Icarus Dev Tracker

RocketWerkz is opening up development of its upcoming survival game Icarus by publishing Episode 1 in the Making of Icarus series.

For the past 18 months a videographer has been embedded in the studio filming early game development, design decisions and team meetings to provide a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into making a AAA PC survival video game.

RocketWerkz CEO Dean Hall is keen to embrace open development with the game’s community via the Making of Icarus videos, Discord and Steam communities. “One of the strengths of the DayZ mod was the commu...

RocketWerkz has released an eight minute long documentary-style trailer “Icarus: No Rescue” combining live action and game footage to introduce players to the world of its unique sci-fi survival game Icarus.

Developed by DayZ creator Dean Hall’s studio RocketWerkz, Icarus takes a session-based approach to survival games. Players take limited-time drops onto a broken planet in search of rare exotic matter, which fuels advanced tech and player progression in the game’s gritty sci-fi universe.

Filmed in a vivid documentary style with live actors, Icarus: No Rescue is told from the perspective of the earliest prospector...

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Dean Hall reveals new survival game Icarus

Dean Hall, creator of influential survival game DayZ, has unveiled a teaser trailer for his next sci-fi survival game Icarus.

Icarus is a multiplayer co-operative survival game set on an Earth-like alien world with persistent metagame progression.

As a prospector in the near future, players drop from orbit into areas called prospects that they can explore in search of valuable meta-resources to mine. Players must balance surviving the harsh environment, crafting resources and shelter, locating resources and trusting other prospectors while not provoking the local wildlife.

However, the orbital station only passes overhead at certain times and players must return to their dropship or be left permanently behind. Back in orbit, the resources players gather can be used to manufacture advanced technology for the next drop.
RocketWerkz founder and CEO Dean Hall wants to build on the lessons from previous ...

Brian Hicks and Dean Hall team up again

Two of the godfathers of survival games have reunited to work on Icarus.

Dean Hall, the creator of the original DayZ mod, has been joined by Brian Hicks, the former Creative Director of DayZ standalone. Dean is now the CEO of RocketWerkz, based in Auckland, New Zealand and Brian will join as Executive Producer on Icarus.

The pair first met following the success of the original DayZ mod for Arma 2, when Brian organised the popular Twitch.tv Hunger Games tournaments (eventually Survivor GameZ). These have been credited with popularising the Battle Royale genre and influencing hit games like PUBG and Fortnite.

Dean and Brian worked together on the standalone version of DayZ at Bohemia Interactive and Brian took over as Creative Director when Dean stepped down in 2014 to form RocketWerkz back in his native New Zealand.

Until recently Brian was a Creative Director at inXile Entertainment, an Xbox Game Stu...