Tribes: Ascend is an upcoming free to play multiplayer-only first-person shooter

First-person shooter

First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...

 part of the Tribes franchise. It is currently being developed by Hi-Rez Studios

Hi-Rez Studios

Hi-Rez Studios is an independent, privately held video game developer based in Alpharetta, Georgia. It was founded in 2005 by Erez Goren, and released their first game, Global Agenda, in February 2010....

 and was announced on March 11, 2011 at PAX East with an expected release early next year. It will be available as a digital download for Microsoft Windows

Microsoft Windows

Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...

, though Hi-Rez Studios haven't ruled out the possibility of an Xbox 360

Xbox 360

The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...

 or PlayStation 3

PlayStation 3

The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...

 release in the future. Iconic aspects from previous Tribes games such as jetpacks and skiing will be featured in the game. Currently, the game is available to play as a closed beta.

Loadouts and classes

Tribes: Ascend will feature a unique loadout system. Each loadout specifies what type of armor you have, along with what weapons and items you can carry. Loadouts will only support three weapons; two in-hand weapons and one melee object, along with either grenades or mines and a pack. Players select which loadouts to bring with them into each match, and can change them when either respawning or at an inventory station. Hi-Rez Studios has yet to reveal how many loadouts will be available at launch, though they did state that there will be at least 15 available during the closed and open beta. Loadouts may be acquired either through an upfront payment, or through playing the game for an unspecified amount of time. Paid-for loadouts will be available to the user instantly and permanently, while those who choose to unlock them through playing will have a much longer wait. Players will be given two free loadouts, the Soldier and Ranger, when they first start playing the game. The Soldier is part of the medium armor class, and features a Spinfusor, Eagle Pistol, Energy Pack and grenade. The Ranger is part of the medium armor class, and features an Assault Rifle, Thumper DX, Energy Pack, Anti-personal Grenade. .

Hi-Rez will also sell cosmetic items such as player skins, along with boosters that allow players to gain tokens and experience at a faster rate. Players earn in-game credits during matches for killing enemies, repairing structures or capturing objectives. Credits are used to buy vehicles, supply drops and base upgrades.

Game modes and maps

Hi-Rez Studios have stated that they are currently testing Capture the Flag, Team Deathmatch and Rabbit game modes, though it will launch with just Capture the Flag and Rabbit . While some maps will retain the classic nature of the Tribes franchise with large open areas and base structures, others will have a more urban feel to them, featuring buildings and streets. Katabatic is one confirmed map for Tribes: Ascend, which originally appeared in Tribes 2

Tribes 2

-Legacy:On November 20, 2002, Sierra released an update for Tribes 2. This update contained two new game types, new maps and updates to address several issues. Sierra, which is now part of Vivendi SU, licensed the franchise to Irrational Games for a third installment; Tribes: Vengeance was...

, along with a revamped version of Broadside called Crossfire.