Gravhounds: Co-op Chaos with Bio-Engineered Dogs in Space Coming to Game Preview
Xbox Wire has announced Gravhounds, the debut title from independent studio Octopus Panic, is set to launch into Game Preview on November 2, 2026. Players can experience this unique co-op adventure on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox on PC, with day one availability through Xbox Game Pass. Octopus Panic, a small seven-person team, brings extensive experience from working on major franchises such as Halo, Battlefield, and Star Wars, aiming to foster player experimentation and surprise in their new systemic title.
In Gravhounds, players embody bio-engineered canine workers, designed for hazardous industrial tasks, who find themselves stranded with their crew across the galaxy. The core gameplay loop involves undertaking assignments, deploying to hostile planets, establishing operations, securing objectives, and attempting to extract with the entire team intact. These missions can range from recovering alien technology and extracting valuable resources to setting up vital infrastructure in unwelcoming environments. As operations expand and players push further, the planetary dangers escalate, demanding constant adaptation and quick decision-making.
A central tool for every Gravhound is the versatile Grav Beam. This industrial device is crucial for managing resources, transporting equipment, deploying Build Kits, and manipulating objects within the game world. Beyond its utility functions, the Grav Beam also proves highly effective in combat, allowing players to hurl objects, move heavy resources between teammates, incapacitate smaller creatures, or weaponize nearby items as improvised projectiles. For instance, players can throw health pickups to allies or relocate attacking enemies away from their base, significantly impacting tactical engagements.
The game is fundamentally built around cooperative play, emphasizing genuine teamwork rather than individual combat. Xbox Wire highlights that Gravhounds is designed for players to collaboratively solve problems, often leading to unexpected scenarios where improvisation and coordinated effort are key to success. Building is seamlessly integrated into the action; players will construct pipelines to distribute power and deploy defenses, which are vital for extending operations and protecting against escalating threats. This fast-paced building system complements the combat, ensuring players remain engaged without interruption.
Each shift offers dynamic progression, with players earning Reward Pods containing randomized weapons and upgrades as they contribute to objectives. These upgrades allow for diverse character builds, focusing on mobility, firepower, defense, or unique combinations, making each playthrough distinct. Concurrently, the opposition grows more formidable, ensuring that both players and enemies become considerably more dangerous by the end of a successful shift. Furthermore, Gravhounds are equipped with an industrial propulsion rig, enabling multi-directional boosts, jumps, and hovering for rapid repositioning. This mobility is enhanced when traversing pipelines, offering supercharged speed and unlimited boost, which is critical for responding to emergencies or assisting teammates.
Gravhounds' launch into Game Preview is a deliberate choice, allowing Octopus Panic to develop the game alongside its community, focusing on refining its systems, balance, and co-op interactions based on player feedback. Those attending gamescom can get a hands-on experience at the ID@Xbox booth in Hall 7.