Tempest Rising's next update will add massive superweapons that'll let you 'unload devastating payloads onto the enemy'

Concept art of a drill pod in Tempest Rising

(Image credit: Slipgate Ironworks)

Throwback RTS Tempest Rising doesn't exactly skimp on large-scale destruction, but the booms are about to get a whole lot bigger in Slipgate Ironworks' Command & Conquer tribute. Its next patch will introduce two new superweapons to its near-future conflict—one for each faction—each with the potential to reshape the battlefield.

Introduced to Tempest Rising "by popular demand", the superweapons take the form of base structures and come equipped with a powerful standard ability, plus the potential to "unload devastating payloads" onto your opponent.

A gif showing an orbital drone strike in Tempest Rising — (Image credit: Slipgate Ironworks)

Once fully charged, the station can send a signal into orbit to call in a drone strike at player-designated coordinates. When you hit that big red button, nine drone turrets plummet to the ground like meteors, dealing massive explosive damage before the turrets themselves rise up through the smoke and commence blasting anything that survived the initial impact. Rad.

The Tempest Dynasty, meanwhile, gets to play with the excavator platform. Described by Slipgate as a "siege engine" the platform can garrison up to 18 units inside armor plated drill pods, then propel them into the earth to conduct surprise attacks from below. On top of this, the platform can deploy a special combat excavator when fully primed. This can carry troops like regular drill pods, but it also unleashes three massive shockwaves on arrival, each dealing massive damage to anything caught in the concussion.

Both weapons seem formidable, and it'll be interesting to see how they fit with the game's existing balance. Slipgate says it is "excited to see the creative ways you use them in multiplayer" though it doesn't specify whether they'll be added to the campaign or single-player skirmish.

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Concept art of the Drone Strike station in Tempest Rising — (Image credit: Slipgate Ironworks)

It appears superweapons aren't the only major feature coming to Tempest Rising, as Slipgate says it has more news "regarding future content" for the RTS to come. Could this finally be the addition of a third playable faction? While there are already three armies in Tempest Rising, one of them—the alien Veti—only exists as an AI campaign foe. Prior to Tempest Rising's launch in April, Slipgate stated a third playable faction would be added at some point, but as we approach the end of 2025, this is yet to happen.

Rick has been fascinated by PC gaming since he was seven years old, when he used to sneak into his dad's home office for covert sessions of Doom. He grew up on a diet of similarly unsuitable games, with favourites including Quake, Thief, Half-Life and Deus Ex. Between 2013 and 2022, Rick was games editor of Custom PC magazine and associated website bit-tech.net. But he's always kept one foot in freelance games journalism, writing for publications like Edge, Eurogamer, the Guardian and, naturally, PC Gamer. While he'll play anything that can be controlled with a keyboard and mouse, he has a particular passion for first-person shooters and immersive sims.

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