One year after official reveal, HYENAS is finally going into beta

HYENAS, the upcoming looter-shooter from Sega, is finally going into beta, one year after its initial reveal. The game was shown off last June, and 14 full months later, players will have the opportunity to get a taste of it. 

The PC closed beta for HYENAS will begin on Aug. 31 and will run for just under two weeks as it closes up on Sept. 11. 

HYENAS is being developed by Creative Assembly, the same studio behind games like Alien: Isolation and the Total War franchise. The game blends PvE and PvP combat in a post-Earth future, where battles for space and extraterrestrial planets take center stage. 

HYENAS is, at its core, a hero shooter, with a cast of characters that each have their own unique sets of abilities. Similar to games like Overwatch, Apex Legends, and even Payday, the goal of the game is to “find and crack secured vaults, then steal enough Merch to make your escape,” according to Sega. Players will have to battle each other, as well as dangerous NPCs throughout the course of each game. 

Related: HYENAS aims to provide a diverse shooter experience, even outside of gameplay

One of, if not perhaps the trademark feature of HYENAS is its zero-gravity gameplay. Much of the gameplay shown in its trailers so far has showcased players fighting in the air, with gravity playing a minimal role. From what has been shown of the game thus far, it puts an emphasis on movement, with much of that movement coming in the form of flying through the air. While running and sliding are still going to be present in the game, HYENAS’ trailers have made it no secret that flying and interacting with zero-gravity mechanics are going to be a major part of the experience. 

While the game does not yet have a release date, HYENAS will likely go live in full either in late 2023 or sometime in 2024. The long delay between its initial reveal and the first wave of closed beta testing makes us think the game will probably come out in 2024, but a Q4 release this year is still on the table. 

HYENAS’ closed beta will be available for testing starting on Aug. 31. Players can sign up for the playtest on the game’s Steam page.