Who doesn’t love the idea of giant humanoid robots armed to the metal teeth doing battle with each other? Between last year’s Armored Core VI and a few great recent mech tactics games, stompy robot fans have a lot of games to enjoy lately. Anyone who’s also into online shooters is about to have an especially good time, as the 6v6 Mecha Break is soon to launch two different beta tests on PC to get more people into the game.
Developer Amazing Seasun Games is holding a limited access beta test from August 2 to August 8, followed closely by an open beta test running from August 11 to August 13. The difference between the two is who will be allowed in the cockpit. According to Seasun, the limited access beta test will be available to “previous Mecha Break closed beta testers, hardcore community members, and influencers.” You can register for this test on the game’s Steam page now, but there’s no guarantee that doing so will get you one of the limited spots. Some codes will also be made available through Twitch drops once the test begins.
If you don’t get in at first, the open beta test will be available to everyone. It’s the first time Mecha Break has held an open beta test, designed to put the game’s servers through their paces while letting anyone who’s interested get a first taste of the game’s mech combat.
The latest test adds a new mech, called Stego, to the roster. Seasun says that after previous tests, it’s reworked the game’s core combat to make fights faster and more intense. That point of comparison may not mean much if you haven’t participated in previous tests, but it does signal that Seasun is listening to feedback and aiming for Mecha Break to follow in Armored Core VI’s footsteps to an extent with fast-paced action. For both tests, players will compete in the 6v6 Battlefield mode. The full game will also feature a 3v3 mode, as well as a 60-player battle royale mode where players compete against each other and NPC enemies.
Similar to other team-based shooters like Overwatch, the mechs in Mecha Break fall into distinct categories focusing on offense, defense, or support. That makes teamwork just as important as the ability to blow foes out of the air with missiles, and crucially, it could make the game more approachable to players who aren’t as adept as pure shooters. The ability for players to take a supporting role rather than simply going for high scores is one of the main factors that make hero shooters appealing to wide audiences, and Mecha Break could hope to gain a similar audience by catering to multiple playstyles.
Amazing Seasun Games has run tests throughout the past year. After an alpha test at the end of 2023, Inverse walked away with a positive impression of how Mecha Break blends its high-powered mechs and hero shooter mechanics to create something unique among both mech games and multiplayer shooters.
There’s still quite a bit we don’t know about the full game, including its release date. Mecha Break promises a large roster of mechs to play with in the final release, all of which will be customizable, but that fact itself raises some additional questions. As a free-to-play title, monetization will eventually be a factor, and how it’s implemented could very well decide whether the game finds an audience.
Of course, none of that is a concern with the upcoming beta tests, which feature a limited selection of mechs completely free. If you want to get a feel for Mecha Break’s combat early on and without spending a dime, its open beta test is your best chance yet to do that.
