Deep Silver, the publisher behind Metro, Shenmue III, Dead Island, and many more, is now behind King Art Games for their upcoming RTS, Iron Harvest, according to an official blog post from the team. “Over a dozen publishers have voiced interest in publishing” the game, it reads. However, because Deep Silver is publishing Iron Harvest, the dev team will enjoy some big creative benefits.
Firstly, the publisher has shown their interest in crowdfunded titles with games like Wasteland 2 and Kingdom Come: Deliverance. Secondly, King Art retains “total creative control” under this partnership. While Deep Silver will help with production and other forms of funding, King Art can focus on their creative vision. Because of this support, the team will now bring in more content such as a level editor. The game may even come to multiple platforms.
In fact, the level editor was the most requested feature from the community. Now that the team can promise it, they plan to deliver in spades. Of course, the editor would be PC only, but it will reward those who put in the time to learn. For instance, modders would have to download Unity, install an Iron Harvest plugin, and go from there.
As for now, the team is reworking its production plan and release schedule thanks to the new funding. The game is planned for release on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. Those who’ve backed the game have access to an early alpha state and can join in a Backers Discord channel alongside some upcoming beta releases.
Iron Harvest takes place in an “alternate reality of 1920” shortly after the Great War. Development started after King Art surveyed over 15,000 RTS players to see what they want in a game. The team is developing closely with the community to “make the RTS fans actually want.” The final game will have single-player and multiplayer campaigns, competitive PvP, challenges, free DLC, and more. You can back Iron Harvest here.
