Amidst all of the layoffs, studio closures, and general turmoil in the games industry this year, one project that seemed almost destined to get shelved was Alara Prime. Developer Fall Damage Studios was declared bankrupt back in May, but from the ashes it appears to have risen as Alara Prime – its slick-looking, 4v4v4 tactical FPS – has just dropped a new trailer and confirmed that it’s planning to launch in early access next year.
After struggling to find a publisher for Alara Prime, Fall Damage’s parent company filed the studio for bankruptcy, saying that it was an “unsustainable financial situation.” It assured that in discussions with publishers the game received lots of positive feedback and that development was still on track, but that its rocky situation was “not temporary.” However, Alara Prime and Fall Damage have now resurfaced with a brand-new trailer and a brand-new publisher, Hyperjump Interactive.
In this FPS game, 12 players are split into three teams of four that all compete for an objective called an uplink. Two of the teams are attacking the objective, while the remaining team defends it. This asymmetry of course puts the defending team up against it, but if you strategize well, you may be able to surprise both teams and put them in a situation where they mostly take each other out.
The first-person gameplay looks very similar to what you find in games like Valorant or 2024 newcomer Spectre Divide – it certainly looks like Counter-Strike players will also get along with it. There are four classes with differing playstyles – Assault, Infiltrator, Support, and Engineer – and you can customize your loadout with different weapons, alt-fires, and gadgets.
Alongside the new trailer shown off during the PC Gaming Show, it has been confirmed that Alara Prime is on track to launch in Steam Early Access at some point in 2025. It still plans on being free-to-play too. To find out more, wishlist the game, or sign up for an upcoming playtest, head on over to its Steam page here.
While you wait for your next chance to play Alara Prime, here are some other amazing multiplayer games and free PC games you can try out instead.
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