After years of quiet development, Overhype Studios finally lifted the veil on Menace with a stunning new cinematic trailer and the release of a free playable demo on Steam. The sci-fi tactical RPG from the creators of Battle Brothers is officially coming to Early Access on February 5, 2026, and it’s shaping up to be one of the most anticipated strategy games in years. If you’ve been waiting for Battle Brothers but in space, this is exactly what you’ve been dreaming about.
Lead A Strike Force Into Chaos
Menace puts you in command of a mobile task force aboard the TCRN Impetus, your floating command base operating in the Wayback system. This is a lawless frontier where pirates, warlords, morally bankrupt corporations, and fractured local governments are all fighting for control. Help isn’t coming from the core worlds because you’re too far out, and oversight isn’t happening because nobody cares about this remote corner of space. You’re completely on your own.
Your mission is to recruit an ensemble cast of colorful characters, marines, misfits, and miscreants who’ll lead your forces into battle. You’ll field infantry squads, command tanks, pilot mechs, and manage everything from equipment to ammunition supplies. Every mission is procedurally generated, which means every operation plays differently. You could run the same mission type ten times and face completely different challenges each time.
Turn-Based Tactics Like Nothing You’ve Played Before
Menace uses a unique turn structure that immediately sets it apart from XCOM and similar tactical games. Instead of moving your entire squad and then watching the enemy move theirs, you move one individual unit, the enemy moves one unit, and this continues until both sides run out of actions. This isn’t just a cosmetic change. It fundamentally transforms how you approach tactics and planning.
Rather than thinking about army-wide movements, you’re constantly prioritizing which specific unit to move and when to move it. This creates incredible depth in decision-making. Do you use your heavy tank first to establish a defensive position, or do you hold it back to respond to enemy movements? The lack of an initiative system means you control exactly when units activate, letting you make tactical decisions that feel genuinely strategic rather than leaving victory to RNG luck.
Customize Everything, Lose Everyone
Your soldiers are permanent. When they die, they’re gone forever. This creates incredible tension because every decision matters. Do you push an experienced soldier into a dangerous area, or do you play conservatively and risk losing an objective? As your marines take losses, you need to replenish your forces by recruiting from local mercenaries or even criminals you encounter. Each new recruit brings different skills and personality quirks.
The equipment system is vast. Guns, armor, gadgets, explosives, medical supplies – there’s an enormous array of gear to customize your squads before every operation. You need to plan your loadout based on the mission type and expected threats. Are you doing a precision strike where stealth matters, or are you hitting a fortified position where heavy weapons are essential? Your choices directly impact success or failure.
Multiple Mission Types Across Procedural Operations
The free demo already showcases multiple different mission types, all procedurally generated to keep things fresh. You might be defending a colony against raiders, extracting VIPs from hostile territory, destroying enemy installations, or investigating mysterious structures left by unknown civilizations. Each mission type requires different tactical approaches and resource management.
The demo itself is combat-focused, meaning you don’t get the full strategic layer where you’re managing your base, researching upgrades, and negotiating with factions. But the combat system is so robust that the demo alone offers dozens of hours of replayability once you factor in different squad compositions and procedural generation.
Early Access February 5, Day One Game Pass
Menace officially enters Early Access on February 5, 2026, across Steam, GOG, the Epic Games Store, and the Microsoft Store. This is important: the game will be available day one on PC Game Pass via the Game Preview program. That’s an incredible value for Game Pass subscribers who want to jump in without committing to a full purchase.
Overhype Studios is being transparent about this being Early Access, meaning the game isn’t finished. But the fact that 300,000 people have wishlisted this game on Steam shows the massive appetite for what Menace is offering. The studio has been releasing regular dev diaries throughout 2025 showing incremental progress, technical improvements, and feature reveals.
Why This Matters
Tactical RPGs have been having a moment, but most fall into the XCOM template of moving your entire squad and then letting the enemy move. Menace is deliberately doing something different, and early impressions suggest it works phenomenally well. Critics who have played extended builds describe the combat system as engaging, challenging, and refreshingly different from the genre norm.
For Battle Brothers fans specifically, this is the spiritual successor you’ve been waiting for. Everything beloved about that game – the permanent character deaths, the army management, the emergent stories that unfold across your playthrough – is being carried forward and improved with 3D environments, vehicles, and a more ambitious scope.
FAQs
When does Menace release?
Menace enters Early Access on February 5, 2026 for PC. It will be available on Steam, GOG, Epic Games Store, and Microsoft Store. It will also be available day one on PC Game Pass through the Game Preview program.
Is there a demo I can play right now?
Yes! A free demo is available now on Steam. It includes a complete procedurally generated operation and army-building options. The demo is primarily combat-focused, so you won’t see the full strategic layer, but it provides a comprehensive look at how the game plays.
What’s the difference between Menace and Battle Brothers?
Menace takes the core design philosophy of Battle Brothers – permanent character deaths, army management, sandbox gameplay, and brutal difficulty – and transplants it into a sci-fi setting with 3D environments, vehicles like tanks and mechs, and a much larger scale. It’s the spiritual successor rather than a direct sequel.
Will Menace come to consoles?
There are no current plans to bring Menace to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, or Nintendo Switch 2. The developers are focusing on PC for now. Console ports may be announced after the Early Access period ends, but nothing is confirmed.
How much does the game cost?
Pricing hasn’t been officially announced yet, but based on similar Early Access tactical games, expect somewhere in the $30-40 range. Game Pass subscribers can try it day one included with their subscription.
What is the Wayback system?
The Wayback system is the lawless frontier where Menace takes place. It’s far from Earth’s core worlds and consists of multiple planets and space stations controlled by different factions including pirates, corporations, warlords, and local governments. You travel between locations leading operations for various employers.
Is this game difficult?
Yes. The developers have stated that Menace carries over Battle Brothers’ commitment to challenge and player freedom. You will lose soldiers. You will face seemingly insurmountable odds. Every playthrough will feel different as you encounter new procedurally generated threats and have to adapt your strategy.
What happens if all my soldiers die?
If your entire strike force is eliminated, your mission fails and you need to restart. This is intentional design. The threat of permanent squad wipes keeps tension high throughout every operation.
Conclusion
Menace is shaping up to be one of the most significant releases for tactical RPG fans since the original launch of Battle Brothers. The cinematic trailers show a game with real artistic vision and thematic weight, while the free demo proves the core mechanics are genuinely engaging and different from what other games in the genre are doing. With procedurally generated operations, permanent character death, and turn-based combat that rewards careful tactical thinking, Menace offers a challenge that hardcore strategy players have been hungry for. February 5, 2026 can’t come soon enough. If you’ve been wishlisting this game or sitting on the sidelines wondering if it’s worth your time, grab the free demo right now on Steam. Three hours with Menace will tell you everything you need to know about whether this is the tactical RPG you’ve been waiting for.