Armored Core VI crosses the Rubicon in August

© FromSoftware

Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon has a release date: August 23rd. To mark the announcement, FromSoftware has revealed a new trailer and a blog sharing gameplay details and more.

Armored Core VI takes place on the ruined planet Rubicon that was devastated by the detonation of a volatile but highly sought energy source called coral. As an armored core pilot, your job will be to complete missions, fighting back against the other forces desperate to get their hands on the material.

Through the glimpses of gameplay in the trailer, combat in Armored Core VI looks blisteringly fast with heavy mechs darting about the battlefield. According to game director Masaru Yamamura, the new assault boost feature lets mechs swiftly close the distance between long-range and melee combat, letting them keep up the pressure on enemies. Armored Core VI will also have a stagger feature whereby you can use your arsenal of melee energy weapons, missiles, and cluster bombs to stun enemy mechs for a short period of time.

But while Armored Core has always been about the hot mech-on-mech action, players will also get the chance to explore the ruins of Rubicon.

“It’s an intricate and multi-layered world, brimming with mega-structures and enormous underground facilities built by its former inhabitants. These structures cover a planetary surface wracked with extreme cold and contamination in the aftermath of the great disaster, and the player will be exploring these various environments as they proceed,” said Yamamura in the PlayStation blog.

Armored Core VI was announced during last year’s Game Awards, delighting fans who’ve gone 10 years without a new entry. Even more exciting was the surprisingly soon 2023 release date. (For reference, it took about three years between Elden Ring’s reveal and launch.) Between this and the forthcoming Elden Ring DLC Shadow of the Erdtree, it seems like FromSoftware fans are eating well this year.