This is  the most hyped I’ve felt about RTS announcements in a very long time. Within the space of a single week, we’ve seen the announcement of, and a release date for a new Homeworld game, Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak, as well as the release of classic RTS Total Annihilation on Steam. Let’s talk real quick about why this is exciting.

Deserts of Kharak

First, let’s talk about Deserts of Kharak (which I’ll be abbreviating DoK. It was first announced as a game called Hardware: Shipbreakers, and eventually acquired the Homeworld branding, increasing interest in the game for many. It seems in many ways to be a less truly 3D adaptation of the Homeworld formula, with a gigantic mobile base producing units as it travels (this time around a desert wasteland instead of between the stars). It looks like DoK will feature a similar research system to the Homeworld games, a prequel story leading up to the events of the beloved series, and most importantly will see the return of one of the most beloved and dare I say important RTS franchises in the genre’s history.

The game hints at having weather events, and the original Shipbreakers concept was intended to be open world with persistent elements, so there’s potential that we may see some interesting systems development going on. Either way, the game looks gorgeous and the prospect of getting into a new Homeworld game is deeply exciting. You can bet we’ll be covering this game in depth.

Total Annihilation Comes to Steam!

Many hold Total Annihilation to be the best RTS ever made. Whether or not you agree, it’s undoubtedly one of the most enduring RTS formulas out there, and it’s exciting to see the game available on Steam as well as GoG.com. What’s more, the game is launching at 30% off, for a cool tree fiddy, or $3.50 US. Apparently, there’s no Steamworks integration yet, at least, so multiplayer isn’t really going to be an option. But, it’s an easy way to purchase and play this enduring classic. And for around the price of a McDonald’s hamburger, no less.