyage comes a brand-new crew! Win their allegiance to unlock powerful bonuses, or disregard their needs at your peril.
- Bring A Friend: At early access launch, play with a friend in two-player co-op mode. Work together to discover unique cards and forge humanity’s new frontier together.
Wishlist Earthless now on Steam and to stay up to date, check out the official website, like the game on Facebook, follow on Twitter, and join the community on Discord.
About Blackbird Interactive
Blackbird Interactive is the creative powerhouse behind games like Hardspace: Shipbreaker, Minecraft Legends, and the upcoming Homeworld 3. Founded by Rob Cunningham, Yossarian King, and Aaron Kambeitz in 2010, the award-winning Vancouver studio boasts its own internal CG cinematics department led by the founder of Pixar Canada and is reinventing how world-class games are made through its innovative Skunkworks game jam program and four-day work week. BBI was listed among the fastest growing Canadian companies by revenue in 2020, 2021, and 2022 by The Globe and Mail and Deloitte.
About Team17 Digital
Founded in 1990, Team17 Digital is a leading developer, video games label, and creative partner for developers around the world. Part of Team17 Group plc, which floated on AIM in 2018, Team17 Digital has an extensive portfolio comprised of over 120 titles, and fully encapsulates the spirit of independent games. Team17 Digital’s portfolio of multi-award-winning and award-nominated in-house brands include Hell Let Loose, Golf With Your Friends, The Escapists, and the iconic Worms franchise, alongside its games label partner titles, including the award-winning games Blasphemous, Greak: Memories of Azur, and Overcooked! franchise. Visit www.team17.com for more information.
