Insurgency: Sandstorm announced, trailer teases 'Story Mode' for solo or co-op play

The multiplayer tactical FPS Insurgency was released by New World Interactive in 2014, and it was quite good. The studio followed that up with Day of Infamy, a standalone expansion released earlier this year that converts the game from the modern era to the Second World War. Now a third game is on the way, Insurgency: Sandstorm, a proper sequel to the original that will feature a new Story Mode, playable either solo or cooperatively in groups of up to four. 

Despite the option to go alone, it's clear that Insurgency: Sandstorm remains focused primarily on multiplayer action. New World Interactive said the game puts an "emphasis on strategic gameplay," and like its predecessors, "rewards teamwork and objective-play over personal success." The description of Story mode also points toward a focus on working in groups, saying that "players will travel as a party cut off from support across a war-torn landscape on a new mission that is deeply personal." 

The trailer is narrated by one of those characters, a US Army vet turned "volunteer soldier" who's traveling with a local fighter on an unspecified mission. They'll be joined by other characters who will be introduced later, as "their objectives have aligned, and their vision of the war blurred as it touches each of them in different but converging ways." 

Insurgency: Sandstorm will include other new game modes, plus driveable vehicles, customizable characters, unlockable cosmetic items with Steam Marketplace integration, casual and ranked matchmaking, and other new features. There's no release date yet, but the website at insurgency-sandstorm.com says it's "coming soon."
 

Andy Chalk

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.