Atari reboots with Asteroids: Outpost

Atari, one of the world’s most recognized publishers and producers of interactive entertainment, today announced Early Access availability for Asteroids: Outpost. The sandbox, open world, multiplayer shooter is a dramatic reboot of the 1979 arcade classic. Set in the distant future, Asteroids: Outpost updates the asteroid-blasting action of the original by putting players in the role of deep-space miners, harvesting rare ore and expanding their bases, while protecting themselves from deadly asteroid showers and claim jumpers.

In Asteroids: Outpost, mankind has expanded its reach into the distant corners of the solar system. Near-space vessels, heavy industry on the moon and thriving colonies on Mars extend humanity’s empire into the great blackness of space. Our solar system’s massive Asteroid Belt is a mother lode of resources, just waiting to be torn free and shipped home. “The Belt” is humanity’s newest frontier, as wild and untamed as any that man has faced. Ambitious prospectors blast off with little more than an Outpost Module and a Mining Tool to break open fallen asteroids to find their fortunes. This bonanza doesn’t come without risks and mere survival is a daily struggle. Asteroid storms bombard the surface, destroying Outposts, and hostile claim jumpers can appear at any moment. For the brave, there is a fortune to be made. For the foolish – there is only death. Welcome to the new Gold Rush.

“Asteroids: Outpost is bringing a completely new premise to the world-renowned Asteroids arcade shooter by combining survival and crafting gameplay mechanics in a multiplayer intergalactic setting,” said Fred Chesnais, Chief Executive Officer, Atari. “During the Early Access period, Asteroids: Outpost will build on the current gameplay while adding compelling new elements and expanding on the open world.”

Key gameplay features available at the Early Access launch include:

Tool & Weapon Crafting – Using tech and ore, gamers craft upgrades to their tools to create advanced weapons.
Base-Building & Degradation – Serving as both a player’s mining headquarters and home, bases are easily built in a square grid pattern by crafting and connecting modular pieces.
Asteroid Showers – Recurring showers of smaller asteroids represent both a source of wealth and a deadly threat, as players must shoot down incoming projectiles to defend their claims and harvest components from the fallen rock.
Resource Gathering – Mine the asteroid’s surface or scavenge bases and crash sites to gather resources required to craft and upgrade materials.
Terrain Exploration – Utilize in-game suits and vehicles to explore the lunar terrain and search complex landscapes featuring craters, boulders, cliffs and valleys, crystal formations, lava flows, gas plumes, and more.
Attacking & Looting – Bases include resource refining equipment and storage areas that are susceptible to looting, meaning players not only need to protect the precious resources they’ve collected but they also have the opportunity to seek out and loot nearby bases.

“This is part of our new strategy. We are going to be teaming up with young and innovative studios to take a refreshing look at each game from our extensive portfolio,” said Todd Shallbetter, Chief Operating Officer, Atari. “Releasing Asteroids: Outpost through the Early Access program will also help us get feedback from the community. Asteroids is the first of a long series of re-births, and we are considering doing the same for our other iconic games such as Warlords, Adventure, Tempest, Missile Command and many more.”

“We’ve created this massive world with base-building, crafting, and blasting asteroids out of the sky and we believe this game has great potential,” said Peter Banks, Executive Producer, Atari. “We also understand we need players to make this world thrive and turn this game into a super fun experience. We want players to know the game will evolve over time and this is why we are releasing the game in Early Access.”

A trailer for Asteroids: Outpost can be viewed after the jump.