Marauders: Alpha start time, trailer, gameplay, platforms, more

Marauders characters facing cameraSmall Impact Games

Marauders is the much-hyped FPS looking to crack the competitive looter-shooter market, developed by Small Impact Games. Here’s everything we know about the title so far, including how it plays and the unique setting.

After a successful crowdfunding campaign on Fig, Small Impact Games’ brand-new looter-shooter Marauders has garnered some significant hype. Now with Team 17 on board as publishers, the title has been undergoing strenuous playtesting from 3,000 early backers since 2020.

Taking cues from Escape from Tarkov, Marauders plunges players into the depths of space to explore a dieselpunk universe. But when can players finally get their hands on the full release, and what will they actually be doing in-game?

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Here’s everything we know about Marauders so far.


Contents


Player carrying weapon in MaraudersMarauders puts a fresh spin on the tactical FPS gameplay of Escape from Tarkov.

Is there a Mauraders release date? Alpha start time

Unfortunately, there is no Marauders release date as of yet, and it doesn’t appear that a full launch is on the cards anytime soon. Small Impact Games have revealed, however, that the game will enter early access on Steam and PC Game Pass on an unconfirmed date in 2022.

The devs are also holding a closed PC alpha from May 4 to May 9. The test is open to anyone who preorders Marauders from the official website.

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The Alpha will kick off at 4 PM BST/8 AM PT/11 AM ET, and run until the same time on May 9.

Marauders trailers

Despite being early access for the better part of two years, Marauders only received a formal announcement trailer in March 2022. Just shy of 90 seconds, it didn’t reveal too much about the game, but interested players could catch a glimpse of the industrial sci-fi setting and FPS gunplay.

Check out the full announcement trailer below:

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Another trailer also debuted on April 27, 2022, to reveal the first details of the close alpha as well as preorder details. Check out that clip below:

Marauders platforms

At the time of writing, the only platforms that Marauders is confirmed for are Steam and PC Game Pass. No console version has been announced so far, but a dev did confirm in an interview with The Loadout that a PS5 or Xbox Series release hasn’t been ruled out.

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The same developer, Cameron Small, also mentioned that crossplay is unlikely due to the difference between players’ experience on console and PC.

Spaceship in MaraudersSmall Impact Games
Players can explore outer space in Marauders.

Marauders setting

Sci-fi settings are nothing new in video games, but Marauders seems to have found a fresh spin when it comes to its lore. In this universe, the year is 1990 and the Great War (WWI) never ended.

After the earth was left in ruin by a decades-long war, many humans fled into the cosmos. This is why the weapons on offer in Marauders feel very familiar despite the otherworldly backdrop.

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We don’t know much more than that right now, but more insights are sure to be released with each new trailer and playtest.

Marauders gameplay

In terms of gameplay, Marauders appears to be taking inspiration from Escape from Tarkov. Players take control of a daring space pirate, carrying out raids on various planets with the aim of scoring some valuable loot.

The goal is to outsmart both AI enemies and others players to escape the battleground with your rewards in hand. However, death means the spoils will most likely be lost to an opposing team.

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Fights take place from a first-person perspective and force the player to think tactically as they try and gain the upper hand. The twist in Marauders is that players can also freely cruise through the stars in ships that can be bought, sold, and upgraded.


There you have it! That was everything we know so far about Marauders. More information is expected to drop in the coming months, so make sure to check back here for the latest updates.

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