FromSoftware reveals release date and mecha gameplay for Armored Core 6

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FromSoftware is bringing back its long-dormant mecha franchise in spectacular fashion this August.

FromSoftware has finally revealed gameplay for Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon, the soft-reboot that aims to revive its long-dormant mecha franchise. The trailer confirms that the sequel will launch on August 25, 2023, after showing off loads of action-packed mecha gameplay, a few bosses and cutscene snippets teasing the story campaign.

Watch the trailer below:

This gameplay trailer focuses on showing players all the things they can do with a mecha to fight off their enemies, from sliding across the ground and firing off rockets to jetting into the skies and unleashing machine gun fire on the hapless machines below. Armored Core 6 will allow players to build and customise their own mechs with a variety of weapons and abilities to choose from, so your mecha could play very differently from the one we see in this trailer.

That being said, the trailer is frustratingly vague on this sequel’s actual story. Despite being titled ‘Armored Core 6’, FromSoftware has mentioned that players new to the franchise can freely jump into the game without feeling lost. Publisher Bandai Namco’s synopsis of the game also suggests a fresh adventure for Armored Core fans:

A mysterious new substance called “Coral” was discovered on the remote planet, Rubicon 3. As an energy source, this substance was expected to dramatically advance humanity’s technological and communications capabilities. Instead, it caused a catastrophe that engulfed the planet and the surrounding stars in flames and storms, forming a Burning Star System. Almost half a century later, Coral has resurfaced on Rubicon 3, a planet now contaminated and sealed off by the catastrophe. Extra-terrestrial corporations and resistance groups fight over control of the substance. The player infiltrates Rubicon as an independent mercenary and finds themselves in a struggle over the substance with the corporations and other factions.

Don’t worry about playing five Armored Core games to catch up to this one, then. As long as you enjoy a good mecha game, you’ll like Armored Core 6. If you’re only jumping into this game because of FromSoftware’s work in the Souls genre, you should be aware that Armored Core is a very different beast. Players will progress through the campaign via a series of missions and tinker with their mech in between to modify movement, appearance and combat capability, so don’t expect bonfires and potions. There will still be tons of bosses to take on, however.