Firewatch release date announced, will be out in early 2016

YouTube

Firewatch is a game about watching for fires in the great forests of Wyoming, which doesn't sound like much to build a game on. The reveal trailer from 2014 makes clear that there's a whole lot more going on than just staring at swaths of trees from atop a wooden tower, however, and while the journey from good teaser to good game is always filled with peril, I am hopeful that it will up to its billing when it comes out. Which, by the way, will happen on February 9 of 2016.

"Right now we’re still polishing, optimizing, writing, and developing the last bits of the game, but we can’t wait to put it out there for you to play," developer Campo Santo announced today. "Our goal is a worldwide simultaneous release!"

Big news! Firewatch will be released February 9, 2016 for Windows, Mac, Linux, and PS4. http://t.co/AaVIWa3SSy pic.twitter.com/9Ezn06iZmjOctober 12, 2015

The studio said it will reveal more about the game as the release date nears, and also teased "some opportunities for folks to get an early hands-on." Campo Santo tossed out a few lovely new screens too. Give them a look below. And speaking of hands-on, don't miss ours from earlier this year.

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.