In this guide, we’ll break down everything we know so far about Armored Core 6: Fires Of Rubicon, including gameplay and story details from the reveal trailer. On this page:
Armored Core 6 expected release date and platforms Armored Core 6 trailer Armored Core 6 gameplay Armored Core 6 story Will Armored Core 6 have multiplayer?
Armored Core 6 expected release date
Armored Core 6 is expected to release in 2023. It will launch on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series consoles. That’s all of the info currently available, but we’ll update this page when FromSoftware reveals more. If you’re worried about lengthy delays after the wait of almost three years between the reveal and launch of Elden Ring, it’s important to note that it was certainly an exception. Armored Core 6 was revealed in December 2022 at The Game Awards, and meeting the 2023 release date wouldn’t be a huge stretch for FromSoftware. Dark Souls 3, Bloodborne, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice all had a similar window between their respective reveals and release dates.
Armored Core 6 trailer
Below, you can see the Armored Core 6 announcement trailer, which debuted during The Game Awards 2022. It opens with a roaring fire on the surface of the planet Rubicon 3, with the explosive blast tearing through wildlife as a lava-like substance spreads through space. We then see metal bodies breaking out of a snowy surface as synth music starts to play, before we cut to some big mech action. Turrets and helicopters are deployed in an attempt to rip through the hulking mech armor, and we see what looks like a large war. It looks brutal, and given that Armored Core is all about battling it out with your customisable mech, we expect that you’ll play a primary role in fighting that war.
Armored Core 6 gameplay
Armored Core 6: Fires Of Rubicon is a third-person action game in which you build and control a mech around fast-paced levels. You can use a mix of ranged and melee attacks to cause carnage as you leap and dart through arenas with incredible speed and ferocity. While drawing any comparisons between the Armored Core and Dark Souls series is hard, it’s worth noting that the Armored Core series is generally revered as being even more difficult than the Souls games. Those looking to enjoy FromSoft’s worldbuilding in an easier environment might not find their answer in Armored Core 6: Fires Of Rubicon. Rather than trying to apply the Souls style to Armored Core 6, FromSoftware president Hidetaka Miyazaki noted in an extensive interview with IGN that they wanted to “go back and take a good look at the core concept of Armored Core and what made that series special”. Namely, it’ll all be about building and piloting your own mech in intense, challenging battles. However, those who only followed FromSoftware after the Souls series will be glad to hear that “boss battles are the highlight of the game”. That shouldn’t be a shock to fans of the Armored Core franchise, of course, as they’re renowned for having some incredibly tough fights. Another thing stressed in this interview is that Armored Core 6 “will feature a mission-based structure to the single-player”. So, players shouldn’t go into this expecting a follow-up to FromSoft’s recent Elden Ring, which received critical-acclaim for its fresh approach to open-world design. Instead, it should be overwhelmingly reassuring to Armored Core fans - Fires Of Rubicon will re-examine what is beloved about the Armored Core franchise, and intend to deliver that with resources that weren’t previously available for the franchise.
Armored Core 6 story details
In the same IGN interview, Armored Core 6 director Masaru Yamamura is clear that it will feature a “completely fresh new story”, without major links to other games in the series. In that regard, it should open the franchise up for new players. According to the game’s official website, Armored Core 6 takes place on the remote planet of Rubicon 3, a new location for the franchise where a “mysterious new substance was discovered”. It offered the potential to drastically advance the technological capabilities of humanity. However, few things are so easy, and the substance wreaked havoc on Rubicon 3, turning it into a post-apocalyptic wasteland. The fiery storms that spread through space and surround Rubicon 3 in the trailer are examples of this destruction, which has formed a “Burning Star System”. Armored Core 6 picks up almost 50 years later, with various rebel groups and big corpo armies fighting to seize control of the destructive, yet valuable resource. You’ll play as a mercenary, invading Rubicon as a solo agent to take the substance before others manage to take it for themselves.
Will Armored Core 6 have multiplayer?
Yes, Armored Core 6 will have multiplayer. Further into the IGN interview linked above, Yamamura states that they “do plan to have a versus mode, similar to previous Armored Core titles”. While no more details are stated in the interview or elsewhere on the game’s website, previous games featured 1v1 PvP arenas that essentially pitted you against other players in boss-style battles. Armored Core 5 also featured a team-based multiplayer mode, but there’s no mention of this returning in Armored Core 6. That wraps up everything we currently know about Armored Core 6: Fires Of Rubicon. Make sure to check back regularly for more news on this highly-anticipated sequel to FromSoftware’s longest-running series!
