The Wandering Band today announced Airborne Empire – the eagerly anticipated follow-up to the indie game studio’s acclaimed flying city builder Airborne Kingdom – in the GLITCH Future of Play Direct showcase during Summer Game Fest. The game will release on PC and Mac via Steam Early Access in 2024, but the captivating announcement trailer is available now.
Airborne Empire challenges players to build, manage, and grow their own unique city in the skies. They traverse a vast and rich open world full of new dangers, exotic wonders, and many hidden treasures. The unique lift, balance, and propulsion mechanics return, but a new foe has emerged: pirates upend the city’s tranquility, and players must defend their inhabitants – and the kingdoms below! – from destructive attacks. Only clever and daring leaders can grow and protect their homes, seek out and destroy enemy strongholds, and finally reunite the peoples of this world.
While exploring a variety of biomes, players find themselves deep in an open-world full of rich characters, dialogue choices, side-quests, and lost marvels. By helping the peoples below, they gain the knowledge to develop new technologies – including new lift, propulsion, and morale buildings. They’ll also gain access to better tools for defense – and offense – against the pirate threat; defense towers, cannons, and attack planes can be researched, upgraded, and augmented with the tools found by combing the world and unraveling its mysteries.
If players can manage the challenges along this adventure, they’ll find themselves the leaders of a sprawling sky city, with enough prowess to defend against any incoming threats. It shall be the capital of a harmonious empire – the Airborne Empire of legend – reforged under their banners. In 2024, players can finally begin this epic journey!
Airborne Empire will arrive on PC and Mac via Steam Early Access in 2024. Visit airborneempire.com for more information, and follow The Wandering Band on Twitter and Instagram for the latest updates.
Partner Quotes
“Our community helped shape Airborne Kingdom, especially post-launch, and I can’t wait to work with them again on this follow-up,” says studio co-founder Ben Wander. “Combat was the biggest requested feature of the last game, but I’m also excited about how much richer the world and story will be in Airborne Empire.“
“I don’t like calling it a sequel!” says studio co-founder Zachary Mumbach. “It really sets a different tone – an adventure, like Indiana Jones. Call it city-builder meets RPG. It’s really its own thing, and I can’t wait to get players’ hands on it!”
“The fact that we’re building on top of existing code allows us to be much more ambitious with everything new we’re adding to this game,” says studio co-founder Frederik Gareau. “It’s amazing to see the immediate impact of brand new ideas, and we’re re-shaping the game dramatically with each new feature.”
A Little to the Left: Cupboards and Drawers DLC opens up on 27 June
