Post news Report RSS Valve announce Alien Swarm

A new TFC! Black Cat Games were hired by Valve two years ago and have been quietly developing AS for Monday's free release, which includes source code.

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Valve say:

Alien Swarm is a game and Source SDK release from a group of talented designers at Valve who were hired from the Mod community.

Available free of charge, the game thrusts players into an epic bug hunt featuring a unique blend of co-op play and squad-level tactics. With your friends, form a squad of four distinct IAF Marine classes. Plan your attack using an unlockable arsenal of weapons with countless loadout configurations against a wide variety of aliens. Blaze your way through an overrun, off-world colony, eradicating the alien infestation in environments ranging from the icy planet's surface, to a subterranean lava-flooded mining facility.

Along with the game get the complete code base for Alien Swarm that features updates to the Source engine as well as the SDK. Alien Swarm adds 3rd person camera, depth of field, improved dynamic shadows and a wide variety of gameplay additions to the Source engine.

There will NOT be Mac support, or source code, on release.

In-game screens In-game screens In-game screens In-game screens



Post comment Comments  (0 - 50 of 147)
Armageddon104
Armageddon104

HOLY CRAP! I was not expecting this at all! :O

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Cremat0r
Cremat0r

It just appeared, and people love this game!

Reply Good karma Bad karma+15 votes
russianguy
russianguy

Now me and my friends can enjoy the action thank you Black Cat Gamers and Valve

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Mr.Creeper
Mr.Creeper

Cr3mat3r,question,whats your steamcommunity name??

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TheBorz
TheBorz

This is great news :D!

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Elegwa
Elegwa

Nicely done! :D

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Torabi
Torabi

Holy crap indeed! I remember playing the UT2004 mod. Was a blast! Yeaaah! More free games!

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INtense! Staff
INtense!

Spread the word... digg us up: Digg.com

Reply Good karma+3 votes
Anddos
Anddos

ysy more coop games

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Tex1090
Tex1090

Holy god, I didn't expect this, and for free?! I'm in!

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Checalov
Checalov

Holyshit

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Maxen1416
Maxen1416

SUDDENLY OUT OF NO WHERE A NEW GAME REVEALS!!!

Reply Good karma Bad karma+5 votes
DNAz
DNAz

A Wild Game Appears!
Its free! Its super effective!

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Noesis_Interactive
Noesis_Interactive

Awesomesauce

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Murdouken
Murdouken

Loved the UT2K4 mod, can't wait for this.

Is it a free game that allows anyone to use the Source SDK, or is it a free game released by valve that requires you to have the Source SDK?

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Checalov
Checalov

(buried)

Learn to reaD?

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Varsity Author
Varsity

It's not a silly question. AS gives you the SDK according to the store page, so *if* it's free to everyone in the world then Valve are making all Source mods free to everyone in the world as well.

They'd be making some noise if that was the case, so I expect it will in fact only be available if you own the SDK already.

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xXMaNiAcXx
xXMaNiAcXx

(buried)

Well, source mods are already free for everyone, just grab HL2: DM at one of those steam offers by NVIDIA or ATI.

They are just gonna give it for lazy people.

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Varsity Author
Varsity

Nope, those deals don't give you the SDK.

Reply Good karma+11 votes
Daystranger
Daystranger

Maybe, we're getting some kind of "limited" SDK like L4D2 SDK.
So you could only play mods for L4D2 and make maps only for L4D2.
Same here. Limited AS SDK. You could only mod and map for AS.

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Varsity Author
Varsity

That now seems to be the case. The AS SDK will be separate from the Source SDK.

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SteveUK
SteveUK

The mapping part might be separate but I don't think the code is, it's already been said it brings the >Source SDK< up to the latest Source version.

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branpurn
branpurn

The way SteveUK put it- that's is how it is. The mapping is separate because of the nature of the game, but you still get good ol' Source SDK though.

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Broadsword530
Broadsword530

The official announcement is that you get an Alien Swarm SDK, not source SDK and even if you did get source SDK it would not let you use mods because you don't need source SDK to run mods you need "Source SDK Base"

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Guessmyname
Guessmyname

Holy crap! I played the UT2K4 version of this! Awesome! Awesomely awesome!

I wonder if mods will be able to move onto the updated engine (ie unlike the L4D2 engine updates). And the game itself is fully moddable? Epic.

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RastaBadger
RastaBadger

I forgot how awesome valve was and for my sins they reminded me.

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8472
8472

Can't wait to give this a go!

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Rain0
Rain0

HOLD IT did i read "free of charge?" DO MY EYES DECIEVE ME?!?

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lethal_vortex
lethal_vortex

free of charge o.0

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August_K
August_K

Oh my god this is awesome!

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Hidraga
Hidraga

This is awsome!

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Hubbles
Hubbles

HOLY CRAP! THIS LOOKS ******* AWESOME!

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56er
56er

I like very much <3

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JuQu
JuQu

Announcing L4D2 was perhaps little bit harsh move, but now this? Valve know how to keep players interested. :P

Cant wait to try this new masterpiece!

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Miroku08
Miroku08

Left 4 Dead + Half-Life + Shadowgrounds = Alien Swarm

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JuQu
JuQu

Shadowground is also good game and this one looks bit similar. Unfortunately Shadowgrounds never provied multiplayer support, so thats why I'm so excited.

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AlCool
AlCool

Alien Swarm (UT2K4) = Alien Breed and Shadow grounds

Don't insult it.

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J*Rod
J*Rod

Are they releasing it for Mac? I don't see anything mentioning it yet.

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coolkid87
coolkid87

yes its listed as a mac release. so portal 2 wont be there first simultaneous release.

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subenji99
subenji99

This is incorrect: there is no mention of Mac support on either Store.steampowered.com or Alienswarm.com

A chatlog was posted on several places allegedly showing a comment from a Valve employee that the title will not be a simu-release; that honour is still reserved for Portal 2 - but that "maybe" a Mac version will be forthcoming.

// the chatlog in question:
2:45 PM - HaekB [reddit]: wait alienswarm isn't coming to mav?
2:45 PM - HaekB [reddit]: mac*
2:45 PM - ~TGG~ BurdenJ: Nope
2:45 PM - ~TGG~ BurdenJ: Portal 2 will be the first simul-release
2:46 PM - HaekB [reddit]: ooh, so i assume it'll eventually get mac support?
2:47 PM - ~TGG~ BurdenJ: Maybe

Allegedly: Steamcommunity.com

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Varsity Author
Varsity

I was willing to assume that would be on Mac, but that chatlog tips the balance. Profile updated.

Reply Good karma+2 votes
VenomousBeetle
VenomousBeetle

There's still a good chance the "PC Mod to Mac" Compiler will be released.

But not the same second, minute, day etc.

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SteveUK
SteveUK

Alfred Reynolds has already said there's going to be Mac tools, but they aren't ready yet. However, this release only brings the Source SDK up to S2009 - no Mac stuff yet.

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coolkid87
coolkid87

well the information i based this off was off the moddb profile and the fact that future valve games are for both Mac and windows. But now that i look into this further, i can see that there is little evidence to support this.

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NightSage
NightSage

yeah, it doesn't work on mac. Trust me, I tried.

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DuckSauce
DuckSauce

Nice, release Monday 19th apparently: Store.steampowered.com

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NullSoldier
NullSoldier

Me and my friends are very excited about this, we can't wait to play it Monday. I hope they allow us to preload because some of my friends have poor connections.

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experiment92
experiment92

This looks great and all, but this is what Valve does when everyone is begging them for Episode 3?! Looks awesome, but it's not like Valve has ever made something bad.

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Varsity Author
Varsity

Half-Life Deathmatch: Source. THAT was bad.

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AlCool
AlCool

BlackCatGames made this, not valve, even tho they credit themselves as the developers.

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fier_
fier_

BlackCatGames were bought by Valve and work for them now though.

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branpurn
branpurn

They are part of Valve. Hurr durr.

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DaFranker
DaFranker

BlackCatGames are technically Valve employees though, if I remember correctly. So yes they're part of Valve, which means yes it's a Valve release.

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Tex1090
Tex1090

This is correct. They were hired into Valve and have worked on games such as Left 4 Dead and Portal 2 apparently. So they are Valve employees as said by themselves.

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Jack5500
Jack5500

HLDMS WAS AWSUM!!!!1

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SweatbackSTEEN
SweatbackSTEEN

because valve didnt hire people to make this or anything

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