Stormgate is, to use the developers’ own words, a “next-generation” RTS game that is currently in the Early Access stage of its release. For those who aren’t in the know, real-time strategy emphasizes building bases and commanding an army of various units, and Frost Giant Studios counts among its number some of those responsible for such hallmarks of the genre as StarCraft II and Warcraft III. While the “sci-fi and fantasy” setting clearly cribs ample inspiration from its predecessors, recent developments beg the question of when the Human Vanguard faction is supposed to exist in relation to the initial invasion by the demonic Infernal Host. To ask it plainly, is Stormgate set in a postapocalyptic world?
The most obvious place to find our answer would be the official site’s homepage, which I’ve already cited above (all following emphasis has been added):
These resilient soldiers have harnessed futuristic technology to rebuild their civilization after surviving an Infernal Host invasion – a devastating near-extinction event.
These resilient soldiers have harnessed futuristic technology to rebuild their civilization after surviving an Infernal Host invasion – a devastating near-extinction event.The Vanguard’s own faction page:
The Vanguard was formed to serve as humanity’s last bastion of defense with Earth on the brink of extinction. Representing the greatest scientific minds, toughest soldiers, and most brilliant strategists from around the world, the Vanguard stands resolute against the invading Infernal Host.
And, finally, the Media Kit page, which explicitly presents the setting:
The story takes place hundreds of years in Earth’s future, in an all-new post-apocalyptic game setting where science fiction and fantasy collide.
So why the confusion? While much hay has been made about the game’s art style, many detractors have pointed specifically toward the Vanguard’s general aesthetic as being too shiny and polished in light of their position as “humanity’s last bastion of defense” after a “near-extinction event.” It would seem that the present visuals don’t actually match up with this postapocalyptic setting, but digging further into Frost Giant’s other posts it appears that fans are being told two distinct things.
This interview with lead game designer Kevin “Monk” Dong, released June 11th, 2023, includes the following answer to the question “What makes Stormgate Human Units unique compared to Warcraft/Starcraft?” (condensed for clarity, emphasis added):
“First of all, about the setting, all of Stormgate takes place in a post-postapocalyptic world. So after the apocalypse, after the initial apocalypse, things have kind of calmed down, but then this second apocalypse occurs. So it’s an earthbound world where things are kind of settled down right now even though something terrible has happened in the past.”
This is contradicted by an article on VentureBeat published two days earlier in which CEO and production director Tim Morten shares:
“We’re going to join the story at a point where mankind is starting to figure things out. So it’s a hopeful time. It’s not meant to be a dark and grim post-apocalyptic story. It is meant to be brighter, and more full of hope. But at the same time, there are stakes. The story that we’re telling is certainly filled with scary monsters and moments of uncertain future but we do want to maintain that sense of optimism and hope.”
It’s clear that Morten is referring to Stormgate as a postapocalyptic narrative, but one that skews more optimistic, perhaps more akin to something like Overwatch which takes place on the other side of a robotic uprising. Though his answer is in turn contradicted by a post to the game’s official subreddit by communications director Gerald Villoria (underlined emphasis mine) on December 31st, 2023:
Please remember that we’re not making StarCraft III or Warcraft IV. We’re making Stormgate—a spiritual successor, but one with its own story and an artistic vision that differs from previous games. We will continue moving towards that artistic vision because we believe it is a great fit for the game we are creating.
That vision is meant to be post-post-apocalyptic, a hopeful future where humanity survived near-extinction and is banding together at the height of science and technology to protect our home. We believe this creates a backdrop ripe for exciting story ideas and new unit designs.
All of this came to a head with Early Access, which dropped exactly two weeks ago on July 30th. Frost Giant has since added a pop-up indicating that this stage of development “means we’re actively working on it and player feedback will help shape its future,” which is all to say that nothing seen is final. That being said, feedback is exactly what this particular wave of players shared after getting their hands on the game.
Amara, the central character of the Vanguard campaign missions.
Reactions to that initial experience were…lacklustre, to put it gently. It only took two days for an official response from Tim Morten himself, titled “Early Access Preview: Learnings and Feedback.” Notably absent from this post were direct acknowledgements of the many complaints about the first few missions of the Vanguard campaign, the first three of which were free to play. That wouldn’t materialize until over a week later on August 9th, with “Stormgate Developer Update: The Road Ahead for Campaign.” Having been posted four days ago it’s our most recent word on the game’s setting, and a clear continuation of Stormgate being presented as having two different subgenres.
There’s a particular section that deserves highlighting given our purposes, and I’m including it in full below:
Apocalyptic Unit Visuals
We’re also in the middle of concepting a new set of “war-torn” skins for each of the Vanguard units that will update their appearance to better reflect their origins as the Human Resistance.
Once the skin’s new unit models have been completed, our plan is to look for opportunities to retroactively incorporate it into the Campaign so that it can be featured throughout each of the missions.
This should help us to establish a more rough-and-tumble vibe for the scrappy humans and align their faction more closely with the post-apocalyptic world around them.
I didn’t put any of the above text in bold because it’s all equally pertinent, and all serves to complicate things. Written up by game director and CEO Tim Campbell, these three paragraphs firmly place the Human Vanguard within a postapocalyptic context. The vision here brings the entire faction more in line with something like Mad Max, vehicles and power armour covered in rust and seemingly cobbled together from whatever resources were available. Ironically, this fully undercuts Monk’s answer as to how the Vanguard can be differentiated from the Terran faction in StarCraft, in which a certain amount of grittiness and grunginess is inherent. This doesn’t look like a humanity that has weathered an initial onslaught and “harnessed futuristic technology to rebuild their civilization”; it doesn’t appear to be a world where people are “banding together at the height of science and technology.” For a post-postapocalyptic world with a foundation of optimism the initial aesthetic for the Vanguard was perfect, even if some fans found the execution to be lacking.
But why the mixed messages, to the point where both CEOs have delivered opposing viewpoints as to where their human faction is supposed to stand? I think it all has to do with the way that Frost Giant has been developing Stormgate, with an emphasis on prospective players that extends beyond feedback all the way to several ways to crowdfund the game, one of which turns gamers into investors in the studio itself. Although it’s been said time and time again that the developers have a vision and one they’re sticking to, it’s clear that supporter feedback has had an impact. In spite of some exceptions, initial statements were largely aligned on there being a bright and shining face for Earth’s defenders, with nary a mention of “rough-and-tumble” or “scrappy.” In fact, those adjectives might be better suited for a neutral faction in the game:
Creep Camp unit designs by Samwide Dider.
So who are the Scavengers? The Vanguard are Earth’s best hope for survival. As the player-controlled human faction, they represent humanity at the height of technological prowess and scientific knowledge. But other survivors of the Infernal onslaught that nearly wiped out mankind can still be found in the wastes around the world. Nomadic tribes, some more violent than others, seek out unpopulated corners of the Earth and have reverted to barbarism and plunder. Players will encounter various bands of dangerous foes as they fight for control of territory, including the savage mechanically-enhanced Scavengers.
Notice the contrast being created here between these two representations of humanity, one “at the height of technological prowess” and the other “found in the wastes around the world.” It’s obvious that the “war-torn” skins don’t go as far as transforming the Vanguard into a similarly “savage” or “violent” group, but it’s a far cry from how they were positioned originally, and still are on the website.
I’ve read countless comments bemoaning how the Vanguard look like plastic toys and overall appear too cartoony, but this particular method of getting around those criticisms feels like a betrayal of their original artistic vision. A post-postapocalyptic faction was supposed to represent resilience and the promise of hope after near annihilation; it’s the kind of fresh idea that Frost Giant Studios purports to bring to the table in order to inject new life into what’s long been considered a dying genre. Opting for a solely postapocalyptic design sensibility that’s rustier and dirtier feels quite a lot like StarCraft, and in their own words “[they’re] not making StarCraft III.”
What appears to be a pivot away from their initial plans will elicit varying emotions in those eagerly awaiting what’s being heralded as the game taking up the RTS banner that Blizzard Entertainment has so willingly set aside. For those with an emotional (and financial) stake in its success the shift in ethos is likely a net positive, a sign that Frost Giant is listening and open to change. For others who are more concerned with Stormgate‘s narrative and the story being told in the campaign it may be a reason to pause and wonder what this means for its development; after four years the decision to change course from that firmly defined post-postapocalyptic future doesn’t suggest a high level of confidence in their initial direction. With “at least a year of active development before […] 1.0” it remains to be seen if their response was the right one.