Fortnite-Like PvPvE Shooter Hawked Announces Free Open Beta In August

If you're curious to try out Hawked's colorful take on the relatively new "extraction shooter" genre, you're in luck. The game will be entering a free open beta period from August 3-17, inviting PC players to test the new shooter through Steam or the MGLauncher.

While the stylised, hyper-colorful visuals and island setting may draw comparisons to Fortnite, Hawked describes itself as an extraction shooter, a fairly new genre recently popularized by Escape from Tarkov. In Hawked's PvPvE gameplay, teams of three players race to collect Artifacts on the island X-Isle. Players compete against each other to meet objectives that involve solving puzzles, avoiding traps, fighting monsters, and of course fighting each other.

While the object is to win the session overall, even players on losing teams will be able to take home loot and currency that can be spent on building and improving their characters. The character customization system allows players to mix and match both aesthetic and functional upgrades, with a wide range of items that offer more than just weaponry.

Players who participate in August's open beta will get access to the game's premium battle pass for free, and will also get to keep any premium cosmetics they unlock during the beta period. Developer My.Games is also planning a second beta to test console and PC cross-play later down the track. The PC beta will be available from August 3-17 through Steam or the MGLauncher.