Hawked: A Free Team Shooter Sets the Stage on Island X
Hawked is a free-to-play shooter that debuts on November 30, inviting teams of three to clash in a race to collect and extract artifacts from the perilous Island X. The Forsaken, players who join these three-person squads, battle monsters, outsmart rival teams, solve intricate puzzles, and dodge deadly traps. The core objective remains clear and brutal: be the first team to pull more artifacts from the island than the opposition.
The game introduces a fresh mechanic called Contracts through the Rift Wake event. These contracts are special quests that enrich the Forsaken experience with extra objectives, distinct missions, and a variety of criteria that must be met within the team’s matches. Contracts come in 3-day and 7-day formats, each bringing multiple tasks to complete, dynamic requirement sets, and rewards that appear at the conclusion of each quest. Players may traverse a direct path or take a detour, but success always yields rewards for completing every contract challenge.
A note accompanying the update emphasizes the new challenge: traitors and lone wanderers must fend for themselves across the lawless lands of the Isle. This sets the stage for a tougher, ongoing challenge as Contracts expand the scope of play and inject fresh goals into each session. Alongside Contracts, a new ranking framework called the League has been added. This system expands available objectives and increases the scale of rewards, letting top performers reap meaningful prestige and material gains.
Contracts are tied to the ongoing Showdown cadence, with Showdowns alternating between two weeks of intense play and a one-week respite. During Showdowns, Forsaken gain access to specially curated Contracts that rotate and update regularly, ensuring players face new challenges and must stay vigilant about the evolving objectives. The intent is to keep every match unpredictable while rewarding strategic play and consistent participation.
Within Hawked, performance in the League determines rank and reward tier. Finishing a contract contributes League Points, which accumulate toward leveling up and climbing the standings. At the end of each Showdown, rewards are distributed according to individual and team placements within the League, reinforcing the competitive arc and giving players visible milestones to chase. The overarching goal in any match remains simple and relentless: reach the finish line ahead of the competition, outpace rivals, and protect valuable artifacts from being claimed by others.
New elements like the League and Contracts are designed to deepen the tactical layers of Hawked. They reward teamwork, quick decision making, and a willingness to adapt to shifting objectives. Forsaken teams will find themselves balancing immediate combat with long-term planning, carefully choosing which contracts to prioritize based on the map layout, enemy tendencies, and the evolving incentives offered by the Rift Wake cycle. The combination of fast action, puzzle-solving, and strategic extraction creates a varied rhythm across sessions where players must read the field and act decisively.
As players jump into Island X, the landscape becomes a living testbed for skill and coordination. The Contracts push players to coordinate roles, manage resources, and execute precise routes to maximize artifact extraction while minimizing exposure to threats. The League acts as both a motivator and a tracker, highlighting progress and inviting players to test their mettle against equally determined opponents. In the end, Hawked rewards not only those who excel in combat but also those who plan smartly, communicate clearly, and stay adaptable as the island evolves with each Showdown and contract cycle. This blend of action, strategy, and progression offers a compelling experience for fans in North America and beyond. [Citation: Game update notes, Hawked franchise ongoing press materials]