Rules of Engagement: The Gray State, the free-to-play tactical RPG shooter “Horrorverse” announced for PC

Tencent Games (89 articles)” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/companies/tencent/tencent-games”>Grey State Studio, subsidiary of Tencent Games” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/companies/tencent/tencent-games/grey-state-studio”>Grey State Studio announced Rules of Engagement: The Gray State” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/games/rules-of-engagement-the-grey-state”>Rules of Engagement: The Gray Statea free game (462 articles)” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/genres/free-to-play”>free-to-play « Horror (731 articles)” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/genres/horror”>Horrorverse » First-person shooter (2,802 articles)” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/genres/shooter/fps”>first-person shooter/tactical RPG (17,711 items)” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/genres/rpg”>RPG coming to PC (24,535 items)” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/platforms/pc”>PC via Steam and Epic Games Store, as well as WeGame in China. It will be launched in 2026.

Here is an overview of the game, via its store pages:

About

You are a Strider: an elite agent hired by an enigmatic organization to venture into the Gray State, an unstable dimension filled with horrific monstrosities and intricate artifacts.

Your mission is simple: recover the Vertex, a priceless artifact at the heart of the anomaly, and survive a nightmarish, lawless frontier with rival squads fighting for the same score.

It’s not about saving the world. It’s just business.

A Horrorverse, designed to expand

The Gray State constitutes the most dangerous and lucrative gold rush in history. The twist? This frontier is a graveyard of nightmares – a “Horrorverse”. Think of any iconic monster from a movie, book, or creepypasta you’ve ever loved. Chances are something like this is waiting for you in there. It’s not just one horror story, it’s all of them.

The ultimate hunt

Get in, get ready and get out. Rules of Engagement delivers a high-octane player versus environment versus player loop where every race is a desperate race against time.

• The preparation – All squads deploy with only basic equipment, unleashing a frenzied rush to hunt grotesque creatures and collect powerful equipment before time runs out.
• The confrontation – As the final countdown begins, a crucial choice presents itself: will you depart early to a safe, personal exfiltration point for a guaranteed payday, or will you risk everything to hunt the Vertex and fight for a seat on the hotly contested helicopter? The choice is yours.

Make construction as deadly as a bullet

In the first Alpha Playtest, the game will feature three distinct classes, each master of their craft with a sprawling talent tree that allows for in-depth and creative building. Crafting (46 articles)” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/genres/crafting”>crafting:

• Sled – An unstoppable juggernaut, smashing his way with shield and hammer.
• Pyro – A chaotic madman who controls the battlefield with fire and gas.
• Ghost – A fast assassin who strikes from the shadows with pinpoint precision.

In Rules of Engagementsmart construction and smart team synergy can absolutely dominate pure mechanical skill. It is a game that respects the player’s intelligence and rewards creativity.

Fair-to-Play, never pay to win

Our business model is simple: the game is free, supported only by cosmetic elements. You will obtain your equipment only by skill or luck. Player Power cannot be purchased. Period.

Join our development journey

We believe the best games are made with the community, not just for them. This is a lifelong journey of exploration and we want you to be a part of it. Join our Discord for playtesting, share your feedback, and help us shape the future of gaming together.

Watch the trailers below. Check out the first screenshots in the gallery. Visit the official website here: English / Simplified Chinese.

Reveal trailer

Gameplay trailer