I was ready to throw myself into Blackbird and Gearbox’s Homeworld 3 this spring when I received a somewhat disappointing intergalactic broadcast from Nic, who praised the game’s atmosphere and story while ruminating on its awkward controls and lack of tactical depth. Like a flock of frigates sensing a bunch of destroyers lurking behind a nearby asteroid, I hastily changed my route and took up a waiting position about an astronomical unit from the buy button, hoping the developers could iron out a few of the wrinkles.
I’m not sure if today’s free Homeworld 3 update is the one I’m waiting for, but it includes “a variety of gameplay improvements, bug fixes (and) free skirmish maps.” It’s releasing alongside the Kalan Fleet Pack DLC, which adds two new fleets – including the story’s Kalan Raiders – to the space strategy sim’s roguelike War Games mode, as well as three new ships.
The Kalan Raider fleet is a mix of Kalan and repurposed Hiigaran ships. The other new fleet is the Capture Fleet, which mixes Incarnate with Kalan ships – guess what they’re good at. If you guessed “stealing other people’s carriers,” then go away and sulk, because I have no medals to give out. The DLC also includes 11 new challenges and 40 artifacts. I don’t feel like any of this addresses the complaints I’m reading on the Steam forums about the single-player campaign, and – oh wow, the current consensus of Steam user reviews is overwhelmingly negative. Is it Really so bad?
Homeworld 3 was announced to great acclaim in 2019, but had a rocky genesis. It was repeatedly delayed to address player feedback, with controls being a particular point of criticism. Developers Blackbird laid off staff in February of this year after several projects were canceled without notice.
According to Blackbird’s Season Pass roadmap from April, we can expect another paid Homeworld 3 DLC in October, adding a new playable faction, starting fleets, faction artifacts, and challenges. Additionally, another free update with maps and challenges is in the works for around the end of the year. A third paid DLC pack and free update combo is planned for 2025, with a similar balance of extras.
It’s hard to imagine that this will affect player reactions, but nonetheless – good luck, Blackbird. This is the space exploration vessel USG Evans-Thirlwell, signed off until further notice.
