Powered by Unreal Engine 5, Polaris takes place in a region of space overtaken by a ruthless force known as the Regime, where players must reclaim their homeworlds and raze every last enemy stronghold to the ground.

Battles take place across meticulously detailed, entirely destructible environments: whole cityscapes, wild forests, and even the planet’s very terrain can be destroyed throughout the game’s intense PvE match-ups. Banding together as superpowered freedom fighters, players will execute guerrilla tactics to take back their territory, flying through dynamic open levels, destroying enemy infrastructure, and unearthing the coveted mysteries that drive the Regime’s war of conquest.

All in-game structures— installed by the Regime, but not yet inhabited by their indoctrinated citizens— can be crushed, blown apart, and otherwise annihilated over the course of every match, and the same is true of the natural environments and terrain upon which they’ve been constructed. Whether decimating towering buildings or blowing craters in the earth, players will find that the worlds of Polaris are intricately destroyable, leading to a reactive and ever-evolving combat environment.

Team up with your most trusted comrades to liberate your home system’s planets and lay waste to your oppressors.

Today, Polaris Team announced that Polaris will launch its first Pre-Alpha playtest this weekend running from September 6th, 2024 at 10am PDT to September 9th at 10am PDT.

Players interested in trying out the co-op PvE can request access to the Pre-Alpha on the Polaris Steam page once the event is live and await approval from the Polaris Team.

Alternatively, players can sign up to the Polaris Newsletter by Wednesday, September 4th, 2024 to receive 4 Pre-Alpha Steam Keys to share with friends, which grants immediate access to the event on Friday.

Polaris Team has been hard at work in the development process, implementing new features, refining the core gameplay mechanics, and exploring a more stylized visual aesthetic. The playtest will showcase an early development build, featuring work-in-progress content; by enlisting their community to join in at this early stage, the team hopes to gain invaluable feedback provided to help steer their creative process. Players will be able to offer feedback, coordinate co-op games, and discuss the game in the newly launched Discord. 

Polaris Pre-Alpha Test | Details

• When: Friday, September 6th at 10am PDT to Monday September 9th at 10am PDT
• How to Join the Pre-Alpha: 
  • Sign up to the Newsletter to receive 4 Pre-Alpha Steam Keys
  • Request to join from the Steam page today!
• Co-op Matchmaking: 
  • Play with Steam friends
  • Coordinate co-op groups in the Discord
• Pre-Alpha Content & Caveats: 
  • This early development build of POLARIS  will include a single level to explore with 1 - 4 players. The playtest includes a dynamically destructible environment, flying abilities and co-op shooter-action— but players should expect some placeholder artwork and work-in-progress features.

The in-game infrastructure of POLARIS can be toppled, blown apart, and otherwise destroyed over the course of every match. The same is true of the natural environments and terrain upon which they’ve been constructed. Whether decimating skyscrapers or burning craters in the earth, players will find that the world of Polaris is intricately destroyable, leading to a reactive and ever-evolving combat environment with each new game.

Polaris is a departure from their previous titles, such as the BAFTA-winning mystery adventure Virginia. This stylistic contrast led to the creation of a new division within Variable State: Polaris Team, whose eponymous project channels the developers’ shared passion for the craft and techniques of PvE game design. Featuring former members of studios such as Creative Assembly, Splash Damage, Ninja Theory, Rebellion & Cloud Imperium, Polaris Team immediately brought a wealth of multiplayer combat action experience to the table, devising a project that focused on a mix of refined combat mechanics, team-oriented gameplay, and dynamically-destructible settings.

Polaris is coming to PC (Steam) in 2024.