Hawken Reborn Comes To Early Access Five Years After First Game's Shut Down

505 Games has announced that it will bring the mech combat game Hawken Reborn to early access on PC on May 17. This comes after the original game, Hawken, had its servers shut down back in 2018.

The game takes place in the world of Illal. Initially, it was going to be humanity's future home, but was slowly corrupted by corporate greed. Illegal terraforming poisoned the air, and an accident caused a nanite plague, called Giga, to destroy half of the planet. The player assumes the role of a mercenary pilot in a mech to explore Illal and discover the truth behind everything.

Hawken Reborn is also a single-player game as opposed to the original Hawken which was a multiplayer one. According to an interview with PC Gamer, the early access period will last around 15-18 months. There is also a planned co-op multiplayer mode that will arrive at a later date.

Since Hawken Reborn is free-to-play, its monetization system is based on crafting and upgrading. Players will be able to purchase materials with real money to customize their mechs and weapons. However, 505 Games confirmed that there will be no loot boxes, and any materials that can be purchased with real money can be worked towards normally in the game. The purchasing option is there for players who don't want to grind as often.

In GameSpot's Hawken review, we said, "Hawken is plenty of fun as a free ride, and it's worth sinking a bit of real money into it to ease the slower stretches and fully customize your favorite killer robo-suits. This mech shooter goes far above and beyond what you'd expect in a free-to-play offering, with an impressive visual design and intense, rewarding gameplay to match."