As everyone and their mum knows by now - Armored Core 6 is not only an actual, official thing, but it's also coming out later this year, in 2023! That's right - we're getting a full-fledged new Armored Core, and it's being developed by the franchise's original developers, to boot. And, really, it's easy to misunderstand the significance of this development: after all, From Software hasn't really done anything with Armored Core since 2013!

Yes, you read that right, though. Those who aren't in the loop with industry developments may have missed the fact that Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon is being made by the same people who made Elden Ring. That, on its own, is a huge deal. Today, however, we'd like to summarise why we should all be very excited about Fires of Rubicon!

READ MORE: What Do We Know About Elden Ring's First DLC?

Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon - Due to Launch in 2023!

It's hardly a secret that none of FromSoft's other titles has achieved the same acclaim as its emblematic 'Soulslikes' have. Demon's Souls, Dark Souls, Bloodborne (don't get us started on that one, though!), and - naturally - Elden Ring itself. Having established what is, in essence, a sub-category of the action-RPG genre, FromSoft broke through into the mainstream a long while ago, and Elden Ring plainly cemented its value for times to come.

Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon, on the other hand, is about as far from mainstream as it gets. Armored Core is a mecha combat series: a sci-fi about a post-apocalyptic dystopia where mercenaries make the world go 'round. For a gamedev studio to shift from dark fantasy to... er... dark science-fiction is no small feat. Yet, as the first contemporary Armored Core from FromSoft, there's immense potential here!

Pre-order Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon via 2Game for an early bird discount!

What Makes Armored Core 6 so Special?

Even though the official Souls games produced by FromSoft are by far the studio's most popular offering, they're far from the first "franchise" that the team had worked on. One might argue that Armored Core is the From Software's biggest, most prolific IP, with a whopping sixteen unique releases from 1997 to 2023. Indeed, over a dozen games! They were never quite as popular as the likes of Elden Ring, but that's where Fires of Rubicon comes into the picture.

And, to be sure, the fact that FromSoft is making an all-new game that's not a Soulslike is a huge deal in and of itself. It gets better, though, and it all concerns one bit of official marketing that most people appear to have missed. According to FromSoft and Bandai Namco, Armored Core 6 "combines FromSoftware's longstanding expertise in mech games with their signature action gameplay to bring a brand-new, high-octane experience to the series."

Does FromSoft Have What It Takes?

Our argument as to why this admittedly awesome-looking mecha shooter is such a big deal should've crystallized by now. By the devs' own admission, FromSoft is obviously leveraging its Dark Souls experience to produce a new kind of Armored Core. A mecha-based Soulslike? Oh, heck yes. Now, to be perfectly clear, this is still a shooter, as the earliest trailers have plainly shown. The core identity of the franchise is being maintained. It is also being substantially upgraded, however.

We know for a fact that all the key features of Armored Core are sticking around:

• rapid-fire 3D combat with both ground and aerial mobility
• immense mecha customization options
• huge levelscapes
• impressively large levels and some of the biggest boss fights ever conceived

The fact that Armored Core 6 is seemingly inspired by some of FromSoft's most highly accomplished releases isn't necessarily surprising, then. It is incredibly exciting, however, as this means Armored Core, too, may go mainstream at long last. We're yet to see how its gameplay loop meshes all these things together, of course, but boy have we got high hopes for it now!

What Previous Lessons Will Be Applied to Fires of Rubicon?

Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon is coming out on August 25, 2023 on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms, meaning we're all going to be playing the game in just a few months' worth of time. This article officially kickstart the hype season here at 2Game, so be sure to stay tuned! Not only do we already have an awesome pre-release discount for early adopters, but we've also got heaps of upcoming coverage in mind, and you're going to want to keep up!

Pre-order Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon via 2Game for an early bird discount!

Much more information is due to release over the coming weeks and months, and we'll be at the forefront of it all here at 2Game. Stick with us for discounts, giveaways, cutting-edge previews, and more! And just think about it - a true Soulslike mecha game. The possibilities are endlessly awesome indeed.

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