Tribes: Ascend launching tomorrow, trailer previews Raindance and custom server options

http://youtu.be/9MUht_nYc2Q

Tribes: Ascend kinda-sorta soft-launched in late February—you could pay for access, and buy classes and weapons with real money. Tomorrow, Hi-Rez is peeling off the beta tag from the game, and in anticipation of that the studio has released a preview of two changes that'll be implemented when Tribes updates: Raindance, a port of one of the franchise's classic maps, and custom servers.

Custom servers will finally lay the groundwork for better clan and competitive play in Ascend. A lot of folks, myself included, like hand-editing .cfgs when they're adminning a server, but I actually like that Hi-Rez is integrating that system into the game itself with what looks to be the right amount of complexity. It's a nice entry point for players who've always been curious but intimidated about server ownership.

Evan's a hardcore FPS enthusiast who joined PC Gamer way back in 2008. After an era spent publishing reviews, news, and cover features, he now oversees editorial operations for PC Gamer worldwide, including setting policy, training, and editing stories written by the wider team. His most-played FPSes are Hunt: Showdown, Team Fortress 2, Team Fortress Classic, Rainbow Six Siege, and Counter-Strike. His first multiplayer FPS was Quake 2, played on serial LAN in his uncle's basement, the ideal conditions for instilling a lifelong fondness for fragging.