An alien world for the taking. Explore, survive and make your fortune — or die trying.

A resource-rich frontier world has opened up for human exploration and exploitation, where hopefuls claim prospects for a limited time to mine for exotic resources.

Icarus takes a session-based approach to survival games. Players take limited-time drops onto a broken planet in search of rare exotic matter, which fuels advanced tech and player progression in the game’s gritty sci-fi universe. While navigating each prospect's unique challenges, players must collect meta-resources to permanently progress, explore the damaged planet, gather resources, craft tools and machinery, build shelter, hunt wildlife, extract the exotic matter and return to their dropship in time.

The developers are unlocking new features and content every two weeks, but it is only playable during the weekend. This latest weekend has unlocked storms, followed by the arctic biome in two weeks’ time, then the desert biome, and special faction missions set by the corporations vying for control of Icarus in the following weeks.

“Based on the awesome community feedback and pre-orders from our first Beta Weekend, we've added so many new items, gameplay systems and balance changes in the last two weeks that we felt players would need more time to grapple with it,” says Game Runner and RocketWerkz CEO Dean Hall. 

“We believe the key to making a great survival game is the ability to rapidly iterate. We have spent a long time developing the architecture to support this, and this Beta Weekend demonstrates our ability to rapidly iterate the game based on player feedback.”

“While base-destroying storms is the big new feature we’ve unlocked for this Beta Weekend, we’ve also made the playable map four times larger and added new building pieces, hidden caves, more varied animal threats, firearms, debuffs and more talents. It’s a different game from even two weeks ago.”

Here’s what you can expect to unlock every Beta Weekend:

STORMS 11th - 12th September

Now that you have spent time on the surface of Icarus, prepare for mother nature to do her thing. Torrential Storms are now enabled and, as seen on our Twitch streams, ensure you have your fire whacker and repair tool handy in case lightning strikes your base! Better yet, go mine some boulders to shelter in.

• Torrential Storms are now enabled
• Forest biome only

ARCTIC 25th - 26th September

Brace yourself for the cold, for you now have access to the forbidding and demanding temperatures of the Arctic biome. It's time to put your skills to the test as you prepare a survival plan for your journey.

• Arctic biome unlocked
• Arctic animals and blizzards

DESERT 9th - 10th October

We don't expect you to have mastered the Arctic biome just yet - perhaps you can take a break from the frigid weather and visit the Desert for some R&R. Just kidding, there is no relaxation anywhere on Icarus.

• Desert biome unlocked
• Desert animals and blizzards

FACTIONS 23rd - 24th October

What does it mean to be a Prospector? This weekend you will get your first taste of Icarus' political lore. Various factions and corporates have an interest in Icarus, but need someone expendable to run errands for them. In return for completing a series of objectives planetside they’ll reward you handsomely.

• Faction Missions unlocked

COMMUNITY 6th - 7th November

Our final beta weekend will celebrate our community with a giveaway and a few other surprises. Hang tight for more information on this!

• Special Community Event
• Prizes

We plan to accommodate multiple time zones and will confirm exact start times closer to 28 August. Anyone who pre-orders Icarus before its launch will gain access to the Beta, and pre-orders can be refunded at any time no matter how long you have played the Beta for.

Harsh environments demand an envirosuit, regular oxygen, food and water, shelter and constant attention. The wildlife is easily provoked, and your plans may need to change on the fly. Take the resources you find back to orbit to craft advanced technology for your drop, either with a crew or solo.

Use your time wisely or be left empty-handed or even left behind. Calculate the risks, stretch your endurance and resources. How far are you willing to go?

Icarus is coming to PC on November 20, 2021, followed by PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.