Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin is a real-time strategy entry in Games Workshop’s sci-fi universe that will bring a strategic perspective to PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X | S sometime in the future. The game was revealed as part of today’s Skulls Showcase and is developed and published by Elite Dangerous studio Frontier Developments. It’ll allow players to control four factions in dynamic battles throughout a story-driven campaign, but it has a multiplayer component that features 1v1 and 2v2 cross-platform modes, too. The Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin announcement trailer is purely cinematic but does at least tease a colorful art style and epic action. You can see the footage for yourself below.
Frontier promises “a diverse range of mission types and modes” in Realms of Ruin and a host of units that each have the power to turn the tide of battle. As the Warhammer series got its start as a tabletop miniature wargame, the developers say they put special care into making these units and factions match up with their miniature counterparts. Meanwhile, the narrative was co-written with Black Library author Gavin Thorpe and is based on the recent tabletop campaign, Dawnbringer Crusades. For more on how this RTS spinoff fits in with the Warhammer universe, you can read the short description below:
Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin is set in Ghur, the savage Realm of Beasts, an inhospitable, violent land where only the strongest survive. In the singleplayer campaign, the forces of Order dispatch the celestial, reforged champions known as the Stormcast Eternals to reclaim this realm. After establishing a precarious foothold in this dangerous place, their fortress settlement is under serious threat from the Kruleboyz, the sinister and violent Orruk faction who call Ghur their home. When this Stormcast detachment’s leader, Sigrun, learns about a source of arcane power that can protect against the Kruleboyz, they venture into the swamplands at great risk to obtain it – beginning the campaign’s twisted cinematic tale of desperate survival.
Many RTS titles are developed with PC in mind, but Frontier says that Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin was created for both PC and consoles simultaneously. Those playing with a controller will enjoy their experience using a feature called “DirectStep,” which the developers describe as “an innovative new real-time strategy interface enabling tactical immediacy in the heat of battle.” The goal with this new feature is to allow players to have the same flexibility and responsiveness allowed with mouse and keyboard play, though we’ll need to wait for more information to see how it’s executed.
Fans can expect two Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin betas in the lead-up to launch with dates to be revealed “soon.” Additional information on the game itself, including details on factions, modes, and features, will be revealed in “the coming months,” and in June, we’ll get to see gameplay.
