Armored Core 6 landed in 2023 and was, by most accounts, a very good year to be a mecha fan. Since then? Silence from FromSoftware, a studio that has historically taken its sweet time between projects. Given that Elden Ring and its expansion kept the team busy for years, a follow-up AC could realistically be half a decade away.
Here's the thing: indie developers have noticed the gap, and they are filling it aggressively. PC Gamer contributor Dominic Tarason recently counted at least 8 Armored Core-inspired games currently in development on Steam. Four of them stand out as genuinely distinct takes on the formula rather than straight clones.
The four games worth watching right now
Ironwing Valiant: Record of Astera from developer Tiger Team is probably the most distinct entry on the list. Where Armored Core leans into industrial bleakness, Ironwing Valiant pulls from Valkyria Chronicles aesthetics, trading war-torn wastelands for lush countrysides and pseudo-WWII settings. It also adds party customization and command systems on top of the sliding, jet-dashing mecha combat, which gives it a mechanical identity beyond just "AC but indie." No release date yet, but it is on Steam for wishlisting.
Code Rapid from Hitbreak Games has been generating steady buzz through near-constant gameplay clips posted to X. The combat has a PlatinumGames-style character action energy, with mechs pulling off acrobatic cartwheels and slow-motion flourishes mid-fight. The movements are so fluid that the machines almost stop feeling like heavy war hardware, which is either a feature or a concern depending on what you want from the genre. Hitbreak is targeting a demo release within the next few months.
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Both Code Rapid and Rig Riot are actively posting development updates, so wishlist-and-follow is the move if you want to track their progress.
Rig Riot takes the most structurally different approach by wrapping AC-style combat in a roguelike format. Runs escalate through increasingly difficult encounters, with randomized weapons and mods shaping each attempt. Failed runs still contribute permanent mecha parts to a garage that carries across sessions, so progression never fully resets. Rig Riot has a tentative May 2026 release window on Steam and a playable demo available right now.
Omega Phenex Commenced Project Six from solo developer Surumemanzyu (Surume Studio) is the speed-obsessed outlier. The developer described it on X as wanting "Armored Core: For Answer speed and Ace Combat freedom," referencing the era when AC combat was at its absolute fastest. Gameplay footage shows mechs moving at speeds that are genuinely difficult to track visually. Surume Studio is aiming for a 2027 release.
Why this wave of AC-likes is happening now
Armored Core 6 proved there was a real appetite for the genre after years of dormancy. The game sold well and brought in players who had never touched the older entries. That success appears to have convinced a wave of indie developers that mecha action has an audience willing to try new takes on the formula.
The four games above cover meaningfully different ground. Rig Riot targets players who want repeatability. Ironwing Valiant appeals to fans of strategy-adjacent systems. Code Rapid is chasing the stylish action crowd. Omega Phenex is for the speed junkies who thought For Answer was almost fast enough.
What most players miss when looking at the Steam Mechs tag is how much variety exists beyond the obvious AC clones. These four each have a clear design identity, which is a better sign than games that simply replicate the surface aesthetics without understanding what made the source material work.
Rig Riot is the most immediately accessible with its existing demo and May 2026 target. For everything else, wishlisting now is the practical move. You can also browse the latest gaming news for more coverage as release dates get confirmed.
