I remember going out to Piranha’s HQ for Mech Con when CEO Russ Bullock strapped in and blew our minds with the announcement of MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries. All of us held on with baited breath with visions of roaring across the galaxy, taking contracts for the highest bidder. When it came to the Q&A portion of the presentation I just had to laugh — one of the first questions was “When do we get Clans?” Russ took that in stride, stating that the team was excited to tell that story, but that was a story for another day. The running joke after launch was that every time somebody asked about the Clans, Russ delayed the expansion another six months. I guess our wait is over — all hail the Clans!
A standalone game instead of an expansion, MechWarrior 5: Clans represents the next major step for this storied franchise, giving us a completely new campaign experienced from the perspective of Clan Smoke Jaguar in the pivotal conflict known as the Clan Invasion starting in the year 3050. Let’s dive into what we know so far:
MechWarrior 5: Clans features a captivating and intricately crafted story that immerses players in the conflicts of the Clan Invasion. The campaign takes place across a variety of planets through stunning, meticulously designed biomes where immersive realism is baked into every detail. Hand crafted maps and missions deliver engaging combat, both complex and chaotic, demanding thoughtful, strategic play. Tactical options abound with an all new cast of customizable Clan Mechs boasting sleek and powerful Clan technologies. MechWarrior 5: Clans explores a pivotal time in the MechWarrior universe brought on by the Clan Invasion and incredible technological advances in Mech warfare, reflected within the Clan Invasion time period.
MechWarrior 5: Clans follows the elite five-mech squad, a “Star”, from the Smoke Jaguar Clan. The promising cast of rookie pilots complete their training on their home world of Huntress just ahead of the Clan Invasion, a critical turning point in the BattleTech lore. The game immerses players in both the personal and military conflicts of the Clan Invasion. As you progress through the campaign, you’ll experience a deeply engaging narrative that unfolds with well-developed characters and moral dilemmas that keep you on the edge of your seat.
In this outing, you’ll be commanding a Star (the Clan version of a Lance), building out your team and growing with them. I’m hoping they’ve also taken the team to overhaul the loyalty system to put a little meat on that bone. The game will also feature a completely rebuilt progression system, all new customization through an updated Mech lab, and obviously all the clan weapons and mechs we can shake an ER-PPC at. Best of all, we don’t have to wait long to get into the cockpit — MechWarrior 5: Clans launches in 2024 for PC and for unspecified Xbox and PlayStation consoles.
Keep an eye out for all the MechWarrior news right here at GamingTrend.com!
Ron Burke is the Editor in Chief for Gaming Trend. Currently living in Fort Worth, Texas, Ron is an old-school gamer who enjoys CRPGs, action/adventure, platformers, music games, and has recently gotten into tabletop gaming.
Ron is also a fourth degree black belt, with a Master's rank in Matsumura Seito Shōrin-ryū, Moo Duk Kwan Tang Soo Do, Universal Tang Soo Do Alliance, and International Tang Soo Do Federation. He also holds ranks in several other styles in his search to be a well-rounded fighter.
Ron has been married to Gaming Trend Editor, Laura Burke, for 28 years. They have three dogs - Pazuzu (Irish Terrier), Atë, and Calliope (both Australian Kelpie/Pit Bull mixes), and an Axolotl named Dagon!
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