With The Cycle, Yager introduces the Competitive Quester, a new genre of PvEvP shooter with a strong focus on emergent social dynamics.

Welcome to Fortuna III. Far as we can tell, this rock was terraformed by aliens a long time ago. The Federation tried colonizing it, but the Cycle put an end to that. We’re talking world-spanning storms that kill anything dumb enough to set foot planetside and these storms are happening more often than not.

Your home is a spinning collection of tin cans known as Prospect Station. The main thing going for it is that it's not the surface. It ain’t pretty, but no one said life on the frontier was going to be easy.

You put up with this junk for one reason: to get rich. The planet’s full of exotic materials that the major galactic factions pay serious credits for. When the Cycle breaks, that’s your window to get down there and get to work. Just watch out for the competition – the long arm of the law doesn’t reach out this far.

Cash in your contracts and those same factions will set you up with some shiny gear. They’ve got big guns, little guns, medium guns, and a collection of gadgetry that’d make your jaw drop. Getting the job done is whole lot easier when you’ve got a jetpack and a laser cannon at your side.

Release 7 arrives today, all guns blazing! We have a lot of weapon balancing and adjustments for you,  as well as some additional quality of life improvements, fixes, and a new training mode.

TRAINING MODE "VIRTUAL MATCH"

The Virtual Match is a new button in the main menu. This match simulates a standard Solo match with the contract rules that apply for the Solo game mode. You can use the Virtual Match to test load-outs and find optimal routes from different spawn points. You do not get any XP, materials or progress for the Fortuna Pass in this mode. It is just a simulation!

MASSIVE BALANCING PATCH

To mention all changes here would obliterate this email format. Nearly every weapon received some changes, in most cases the effective range now reflects their function better: For example, SMGs like the Flechette will be more effective at close to medium range, but no longer at long range.

So now there is more strategy around your engagement ranges and you'd better have the right tool for every distance at the ready. In addition, we adjusted other aspects such as recoil values, reload times, and more. Read the full release notes to check how your favorite weapons changed.

FIXES AND IMPROVEMENTS

As per usual this update brings new fixes and improvements, look at what we cooked up for you. Find out all the details by clicking here.

What's Next?

A friendly reminder to friendly Prospectors: take a look at our recently created Trello board to see all the features and improvements we're working on!

It's a living document and we will update it regularly with the latest intel right out of the studio. Check it out in the link below!

The Cycle is free to play in early access for Windows PC via the Epic Games Store. Players can also grab the Fortuna Pass, a special season pass available in both free and premium tiers and featuring over 150 exclusive unlockable rewards. For more information, visit the official website.

Key Features

• A new Frontier: Explore the world of Fortuna III - a hostile, beautiful new world, full of fortune, alien life, and other players looking to take its riches.
• Storm: The cycle leaves only a narrow window of opportunity - stay too long, and you will be trapped on the planet.
• Pacting: Players can meet on the surface of Fortuna III and join uneasy alliances with one another as they complete contracts
• Black Market: Players have a wide arsenal of weapons and gear available to them, all with different playstyles, that can be purchased during a match
• Crafting: Players can spend their precious credits on creating new gear to take into the next match
• Quests: Shooting may give you an edge - but the best prospectors are those who can take on dangerous jobs for factions during a match
• Customization: A wide selection of gear that players progress through, tailoring their character to their individual playstyle, with more options regularly added

The Cycle is in development for PC (consoles at a later date).