Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak trailer reveals the "Primary Anomaly"

Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak

Gearbox has released a story trailer for the twice-renamed sci-fi RTS Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak that digs into history of the people of Kharak, and the discover of the “Primary Anomaly” that set them on their quest to reclaim their homeworld of Hiigara.

The video is (or at least looks like) an in-engine cinematic rather than a demonstration of gameplay, but even so the Homeworld heritage is obvious. The massive, desert-crawling flattop is almost certainly the terrestrial equivalent of the Mothership, and the visual style and audio cues ring true, too. And is it just my imagination, or does the pair of red-trimmed fighter-like ships that flash across the screen at 1:34 look awfully Bentusi-like? I don't know how the Bentusi would figure into this stage of Kushan history, but as straight-up fan service a brief appearance wouldn't surprise me at all.

Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak is available for preorder on Steam, at 20 percent off the regular $50/£30 price for owners of the Homeworld Remastered Collection; non-owners will get the Homeworld Remastered Collection free with a regular-price preorder. It comes out on January 20.

Andy Chalk
US News Lead

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.

Latest in RTS
Earth vs Mars screenshot - Martian troopers vs Earth light tanks
Relic's new project is a 'smaller indie-style' game about a martian invasion of Earth
Age of Empires 3: Definitive Edition promo art
Age of Empires 3: Definitive Edition DLC promised last year is cancelled: 'We announced content before it had been built, and we now feel that announcement was premature'
Tempest Dynasty faction
The first multiplayer demo for my most anticipated RTS, Tempest Rising, is out now
Former Age of Empires developer says the RTS genre's stuck in a rut: 'you're still playing the same game'
Creeper World IXE
Creeper World IXE breaks the RTS mold and adds a dash of Noita's alchemy to the gooey war
A large blue factory complex in Industrial Annihilation
Planetary Annihilation successor has a bumpy landing on Steam, and the backers aren't happy: 'So bare bones that it's basically an asset show without a game'
Latest in News
Aloy - Horizon
'I feel worried about this art form:' Unsurprisingly, the real Aloy from Horizon isn't a fan of AI Aloy
Crying laughing emoji with disturbing realistic elements for REPO
REPO's first update will add a new map and a 'duck bucket' so we can finally give that pesky quacker a time out
Man facing camera
The Day Before studio reportedly sues Russian website for calling infamous disaster-game a 'scam'
Will Poulter holding a CD ROM
'What are most games about? Killing': Black Mirror Season 7 includes a follow-up to 2018 interactive film Bandersnatch
Casper Van Dien in Starship Troopers
Sony, which is making a Helldivers 2 movie, is also making a new Starship Troopers movie, but it's not based on the Starship Troopers movie we already have
Assassin's Creed meets PUBG
Ubisoft is reportedly talking to Tencent about creating a new business entity to manage Assassin's Creed and other big games