Shadowrun Online renamed, release date announced

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More than three years after Shadowrun Online was revealed to the world, it finally has a release date, and a swanky new name, too. Developer Cliffhanger Productions said it decided earlier this year to change the title to Shadowrun Chronicles: Boston Lockdown in order to correct mistaken assumptions that the game is an MMO.

"Shadowrun Online has always been a title that invited a wide range of expectations—some gamers thought it meant we are doing a full-blown MMORPG with a persistent open world, others believed it meant we are doing a free to play browser title," Cliffhanger Managing Director Jan Wagner explained. "The core vision of the game has always focused on experiencing the world of Shadowrun together with your friends and meeting other players, swapping stories and exchanging strategies as well as a creating a space for actual role-playing with others. This to us is the core experience of Pen and paper roleplaying—a shared imagination and story experience."

There are multiplayer options, including co-operative play for up to four people and a "live multiplayer hub" with PvP matches, but the campaign is designed to work just as well as a solo experience. Wagner said the new title also reflects Cliffhanger's intent to release more content "evolving from the collective actions of our players" down the road. "They will shape the way the future plot of Shadowrun develops, literally making history in the Shadowrun Universe," she added.

And, as promised, the release date: Shadowrun Chronicles: Boston Lockdown, which is actually already available as an Early Access title on Steam, will go into full release on April 28. Get the details at Shadowrun.com.

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.