Stormgate shows off Infernal Host faction, a Zerg swarm with Diablo aesthetics
Upcoming RTS game Stormgate, which is currently having closed Alpha tests, appeared during Opening Night Live at gamescom 2023 to give a development update, showing off the second of its factions in some detail for the first time. The Infernal Host, clearly meant to be the equivalent of the Zerg from the game’s spiritual predecessor StarCraft 2, is a race of demons that has tried to overrun Earth in the past, but failed to get the job done – leading to the current conflict with the survivors of mankind, the Human Vanguard unveiled during a showcase earlier this year.
A key faction mechanic for the Infernal Host will be the Shroud, a magical field surrounding some of the Host’s buildings. This will not only boost their units’ capabilities in battle, but also allow for the execution of demonic rituals. The developers showed off three units of the race as well – the Imp (see the unit on the left below), the Brute (the unit in the middle), and the Fiend (the unit on the right).
Frost Giant
Imps are the Host’s workers, but can also be used as kamikaze units in times of need thanks to their ability to sacrifice themselves in a fiery explosion. Brutes are two-headed monsters that can tank a lot of damage and also come with an ability to end their own lives, though not in an explosion. Instead, the Brute splits itself in two, creating two quick Fiends that can continue the fight.
Outside of gameplay, Frost Giant announced some developments regarding the soundtrack: The Grammy award-winning EDM and DJ duo The Chainsmokers have signed on to the project as advisors, while two composers famous for their work on previous RTS hits are writing the OST – both Tracy W. Bush (StarCraft, Warcraft 3) and Frank Klepacki (Dune 2, Command & Conquer) are on board. From what we’ve heard of the music so far, you can definitely expect some Terran vibes from the Human Vanguard’s themes.
The Shroud provides Infernal Host units with advantages in combat, among other benefits.
Frost Giant
“We’re making Stormgate for everyone who has been waiting far too long for the next great RTS – including ourselves,” said Tim Morten, CEO and production director at Frost Giant Studios. “The progress we shared tonight on Opening Night Live reflects our team’s commitment to creating an engrossing RTS built around highly asymmetric factions that players can enjoy mastering for years to come.”
Stormgate will be released on PC via Steam as a free-to-play title, though there is no launch date just yet. It’ll feature single-player and co-op campaigns, a three-player co-op PvE mode, as well as competitive 1v1 and 3v3 multiplayer modes. It’s previously been announced that Stormgate will use rollback netcode and 64 tick servers to guarantee smooth online play.
