Respawn Entertainment Unveils Titanfall, a Multiplayer-Only Xbox One Shooter

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The new studio formed by former Call of Duty and Infinity Ward veterans today announced its first official game: Titanfall, a sci-fi shooter that involves both soldiers and mech-like battle tanks that will be exclusive to Xbox One and Xbox 360. A PC version is also in the works, says publisher Electronic Arts, but there’s not a PlayStation iteration on the roadmap.

Titanfall has been shrouded in relative secrecy for three years, making it one of this E3’s most anticipated games. The fact that it’s largely being built for the Xbox One, which is one of the two next-gen consoles getting most of the attention this year, is just gravy. And the fact that it’s multiplayer only — having no single-player campaign whatsoever — is a novelty among the current console-game landscape.

Respawn’s inspiration for Titanfall grew out of the company’s experience in first-person action gaming and multiplayer excellence in particular. Titanfall combines fast-paced multiplayer action with the scripted moments traditionally found in a campaign mode. Set in a distant frontier torn apart by war, players will have the freedom to switch between fighting as elite assault Pilots or agile, heavily armored, 24-foot tall Titans.

The universe of Titanfall juxtaposes small vs. giant, natural vs. industrial and man vs. machine. The game drops players into a conflict between the Interstellar Manufacturing Corporation (IMC) and the Militia as elite Pilots. With the ability to shift back and forth between pilot and Titan, players will have the freedom to change tactics on the fly, attacking or escaping depending on the situation.

Titanfall Game Director Steve Fukuda added, “In addition to infusing the multiplayer experience with cinematic flavor, we’ve been rethinking fundamental combat and movement in the genre. Titanfall is unique in the way that it places equal emphasis on two drastically different and new ways to move and fight in a first-person shooter. The intersection of the two is a big part of what give Titanfall its iconic identity.”

Titanfall is expected to ship in the Spring of 2014.