Fortell Games has announced the release of Warshift 2: Machines of Madnessa new real-time strategy and action hybrid title developed by solo creator Cyril Megem. The game, proudly made in Ukraine, is now available for the XBOX family of devices, supporting XBOX Play Anywhere for shared progress and achievements across consoles, PC, and ROG XBOX Ally devices. Fortell Games CEO Alexey Menshikov expressed excitement about bringing the game to players, noting its target of 4K60 FPS on XBOX Series X for demanding players.
Warshift 2: Machines of Madness uniquely blends real-time strategy (RTS) with third-person action (TPS), allowing players to seamlessly switch between tactical command and direct combat at any moment. Game designer Cyril Megem explained his vision for a strategy game where “the commander is not separated from the battlefield,” enabling players to plan large-scale operations and then fight alongside their forces when critical situations arise. This deshundreds of hours of gameplay across seven distinct modes, including single-player campaigns and custom skirmishes against AI.
Strategic Depth and Tactical Control
Players can enhance their strategic capabilities by capturing Energy Nodes, which are crucial for constructing resource extractors and expanding territory. This not only boosts production capacity but also denies vital resources to opponents. Even when engaged in third-person Action mode, commanders retain tactical control, able to issue orders to unit groups created in Strategy mode, directing them towards targets while personally participating in the fight.
The Ark, serving as the player's home base, can be strategically repositioned to any of the four designated landing zones on the map. A well-chosen location can shorten supply routes for newly produced units and bring enemy targets within range of the Ark’s powerful orbital strikes. While airborne, the Ark can still launch orbital strikes and produce aircraft, offering mobile fire support before relocating or landing elsewhere. Orbital Strikes themselves are devastating area-of-effect weapons, capable of eliminating entire enemy formations and disrupting their offensive momentum when timed effectively.
Aviation plays a critical role, with aircraft providing highly mobile and fast-moving support across the battlefield. They can reinforce threatened positions, intercept enemy forces, or support attacks. Entering hero flight mode also allows for much faster navigation to distant areas. For streamlined management, players can automate factories to continuously produce chosen units and send them directly into battle, freeing up focus for broader strategic decisions or direct combat involvement.
Advanced Tactics and Customization
Heroes can be equipped with automated support turrets or drones, which independently attack enemies, intercept missiles, or provide other assistance, allowing players to concentrate on primary objectives. For those commanding alien forces, the Evolution mechanic enables in-battle transformation of units into more powerful, higher-tier versions, requiring protection of cocoons during the process to strengthen subsequent attacks.
Deploying superunits like Battleships and Aircraft Carriers can project overwhelming power, breaking fortified positions and shifting the balance of a battle. After engagements, returning air squadrons to Aircraft Carriers ensures damaged units are repaired and lost planes are replaced, restoring full strength for future deployments. In Skirmish mode, players can customize enemy tactics, choosing behaviors from defensive to extremely aggressive, and add AI-controlled Support Avatars to their team or the enemy's, dramatically altering battle flow and adjusting the challenge balance.
Warshift 2: Machines of Madness is available for $19.99, offering extensive customization for heroes with dozens of weapons, upgrades, unique super-abilities, and new addon types like support drones. The game features diverse environments, including terrain, air, water, volcanic, underwater, and outer space, as humanity battles a biomechanical civilization across large-scale ground and space operations.