“It faucets into the identical psychology as actual survival coaching: the necessity to take a look at your self, to see if you are able to do higher with what you’ve realized,” says Dean Corridor, answering my query about what it’s about Icarus: Console Version’s gameplay that can create a “only one extra run” compulsion for gamers. And he ought to know. In spite of everything, the founder and artistic thoughts of New Zealand-based studio RocketWerkz is a grasp of each real-life and digital survival.
A veteran of the New Zealand armed forces, which included time with the Singaporean army, for the previous 16 years Corridor has turn out to be generally known as the godfather of the survival style, because of a video games portfolio that features the long-lasting DayZ and extra just lately Icarus, which is coming to Xbox for the primary time in early 2026 as Icarus: Console Version, courtesy of Grip Studios.
Taking Survival to the Stars
Set in a future the place humanity journeys into the celebs, Icarus: Console Version will see gamers – both solo or in a celebration of as much as 4 – drop onto the partially terraformed eponymous planet to get better priceless unique matter. When it launches early subsequent yr, the sport will bundle each the bottom sport and New Frontiers Enlargement into one, bringing a mammoth 128 sq. kilometers of land throughout six wildly contrasting biomes for Xbox gamers to discover, thrive and – hopefully – survive in. “It’s the complete bundle that we wished we may have launched on PC 4 years in the past,” he explains. “We began with the Earth-like terraformed components of the planet, and the New Frontiers Enlargement provides the alien areas the place the terraforming failed.”
These dominantly alien environments type the map of Prometheus, which not solely options extra extraterrestrial-like settings, but in addition unusual – and hostile – new creatures, assets and supplies, and gear. It additionally introduces a storyline revealing what a number of the company factions exploring and exploiting Icarus have been as much as… (Spoilers, it in all probability isn’t one thing altruistic for humanity!)
Previous to the unique PC launch of Icarus in 2021, Dean’s survival video games had been Earth-based, however the far-future, intergalactic setting opened a brand new layer of inventive conceptualizing for him and the group. “There are a variety of survival video games, however with Icarus, we centered on making the atmosphere a powerful antagonist,” he says. “It takes the survival style as you recognize it, and layers on deep development by character and mount expertise timber, layers in missions to tug you thru – even in open-world – and provides storms as a steady tensor to the expertise.”
Observe, Orient, Determine, Act
Dropping onto an alien planet could be a shock and awe expertise for even probably the most hardened of pioneers, however Corridor explains that his recommendation to newbies touchdown on the planet’s hostile floor in Icarus: Console Version is identical he’d give speaking to new troopers in a real-world platoon: “[I’d recommend they use] situational consciousness: Observe, Orient, Determine, Act.” He provides, “Icarus: Console Version is quite a bit about preparation, and that’s good as a result of a number of the finest methods within the sport are round preparation. Construct homes, discover cautiously, and take fight on your phrases – not on the world’s. And be prepared for modifications.”
Considering again to his time within the New Zealand Royal Air Pressure and New Zealand Military, he says there are similarities to be discovered between IRL survival and what gamers will expertise in Icarus: Console Version. “I feel with good immersion, you may get emotional reactions which are much like the real-life expertise. That is what coaching within the army is about: you drill one thing till you reply routinely, overwriting the emotional parts. I feel video games might be a superb technique to expertise emotional ups and downs, which is what immersion in a survival sport is all about.”
Corridor describes graphics, gameplay, a way of development and a sport’s environments as vital to layering that immersion into the participant expertise. It’s one thing he and the group at RocketWerkz stored in thoughts as they developed Icarus on PC. “As you play, you may see how we realized and tailored as time went on,” he provides.
“The entire thought with Icarus was to try to layer in causes to proceed enjoying a survival sport, as a play session can are inclined to get stale after some time. That is such a disgrace, since you’ve constructed up a lot. Initially, we centered on particular person missions, however then found out find out how to permit the chaining of these missions inside a single open-world session,” he explains. “Probably the most enjoyable got here from weaving collectively the experiences in missions with a terrific backstory, in addition to a very deep sense of development each on the planet and in your character and mounts by expertise timber. That is one thing I actually want survival video games did extra of, and I feel (ultimately) we did very properly with Icarus.” And naturally from 2026, Xbox homeowners can expertise it too, in Icarus: Console Version.
Balancing for Each Solo and Squads
As with the unique launch, Icarus: Console Version will likely be totally realized for each solo gamers and people trying to tackle the planet with a gaggle of as much as seven others. Getting that stability proper could be a daunting job, however it’s one thing that Corridor deliberate for proper from the beginning:
“One in all our design pillars [was] that it needs to be enjoyable to play alone. That is one thing we predict many survival video games drop the ball on. One factor we did only for solo gamers was add a Solo Expertise Tree, a complete set of skills and buffs that solely apply if you’re enjoying alone.” He shares that this ranges the enjoying area, lowering the grind for solo gamers who don’t have a group backing them up.
“We actually needed your character to matter to the participant, so you’re feeling the ache once they die. [There are] a number of expertise timber so you may specialize your character into looking, constructing, gathering and even one thing like fishing. In a small group, survival turns into a group effort: dividing duties, protecting one another, and mixing these expertise. With a full group, you get one thing nearer to an expedition: there’s vitality, chaos, belief and that feeling of being a part of a residing mission.”
Coming to Xbox Collection X|S just a little over 4 years after the unique sport launched on PC, Corridor reveals that he’s excited for the brand new cohort of prospectors, extraplanetary explorers and terraformers to see what he, RocketWerkz and the passionate Icarus PC player-base have constructed: “It took a very long time, and a variety of working with the group on PC to get the sport to the place it’s now. I’m fairly envious of Xbox avid gamers, who’re going to be coming into Icarus: Console Version contemporary after a lot iteration.”
Icarus: Console Version is coming to Xbox Collection X|S in early 2026. Wishlist now.
ICARUS: Console Version
GRIP Studios
ICARUS: Console Version
Land on ICARUS, a planet damaged because of failed terraforming. As soon as meant to be humanity’s second residence, it’s now a hostile frontier of poisonous skies, savage wildlife, and relentless storms. Each drop from orbit is a combat for survival. Construct shelter, craft weapons, hunt for meals, and search your fortune in unique matter.
Survive alone or with as much as 4 gamers on this uncompromising PvE survival sport from the creator of DayZ.
The New Frontiers Enlargement is included from the beginning, reworking ICARUS: Console Version into a bigger, deadlier however extra rewarding survival expertise. Uncover new maps, missions, creatures, and rewards.
________________________________________
A PLANET THAT FIGHTS BACK
ICARUS resists your presence; poisoned air, lightning storms that tear aside constructions, wildfires that unfold unchecked, and predators that stalk within the shadows. It feels just like the planet itself desires to drive you again into orbit.
· With New Frontiers added from the beginning, you may discover two 64 km2 maps of handcrafted terrain throughout forests, mountains, deserts, and caves
· Harvest each tree, rock, and creature
· Adapt to excessive climate and pure disasters
________________________________________
NEW FRONTIERS INCLUDED
The Prometheus area, as soon as sealed off by the UDA, is now open. Terraforming failed right here utterly, leaving uncooked alien landscapes intact however warped. This enlargement expands ICARUS far past its unique borders:
· New Map & biomes: Alien grasslands, volcanic wastelands of molten lava, and harmful swamplands
· Six Narrative Missions: A chained story throughout Prometheus as you pursue a mysterious whistleblower for the UDA
· New Creatures: Face Needlers, Dracs, Dreadwings, and different mutated apex predators, advanced to dominate these zones
· New Exotics: Uncover a unstable new unique with distinctive results on the flora, plus new unique crops and over 30 extra workshop gadgets
· New Gadgets & Sources: Mine obsidian, clay, scoria, crystallised miasma, and super-cooled ice; craft 100+ new gadgets together with weapons, meals, recipes, and constructing tiers
________________________________________
THREE WAYS TO SURVIVE
· Open World: Set up everlasting bases and discover freely
· Missions: Timed contracts the place extraction is the whole lot
· Outposts: Low-pressure zones for inventive constructing and experimentation
________________________________________
PROGRESSION & REWARD
· Tech Tree & Skills: Advance from primitive instruments to superior tech
· Specialisation: Focus as a hunter, builder, or survivalist
· Orbital Workshop: Commerce unique matter for everlasting upgrades and gear
Unique matter stays the last word prize; uncommon, unstable, and lethal to pursue.
________________________________________
SOLO OR CO-OP
As much as 4 gamers can share every drop, combining expertise and assets to endure. Choose to go it alone? Survive solo with a Solo Expertise Tree for optimum problem.
Observe: ICARUS: Console Version doesn’t help cross-play.
