Set in a vibrant and perilous post-infodemic America inspired by graphic novels, a band of misfits and outcasts must cross a divided continent to transport a mysterious package from California to Nova Scotia.

The year is 2030, three decades after the Broadcast. You play Pax: exile, con-artist, Anomal — with the ability to weaponize language. Looking for a new life and a way out, Pax has been hired to transport an important package from Pacifica to Nova Scotia, across the Justice-controlled American Republic. Sounds like a legit reason for a road-trip, right?

So pack your bags, assemble a crew with their own peculiar powers, and get ready to travel the country!

Explore the stunning Neo-Western landscapes of an alternate history America on a robot-driven tour bus, and stop at a dozen locations along the road to build your crew, manage relationships, complete missions, and face increasingly difficult challenges. But the people you stole the package from want it back, and the authoritarian Justice is hot on your heels, so don’t forget to pack your baseball bat!

(And, oh yeah, you’re travelling undercover as a punk-rock band, so you’ll definitely need to brush up on your musical skills before your next gig.)

At the end of the road lies salvation…but to get there, you’ll need to cross an entire continent.

Meet The Herald, a mysterious Puritan who will play an important part in Dustborn!

Spotlight By Quantic Dream and Oslo-based developer Red Thread Games announced that Dustborn is now available to pre-order.

Players who pre-order the game will receive a free exclusive bonus skin, including:

• A Sherbert twirl hat
• A Psycho Pete bat
• An exclusive Eye C U Jacket

To celebrate the start of pre-orders, two brand new cinematics were released.

The first cinematics featured new gameplay presenting the crew at the start of their journey, using the power of words to face a not so friendly encounter, while the second one introduced Dustborn’s main antagonists, the Puritans, a fundamentalist technocratic corporate conglomerate from whom the crew has stolen the package. 

“We are excited to offer a deeper look at how the power of words shapes Dustborn’s gameplay,” says Ragnar Tørnquist, Creative Director at Red Thread Games. “As we launch pre-orders, we wanted to give players more insight into the crew’s undercover punk-rock road trip and the adversaries they face along the way. We cannot wait to see players discover the game’s comic book-inspired experience, build relationships with the crew, and use their abilities to defeat Justice and the Puritans!”

The game will also be featured in the upcoming Steam Next Fest, which will be held from June 10 to 17, 2024, starting at 10:00 a.m. Pacific time. For one week, players will have access to an exclusive 30-minute free demo for the very first time, only on Steam.

It will give you a chance to explore different situations and discover the power of words, playing as Pax, the main character. As an Anormal, she can control words to craft new powers, defend herself, get out of tricky situations, neutralize threats, and build relationships with her crew or new encounters. Of course, relationships can be tricky to navigate, with each character bringing their own powers, perspectives, motives, and insecurities. It promises to be an emotional, rocky, and rewarding journey!

The studio has more surprises in store. A physical edition will also be available at launch on August 20 for a recommended retail price of 39,99€/$39.99. This special edition will include:

• 2 postcards from iconic locations visited by the crew;
• A map of the American Republic, listing all the pitstops the crew has to make before arriving at their final destination;
• A 32-page prequel comic book about the crew’s life before accepting this risky mission;
• Stickers of iconic elements from the game.

Key Features

• You just can't without your crew: Your crew is fam. Round up, manage and look after a motley mob of misfits with peculiar powers, compelling stories and clashing personalities.
• Wield powerful weaponized words: Words can hurt. Use weaponized words (fueled by disinformation) in combat and conversations, to fight enemies, manipulate strangers, and motivate friends.
• The romance of the road trip: On the road across America, you'll stop at iconic locations in a dozen states, explore strange new places and take on unexpected assignments, meet a diverse cast of characters, enlist new crew members and fight your pursuers.
• Cross a Divided States of America ruled by the authoritarian Justice, from Pacifica to the Free Nation of Nova Scotia, staying one step ahead of the fanatical Puritans.
• Record and remix Echoes of the infodemic into new weaponized words, and manipulate, intimidate and control the people you interact with.
• Manage your relationships through dialogue choices and human interactions in an expressive, branching dialogue system.
• A story about family, friendship, and hope in the face of overwhelming adversity.
• A beautiful graphic novel art-style that brings stunning 2D illustrations to 3D life.
• An alternate-future Neo-Western narrative with unexpected twists and turns, tough choices and emotional consequences.
• Travel undercover as a folk-punk-rock band, and learn to play a set of original tunes around the campfire…before proving yourself in an epic Battle of the Bands!
• Robots! Let's never forget about the robots.

Dustborn is coming to PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC (Steam) on August 20, 2024 at 29,99€/$29.99.