Today, Electronic Arts Inc. and KOEI TECMO officially unveiled WILD HEARTS, a new kind of hunting game featuring unique crafting mechanics, coming February 17, 2023 to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC via Origin, Steam and Epic Game Store. Published under the EA Originals label and developed by Omega Force, the team behind the popular WARRIORS series, WILD HEARTSwhisks players away on an epic adventure set in fantasy feudal Japan. There, they’ll battle against giant nature-infused beasts called Kemono with the help of Karakuri, sophisticated mechanisms crafted from a lost, ancient technology.
“WILD HEARTSopens up a vibrant fantasy world to players that’s as untamed as it is beautiful,” said Yosuke Hayashi, Executive Vice President of KOEI TECMO GAMES CO, LTD. “With WILD HEARTS, not only did we want to showcase the evolution, infusion and real threat caused by Kemono, but we also wanted to create a game where crafting was at the core of the experience, redefining what can be possible in a beast hunting game. We have placed great care in designing our Karakuri to fit within the combat, and we’re excited for players to use these powerful mechanisms to fight giant beasts and traverse the world.”
“EA Originals is a label for those who dare to explore,” said Stuart Lang, Vice President, Global Brand, Electronic Arts. “It’s a home for studio partners – like Omega Force – forging new ways to play from bold creative visions, and for players who love to discover untold stories and unseen worlds. We are excited to follow the wonderful and critically acclaimed It Takes Two, from Hazelight Studios, with the ingenious mechanics, giant nature-infused beasts and epic battles of WILD HEARTS, the first AAA hunting experience for a new generation.”
WILD HEARTStakes place in Azuma, a fantasy landscape inspired by feudal Japan, that is now rampaged by the once peaceful Kemono – altering their environment at the cost of citizens’ lives. The Kemono range from plant-infused squirrels to the massive Kingtusk wild boar. After a dreadful fight with the winter wolf Deathstalker, players become bearers of a life-sustaining technology and are compelled to restore balance across the region.
In WILD HEARTS,players journey through Azuma as a lone wolf or pack-hunt with up to two friends thanks to the game’s co-op and crossplay features across all platforms. Players can expand their battle plans and go on special missions while pack hunting, join other hunters in the world or take on Kemono on their own. The game will feature voice overs in English, Japanese, French, Italian, German and Spanish.
WILD HEARTS launches in retail and digital storefronts on February 17, 2023 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC via Origin, Steam and Epic Game Store for $69.99.
