MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries pushed to Dec. as Epic Game Store exclusive

Fans of giant death machines will have to wait just a little longer to get in the robot. Developer Piranha Games today announced that the latest entry in the MechWarrior franchise, MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries, is being pushed back to Dec. 10. The game originally was planned for a September launch. Additionally, the game will now be an Epic Games Store exclusive. People who preordered the game have a slightly shorter delay as there will now be a closed beta in November.

MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries is the first single-player game in the MechWarrior franchise in over 17 years. And this isn’t the first time it has been pushed back. Russ Bullock, the executive producer, stated that the partnership with Epic, along with the delay, is allowing them to make the best game possible for fans, and of having an “experience with true freedom of choice and to be able to share that experience in a coop setting.”

A generous refund policy

There is a bit of a bad taste about the Epic Games Store to some gamers. For those looking to get a refund, you’ll be able to do so before Sept. 1. This applies to any pre-purchased tier of the game. Moreover, any preorder bonuses for MechWarrior Online are free to keep even if you refund the main game. Considering those bonuses could amount to over $300 of in-game content for MWO, that’s pretty generous. It is also nice to see this clear stance out of the gate considering how badly Shenmue 3 managed to mess this up. If you do choose to refund, you will not be able to participate in the closed beta this November. Duh. The game will be exclusive to the Epic Game Store for one year.

Mech management

MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries is a follow-up to arguably the best entry in the series, MechWarrior 2: Mercenaries. Players will build up their own mercenary force to take on whatever missions they damn well want. You’ll need to manage your fleet of robots, choose their loadouts, manage their weight, and decide where to deploy. The latest installment will be able to bring in up to three friends to help complete contracts via co-op.

Developer Piranha Games will be holding two “town halls” on their preorder Discord server to address community questions. The first will be held tonight at  6:00 p.m. PT. The second will take place tomorrow at 10 a.m. PT. The closed beta will begin on Nov. 5. There currently isn’t an announced end date for the beta. In the meantime, you can tide yourself over with the excellent BattleTech.