Warhounds, the Highly Anticipated Turn-Based Tactics Game Inspired by XCOM and Jagged Alliance, Receives New Cinematic Trailer

Developer Everplay DMCC and publisher Brightika, Inc. have released a new cinematic trailer for Warhounds. The announcement coincides with the game surpassing 22,000 wishlists on Steam ahead of its planned 2026 release. Additionally, a playtest is currently available via Steam.

Warhounds is a turn-based tactics and strategy title inspired by classics such as XCOM and Jagged Alliance. Set in an alternative-future Africa beyond 2035, the game centers on commanding an elite mercenary squad tasked with influencing the outcome of a broader regional conflict.

Warhounds‘ combat emphasizes deliberate planning and physics-driven systems rather than traditional percentage-based randomness. Players calculate lines of fire, exploit flanking opportunities, manage destructible cover, and utilize vertical positioning to gain tactical advantages. The game features a ballistics-based model designed to eliminate artificial “miss chance” systems in favor of deterministic outcomes.

Squad composition plays a key role, with recruitable operatives spanning multiple classes including Assault, Specialist, Sniper, Machine Gunner, and Grenadier. Equipment selection, battlefield extraction, and risk assessment are central to mission success, with high lethality reinforcing the importance of strategic decision-making.

Between deployments, players manage their base of operations. Systems include recruitment, logistics, equipment procurement, medical recovery, financial oversight, and faction relationships. Choices made during base management influence mission availability, alliances, and access to gear.

Additional tools such as drones, combat scanners, smoke deployment, and optical camouflage expand tactical options. Missions are designed to last approximately 25 to 40 minutes, with adjustable difficulty settings available.

Warhounds is currently scheduled to launch in 2026.