Join The Club
I have a weakness for mecha games—a vulnerability so dire that I was recently driven to risk my professional credibility by defending the merits of Gundam Battle Operation 2. As you might imagine, the release of Armored Core 6 made 2023 a very good year for me, but it's meant I've spent the following years in twitchy anticipation, hoping for a sign that FromSoft has been back in the mecha kitchen. Given the studio's history, however, it could be busy cooking for a decade.
Luckily, indie devs seem eager to serve. If you browse the Mechs tag on Steam, you'll find a mountain of in-development Armored Core-likes from small teams and solo devs. In a recent post on Bluesky, PC Gamer contributor and curator of overlooked indie gems Dominic Tarason counted at least eight alt-ACs currently in the works.
Article continues belowIronwing Valiant: Record of Astera
I've written about Ironwing Valiant: Record of Astera in the past, and I hope to have more excuses in the future. It's my most anticipated among the cohort of AC-inspired indie games, because developer Tiger Team is clearly putting its own aesthetic spin on the sliding, jet-dashing school of mecha combat.
Unlike the others on this list, Ironwing Valiant trades Armored Core's magnificently bleak atmosphere for the kinds of lush, verdant countrysides and pseudo-WWII trappings you'd expect to see in Valkyria Chronicles. And with party customization and command systems it's adding its own mechanical flair to the mix, too.
Ironwing Valiant: Record of Astera doesn't have a release date yet, but you can wishlist it on Steam. Tiger Team occasionally posts development updates on X, too.
Code Rapid
Any minute I spend on X for work causes me psychic and moral pain, but at least its algorithm caught wind of my mecha interests well enough to feed me a steady diet of Hitbreak Games' video highlights from its ongoing development of Code Rapid. The indie team has been releasing near-constant gameplay clips for months, showcasing how Code Rapid's combat flaunts an almost PlatinumGames-esque character action stylishness, punctuating its mecha fights with acrobatic cartwheels and dramatic slow-motion flourishes.
In fact, it's almost too stylish. The movements are so fluid and organic that I don't feel like I'm looking at a heavy war machine as much as a guy in a suit. Still, it looks like it has an aggressive, reactive rhythm that I'm eager to try myself.
Code Rapid doesn't have a release date on Steam, but Hitbreak is aiming to release a demo in the next few months.
Rig Riot
Rig Riot hews more closely to established Armored Core presentation, but it pairs that more traditional aesthetic and playstyle with a roguelike format. Runs pit you against increasingly difficult enemy encounters as you cobble together randomized weapons and mods, while even failed runs add permanent mecha parts to your garage that you can mix and match for future deployments.
I'm interested in how AC-style gameplay fares when it's tuned towards a more repeatable structure, and thankfully I won't have long to wait. Rig Riot has a tentative May 2026 release date on Steam, and there's a demo available now.
Omega Phenex Commenced Project Six
While the previous games in this roundup are clearly interested in fast-paced action, Omega Phenex Commenced Project Six—in addition to having the most videogame-ass name of the bunch—is doubling down on mecha combat at top speed. But don't take my word for it.
"I always wanted to play a new mech game, but with Armored Core: For Answer speed and Ace Combat freedom in a beautiful landscape. So I've made one myself," said developer Surumemanzyu on X, referencing when Armored Core combat was at its fastest.
In gameplay footage, Omega Phenex moves at such intense speeds that it's almost impossible to track with the eyes. But hey, that's what the heatseeking missiles are for.
Surume Studio is aiming to release Omega Phenex Commenced Project Six in 2027. You can wishlist it on Steam.
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