Genre: Real Time Strategy (RTS), Simulator, Strategy
Homeworld 3
Hotfix Update 1.11
Hello Commanders,
Today we are releasing a hotfix (1.11) for Homeworld 3 that addresses some issues that we’ve seen reported by players, including several small issues relating to War Games. We’ve also added a toggle to enable an experimental camera mode that collides with level geometry and ships. We’ll continue to iterate on this new camera mode with the hope that it provides an intuitive way to manipulate the camera on maps with lots of terrain features.
Hotfix update 1.11 addresses the following:
Additional improvements to Homeworld 3’s Chinese localization (further improvements to Chinese localization will arrive in future updates)
Added a menu option to toggle an experimental camera mode that causes it to collide with terrain and ships
This new toggle will now allow players to enable camera collisions if they choose, with the default setting being turned to off (allowing the camera to float through objects)
This feature is experimental and we will continue to iterate on it in future updates. We welcome feedback from players to help us improve this new collision-enabled camera
Motion blur sometimes worked incorrectly after using Tactical Pause on the Kesura Minor map in solo Skirmish and War Games modes
Effects of 7 new artifacts introduced in Update 1.1 would stack additively instead of multiplicatively, causing unintentional ship behavior
The 5120x1440 screen resolution was not selectable in the settings menu in some cases
Data Spires were sometimes destructible or would spawn in the wrong location or not at all in War Games
Homeworld 3 Mod Tools & Editor is Now Available for Modders!
We’re excited to share that modders can now download the Homeworld 3 Mod Tools & Editor to create and distribute mods via mod.io! Players can easily download user created Skirmish maps to Homeworld 3 through the integrated mod.io menu!
For modders:
This editor is separate from Homeworld 3 and allows you to create content specifically for the game. It includes elements that can be used to create Skirmish maps and the packaging tool for exporting those maps for testing and uploading to mod.io.
Once you have downloaded the Editor you will be able to start creating content!
Not sure where to get started?
We’ve worked with our partners at mod.io and a select group of modders to provide documentation to help you begin making mods for Homeworld 3! Most of this documentation will be focused on creating and uploading Skirmish maps.
Modding: Unreal Engine – This guide covers the essential features and functions of the Unreal Engine 4 Editor, providing instructions and tips to help beginners navigate and use the tools effectively.
Modding: Create a Skirmish Map – Your first steps in creating your Skirmish Level, giving an overview on how to get started and references for the various sub-levels.
You are now able to download mods for Skirmish maps from the in-game Homeworld 3 mod menu.
From the Mods menu, you’ll be able to browse and search for specific mods. Only Skirmish Maps can be downloaded and run in the game without additional steps. For these mods, select “Subscribe and Install” to add them to your game.
Some mods will have a “Manual Install” tag applied to them. While these can be downloaded from the game client, you will need to perform additional steps to run them. Select “More Info” in the mod’s selection pop up to open a browser window that takes you to the mod.io page where you can see details about the mod and how to fully install it.
Enjoying a created mod?
Show support for your favorite mods and modders by giving their mods a “👍”! Rate mods through mod.io. If you’re in-game, selecting “More Info” in the mod’s selection pop up and pressing 👍 on the mod page. Higher rated mods will appear first when sorted by Rating and will be more easily discoverable for other players.
We’re looking forward to seeing the maps and other creative ways that you’ll experience Homeworld 3 with the custom editor! Even more excited to play with you in multiplayer on your own maps!
Homeworld 3 Update 1.1
Hello Commanders,
Today’s Update 1.1 brings new Multiplayer content (including a powerful new ship variant for War Games) and over 100 bug fixes and gameplay improvements. At the end of this post you’ll find the full, itemized patch notes, but if you want the high-level overview, the next section outlines the most notable additions and changes.
First, we want to reiterate our appreciation for those of you who have taken the time to respectfully share your feedback. While this patch does address a few widespread topics, we’re still investigating a variety of feedback and requests not included here. We are grateful for your understanding and patience. Homeworld 3 wouldn’t exist without this community and we’re determined to keep incorporating your feedback and suggestions as we are able.
New Free Content for War Games and Skirmish!
Meet the Heavy Suppression Frigate, a powerful upgrade over the standard Suppression Frigate and is available immediately (assuming you’re lucky enough to receive the requisite Artifact during a run). What sets the Heavy Suppression Frigate apart from its base version is the addition of a pair of Dual Heavy Mag Cannons mounted on top and Pad Mk. 2 Light Rapid Fire Railguns along the bottom hull. That’s a lot of extra firepower, but the Heavy Suppression Frigate has a nasty trick up its sleeve: Enemies hit by the dual cannon will take extra damage from ALL sources. We’re excited to see how this further empowers your War Games fleets!
Of the 12 other new Artifacts coming in 1.1, several offer new specialization routes for upgrading the Suppression Frigate and the Heavy Suppression Frigate. The CQB Pattern (and unlocked Upgrades), transforms your Suppression Frigates into absolute devils in close-range brawls. Meanwhile, the Area Denial upgrade path does almost the opposite — trading survivability for increased range. There’s more to discover in War Games’ 1.1 Update, with 9 new challenges that each unlock new Artifacts including welcome upgrades to Hiigaran and Incarnate Frigates.
A New Skirmish Map: Karos Graveyard
Karos Graveyard is a new map added to Skirmish mode. This map is reminiscent of earlier Homeworld games where there was less terrain, and more open space for combat, and greater distances between starting positions for combat. We’re really excited to see how players adapt to this new map and look forward to your feedback.
Update 1.1 - Bugfix and Improvement Highlights
While you can find the complete patch notes below, we wanted to take a minute to call out some fixes that address some feedback we’ve received since launch. So let’s dive in.
Tactical Pause & Time Dilation in Solo Skirmish & War Games
First mentioned in our last Dev Update, you can now pause or slow time while playing War Games or Skirmish solo.
General Gameplay Fixes & Improvements
There’s a lot of fixes in Update 1.1, but there’s a few we think deserve special attention:
After using an ability on a target, ships could occasionally start attacking other enemies instead of the initial target.
Ships would occasionally fail to resume the Guard command after engaging in combat.
Frigates sometimes moved to match their target’s height when given an Attack order.
Giving deployment orders to multiple turrets at once while in Tactical Pause could cause an issue where only one turret was deployed.
The In-Game HDR option in Video settings could sometimes be turned on despite the Windows' HDR option being set to Off in the Monitor's settings.
VO for all units was missing when selecting ships while playing as the Incarnate fleet.
Added a "More Info" button to mod detail modal that links to the mod URL.
Kala Terminus 2-6 player Skirmish map has been updated. There are new player starting positions and more resources to support larger and longer PVP and PVE matches.
A Look Ahead: Mod Tools Incoming
Our team has been hard at work on the mod tools and we’re excited to announce that we’re finally ready to release them to the community. Though there are a few loose ends to tie off, we’re currently looking to release Homeworld 3’s official mod tools sometime later this month! We’ll share more information soon.
As a refresher, the mod tools will support the creation and distribution of custom Skirmish Maps. However, those of you who aren’t afraid of swimming in uncharted waters will find the mod tools are quite capable of doing much more.
Before we get to the patch notes, we have one last thing to say: As we continue to incorporate community feedback into Homeworld 3, it would be invaluable to us if you took the time to leave a Steam review or, if applicable, revisit your existing review. Thank you!
Homeworld 3 Update 1.1 Notes
New Content for Multiplayer
Added new content to War Games!
9 NEW challenges
13 NEW Artifacts
NEW Heavy Suppression Frigate
Unlock the Heavy Suppression Frigate with artifacts
Added a new map to Skirmish!
“Karos Graveyard” Skirmish map has been added. Long-time fans should recognize this map’s open, spacious inspiration from previous Homeworld games.
Added support for Time Dilation & Tactical Pause in Solo War Games & Skirmish matches.
Updates
In this update, we have addressed the following reported concerns from players:
Chinese localization has received many fixes. We are continuing to investigate further improvements here.
Gameplay
Achievement “Destruct Sequence Alpha-One” would not always be granted in campaign missions after using the Scuttle command on any ship.
Achievement “Untouchable” would occasionally be incorrectly awarded to players that were receiving damage.
After using an ability on a target, ships could occasionally start attacking other enemies instead of the initial target.
Ships would occasionally fail to resume the Guard command after engaging in combat.
Attack Move orders could unintentionally change to a Move order when multiple strike groups were created after changing formations.
When the first Move order of a unit still in Parade formation was queued, it was possible that the ship would reference their build location.
Changing formations to one that would “split” the current group into multiple smaller groups could result in some units stacking with other ships.
Units set to Sphere formation could fail to approach the enemy Incarnate Mothership when ordered to attack.
Changing the formation of Strikecraft or Corvette units from Parade formation with the Production ship would occasionally cause them to fly in circles.
Ships switched to a Passive stance while they were attacking targets would continue to engage and attack until all targets in sight were destroyed.
Frigates sometimes moved to match their target’s height when given an Attack order.
While a Torpedo Frigate’s range ability was active, missiles could explode before reaching their target after a certain distance.
Suppression Frigates would cancel their ability when ordered.
In some instances, Support Frigates would stop repairing the Mothership.
Battlecruisers would exhibit unintended behaviors with stationary targets and not consistently attack them.
Carriers would occasionally allow large salvage to be taken that should have been brought to the Mothership.
Starboard and Port cannons on Incarnate Battlecruisers did not always deploy before firing.
Capture Corvettes and Resource Controllers were observed to move towards enemy ships that could not be captured when players right-clicked on them.
Railgun Corvettes would charge their ability but wouldn’t fire on a Titanship. We’ve reassured them that it’s for the best to use it.
Strikecraft would occasionally get stuck inside and near the Titanship’s dock.
Some Incarnate ships wouldn’t flash to indicate when directional damage was received.
Units outside of the player’s field of view would sometimes be added in Box selection.
Guard Turrets were not always included in bandboxes.
Giving deployment orders to multiple turrets at once while in Tactical Pause could cause an issue where only one turret was deployed.
While the game is in Tactical Pause, it was possible that the queued unit limit (100) of the Build/Research Panel could be exceeded.
Some Asteroids could be missing Navigation data for ships.
Commands using special symbols (such as /, ], or [) were default bound to the symbol keys for a QWERTY keyboard layout, even if the player used a different keyboard language layout.[/list]
Multiplayer
In some instances, players would encounter network errors that could prevent them from joining multiplayer games.
Linux users could desync in multiplayer (Linux players must use Proton 9 for fix to apply).
War Games
Players could occasionally receive “Connection Failed” or “Retrying Connection” notifications before fully loading into the next stage
Desync Errors could be displayed after hyperspacing to the second stage.
In the Deep Space map, one of the resource nodes could have its large resource pocket separated from the node.
Players could gain more experience points at the end of the playthrough if the last stage was New Galaxy map.
The “Intercept Enemy Transports” objective could mistakenly complete if a transport reached its exit point.
In the Under the Ice map, an objective blocker could occur due to the Lost Probe staying in place if ships passed through the capture area without staying.
The location of an incursion point in the Under the Ice map could cause some Incarnate ships to spawn and go through the terrain.
Artifacts
The incorrect ship tactical icon would be shown on these artifacts: Cluster Missile Turret Pattern Artifact, Railgun Transport Pattern Artifact, Tactical Bomber Pattern Artifact, and the 8 Smart Missile Frigate Artifacts.
Artifact “Hiigaran Strikecraft Boost” was unintentionally available as an upgrade for Incarnate Beam Fighters in the “Experimental Weapons Fleet”.
Skirmish
Kala Terminus 2-6 player Skirmish map has been updated. There are new player starting positions and more resources to support larger and longer PVP and PVE matches.
Trinity Gate and Naraka map’s starting positions were the opposite of those shown on the lobby preview.
When creating an offline Skirmish match, the host was sometimes placed into Team 2 by default.
In the Buran Ice Shelf map, slot 1’s resource nodes could have more resources than the other slots.
Assets on the Buran Ice Shelf map could load without collision.
Build caps for Railgun Corvette would not always match the Corvette Population Caps for Hiigaran players.
Campaign
Tutorial: Torpedo Frigate could occasionally move outside of the playable area if they destroyed the allied ships before the player’s ships attacked them.
Kesura Minor: Barrage Frigates could occasionally be destroyed if captured after destroying the Carrier.
Trinity Gate: It was possible to use the gate without controlling all three data spires, which was not the intended behavior.
Trinity Gate: Attack Frigates could unintentionally be added to the fleet population when captured.
The Lighthouse: A progression blocker could sometimes occur from the possibility of the Carrier salvage setting stuck if the Resource Carriers delivered it on the same movement plane as the Mothership.
The Lighthouse: Passive units Guarding another ship could break off and chase moving asteroids.
Naraka Gate: The Mothership could sometimes not appear at the Repair Bay after watching the cutscenes when the NLIPS option was disabled.
Chamber of Storms: The hyperspace Incarnate Battlecruiser cutscene would not fit correctly in Ultrawide.
Visual Updates:
The In-Game HDR option in Video settings could sometimes be turned on despite the Windows' HDR option being set to Off in the Monitor's settings.
The Khar-Sajuuk Mega Beam VFX cut off prematurely in rare instances.
Durring the Hiigara mission, the explosion/smoke trails VFX of Combat Drones occasionally stuttered when destroyed.
The VFX that played when Power Regulators exploded were incorrectly implemented.
VFX attached to lights sometimes persisted after a ship was destroyed.
The smoke effect on damaged Mothership sometimes lacked depth fade in the material which could cause particles to visibly clip with geometry.
Ion Cannon Frigate had a mesh split
The Fleet Bomber would disappear a short distance away from the camera when cloaked.
Active gates sometimes shone excessively when the camera was positioned close to them.
Ship lights occasionally flickered while the camera was moving.
The lights on facility assets occasionally flickered and were overscaled.
Pausing the title while certain ships were maneuvering would occasionally cause their auxiliary engines to flicker.
The engine trail bloom of fighter-class ships sometimes popped in and out suddenly on medium and low settings.
Engine trail colors occasionally randomly changed for ships produced after 2 minutes of gameplay.
Audio Updates:
VO for all units was missing when selecting ships while playing as the Incarnate fleet.
There was occasionally no audio notification for new chat messages.
It was possible for no feedback to play when undocking a unit with the “Auto Launch” option set to OFF.
Skipping the first Cinematic could cause the in-game speech to break.
Friendly Carrier, Destroyer, and Battlecruiser lost voice lines would incorrectly play when an enemy of each type was destroyed after loading a saved game.
The lost Carrier’s voiceline would play when an enemy Carrier was destroyed.
Captured Raider Barrage Frigates occasionally lacked VO when selected or ordered to use abilities.
Raider Command Carrier weapons were quieter than intended over distance.
The notification speeches regarding the Resource Controller and Carrier being under attack were occasionally absent for the 'Remastered Fleet'.
The Naraka Gate SFX would repeat three times when opened.
UI:
Added a "More Info" button to mod detail modal that links to the mod URL.
The research requirement for the Incarnate Missile, Smart Missile, Multi-Beam Frigates and Carrier all mentioned Assault Frigate instead of Attack Frigate.
The movement line occasionally became shorter than the initial movement range right after ordering a ship to move to a marker.
A debug string could present itself in the movement disc’s tooltip when specific languages were selected.
In the Lobby Browser, when a lobby was selected, a debug string was occasionally visible to the right.
When selecting units quickly, resulting in more than 12 unit icons in the Unit Selection Panel, icons for units at the bottom of the list occasionally appeared over the units at the top.
Not all Mothership upgrades were occasionally displayed in the 'Ship Upgrades' panel.
Backing out of the "Restart" pop-up occasionally limited the 'ESC' key functionality until the "Exit" tab was clicked.
Players occasionally did not notice that they could scroll down to select options when creating a multiplayer lobby.
In the Context Menu, abilities on cooldown occasionally appeared as available and did not offer negative feedback when selected.
The ship info panel occasionally lacked Unit Stats.
Save and Load cards created on the Chamber Of Storms mission weren’t formatted properly on some resolutions.
Camera Input Bindings were editable when Camera Movement options were disabled, which could be confusing.
Fixed several crashes and many additional minor bugs
Dev Update: The Journey Ahead
Hi everyone,
Now that the dust has begun to settle, we’d like to share some details about Homeworld 3 and the journey ahead.
We’ve been collecting and prioritizing your feedback about Homeworld 3’s gameplay. As always, thank you! Here are a few things we’re taking immediate action on and we will continue to update you on their progress. Additional work is in the planning stages, expect new updates in the coming months.
Open maps & “claustrophobic” maps
Though terrain is a major feature in Homeworld 3, we’ve heard that many of you miss the vast, empty maps of earlier Homeworld games. Some of you also feel that Homeworld 3’s maps can be too small or “claustrophobic.” We have already started work on our first new Skirmish map without large terrain — just open space. We’ll also look at other maps to make sure you can pull the camera out far enough and, if necessary, make further adjustments.
Strategic pacing & directional damage
We have heard your thoughts on the overall pace of combat. Homeworld 3 is definitely a faster-paced game, and many of you feel like you aren’t able to maneuver properly or employ tactics like flanking. We’re increasing the health of units. This will allow you more time to maneuver in an engagement to make use of things like directional damage.
And, just to dispel any confusion, Homeworld 3 has directional damage!
There’s been some doubt about that, which we think is due to the pace of combat and that it wasn’t present in the War Games demo. We’re also increasing the efficacy of directional and flank damage. We think this will increase Homeworld 3’s strategic depth by incentivizing unit positioning and smart maneuvering.
Improving unit behaviors
Speaking of maneuvering: During the next several weeks you’re going to start seeing improvements to unit behaviors. For example, things like larger ships needing to engage from the same plane of combat and various other behaviors will be addressed over the coming weeks and months. We also have fixes for issues like units occasionally forgetting their orders and improvements for various units like Suppression and Torpedo Frigates.
Hyperspace Jumps & a new tech tree in Skirmish
Skirmish has long been a staple of Homeworld and RTSes, and there’s a couple of things we think we can do to improve this experience. Notably, we are exploring implementing Hyperspace Jumping in Skirmish, allowing you to teleport ships across the map for some audacious gambits. We’re also reworking the Skirmish tech tree to help make strategic player choices more meaningful and allow early game fleet compositions to be more nuanced.
Tactical Pause & Time Dilation for solo Skirmish & War Games
This will be coming up in our June 1.1 patch. For users who want to pause or slow down combat in solo games— now you can, just like in the campaign!
Above: Also coming in Patch 1.1 is a new War Games Artifact that'll unlock the ultra-powerful Heavy Suppression Frigate variant.
Mod tools incoming!
We’re continuing to work toward the launch of Homeworld 3’s official modding tools. If you’ve browsed the mod.io dashboard within Homeworld 3, you’ve already seen the cool things the community is creating. Our mod tools will only empower that effort. Officially, they can be used to create and share Skirmish maps, but for adventurous modders who aren’t afraid to go into uncharted territory, there’s a lot more that could theoretically be done — and we can’t wait to see what this community creates.
To be clear, all of this will be moving forward in parallel to our ongoing bug-fixing and improvement efforts. By the time Patch 1.1 drops in June, we’ll be on target to address over 150 issues and counting — including performance improvements, better support for AZERTY and QWERTZ keyboards, and many, many other things.
With the help of this community, we will make Homeworld 3 the best it can be. To that end, we will strive to incorporate your gameplay feedback even more in the weeks and months ahead.
Thank you, Blackbird Interactive and Gearbox Publishing
Hotfix Update 1.03
Hello Commanders,
Today we are releasing a hotfix (1.03) for Homeworld 3 that addresses some reported concerns we’ve seen from players, including AZERTY & QWERTZ key rebindings and a couple of progression blockers that some players were seeing. A note on “what is coming next” is still in the works and we’re hoping to release more information on the custom Homeworld 3 Unreal 4 editor soon.
We have released an update for Homeworld 3, and added the following rebind controls:
Control Group key bindings are able to be rebound, allowing players using AZERTY and other keyboard types to use them
Menu & Cycle Production Unit Focus key bindings can now be rebound
Note: These two additions come with some untranslated new menu entries, but we wanted to unlock these features for players asap.
Translations on these menu options will be added in a future update.
In this update, we have also addressed the following concerns from players:
Multiplayer
The War Games Production Bay map stuttered or lagged despite high framerates
Epic players were unable to invite other Epic players via the EGS overlay
The "Remove Player" button in lobbies was not consistently removing players
When lobby hosts selected “Return to Lobby” after a finished match, the “Abort Launch” would occasionally not reset for other players
Gameplay
Captured Incarnate Destroyers started attacking player units over time
Campaign
There was a continuity discrepancy in the Campaign mission 13 intro cutscene
Players could occasionally be short 1 Resource Unit in Mission 1
UI/Accessibility
Scrollbar appearance and hover behavior weren’t consistent and sometimes difficult to use
We are continuing to investigate the reports created for issues players are experiencing while playing Homeworld 3. Coming soon, we’ll have more information on some of the confirmed bug fixes that we have planned for the game.
Hotfix Patch 1.02
Hey everyone, thank you so much for joining us for launch.
Today we are releasing a hotfix (1.02) for Homeworld 3 that addresses a few quick-fix issues we’ve seen so far. We know many of you have shared a much broader spectrum of feedback and we want you to know that we’re listening and digesting every piece of it. We are currently investigating what changes can be made and how they can be implemented, and appreciate your patience while we do so.
We’re looking to have a more thorough response soon that will speak to what we’ve heard from players and how we’ll be addressing your feedback. You can anticipate that message coming soon, but didn’t want that larger conversation to stop us from addressing bugs we’re able to fix now.
We have released an update for Homeworld 3 that addresses the following issues:
Entitlements for Fleet Command Extra Content, Backer Extra Content, Pre-Order bonus are not registered by the game on EGS.
A login screen would occasionally appear when losing connection in multiplayer lobbies.
Ships built from a Carrier could occasionally be unable to be selected and unresponsive to orders.
Another player joining a Skirmish lobby could reset the map selection to Deep Space
Looking forward, we are looking to release another update next week with improvements to AZERTY & QWERTZ key rebindings, and some progression-blocking bugs. We’ll be able to give more information on those when we’re closer to that update’s release.
Launch Orders Received. Homeworld 3 is available NOW!
// Received orders to launch. HOMEWORLD 3 is now available worldwide on PC!
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Brand New Story
Homeworld 3 is set 100 years after the events of Homeworld 2. It introduces a brand-new protagonist, scientist Imogen S'Jet - the protégé of Karan S’Jet - who must become Fleet Command to solve the mystery behind Karan’s disappearance and determine the meaning of “the anomaly”, a threat that endangers the galaxy's future. Catch up on the Story so Far in this Blog Post.
Stunning 3D Space Combat
Homeworld 3 takes the signature, intense combat and simulated ballistics of the Homeworld series to the next level. New innovative features are introduced for players that open new dimensions of strategic gameplay including cover- based tactics and maps containing complex, varied terrain. These are all rendered in stunning, state-of-the-art graphics that simulate real-time ship damage, dynamic ship destruction, and situationally responsive audio to create a deep sense of immersion and realism. Watch the Overview Trailer and get up to speed on what to expect in Homeworld 3.
War Games Mode
War Games is a new co-op mode that fuses Homeworld’s iconic RTS gameplay with roguelike elements. It enables players to take on a randomized series of combat missions and with unique challenges. Up to three commanders (players) must manage their fleet strength across each battle and then claim powerful rewards with each victory. Players will unlock incredible powers based on the results of those battles that ultimately carry over into their next run. Read More on War Games here. Players experienced War Games for the first time back in February 2024. Read about our commitment to listening to player feedback and the changes we’ve made here.
Homeworld 3’s Year One Content includes additional content for the War Games game mode such as new challenges, artifacts, classes, systems, maps and playable factions.
Open to US residents only: To celebrate the launch of Homeworld 3, we have partnered with IGN to give readers a chance to win an Alienware Aurora R16 Gaming Desktop and a Homeworld 3 Collector’s Edition. Giveaway period ends June 17, 2024 at 2:00PM PT Enter the Giveaway on IGN.com
Follow Homeworld on Social: HomeworldUniverse.com | X (Twitter) | Instagram | Facebook | Discord
Content Creators: Apply for a code on Homeworld 3’s Lurkit Page.
Fleet Command Online! Advance Access Begins for Select Game Editions!
Fleet Command online! Advance Access has begun for players with Fleet Command Editions (included in the physical Collector’s Editions) and Fig Backer Editions of Homeworld 3!
Also included with all editions of Homeworld 3 is a digital download of the Homeworld 3 Historical and Technical Manual. The Historical & Technical Manual covers Hiigaran military history, doctrine, and culture in the years ahead of Homeworld 3. It includes a detailed rundown of each ship used in the Incarnate War, including the Hiigaran and Incarnate fleets.
The mission is treacherous, but we must succeed. Arm yourself with knowledge and learn the basics of what it takes to command your own fleet. Watch our overview briefing to get familiar with combat, controls, and the mission at hand.
Homeworld 3 is a real time strategy game set in three-dimensional space.
The Hiigarans and Incarnate are at war over the fate of the galaxy.
You'll need to protect your mothership, harvest resources, and secure key objectives to achieve your mission.
As you traverse the stars, you’ll acquire resources that will be used to construct ships to attack enemies and defend your mothership. If your Mothership is destroyed, it's game over.
You’ll want to familiarize yourself with enemy ships so you'll know how to counter them when they come for you.
If you feel that the enemy has the advantage, use the environment or change tactics to take them on and turn the tide in your favor.
You’ll quickly realize the benefits of different attack formations but can also command individual ships beyond moving or fighting. Some commands allow you to direct how your ships function in combat, including using their unique abilities.
Once you’re familiar with the logistics and controls of your fleet, you can take those skills into different game modes:
STORY CAMPAIGN - SINGLE PLAYER STORY MODE WAR GAMES - CO-OP ROGUELIKE INSPIRED PLAYER VS AI SKIRMISH - MULTIPLAYER PVP AND PLAYER VS AI
Your path is up to you, Commander. Your fleet awaits.
With the release of Homeworld 3, we are inviting you to celebrate with your communities by activating Twitch Drops!
Starting on May 10 with the start of Advance Access, viewers will be able to redeem redeem a Twitch Drop that contains a couple of exclusive emblems to customize their ships in Multiplayer in Homeworld 3!
All viewers need to do is watch any stream in the Homeworld 3 Directory on Twitch.tv from May 10 at 6:00 pm UTC (2:00 pm ET, 11:00 am PT) until May 20 6:00 pm UTC (2:00 pm ET, 11:00 am PT).
A free SHiFT account is required. It will need to be linked to your Twitch account and the platform you’ll be playing Homeworld 3 on.
These are Twitch Drop Exclusives for a limited time. Don’t miss out on the chance to show your support for content creators playing Homeworld 3 during the launch!
Rewards:
Emblem 1: Emblem 2: Redeem these two emblems by watching Twitch Streams during the first two weeks of Homeworld 3’s launch! You will only have to redeem once to receive both emblems!
Start Time: May 10 at 6:00 pm UTC (2:00 pm ET, 11:00 am PT)
End Time: May 20 6:00 pm UTC (2:00 pm ET, 11:00 am PT).
How to Get Them: Watch 1 hour (60 minutes) of Homeworld 3 streams on Twitch while this Twitch Drop is active on any channel to earn these two Emblems that can be used to customize your ships in Multiplayer games!
Once you’ve redeemed your Emblems from Twitch, they’ll be delivered via SHiFT right into your game!
Eligibility
In order to get these emblems you must link your Twitch and SHiFT accounts on the SHiFT website. When you've signed into SHiFT.gearbox.com, select "Gaming Platforms" to view your connections and link your Twitch account.
Applying Customizations in Homeworld 3
Customizations are visible in the Multiplayer game modes War Games and Skirmish. Here, you can switch out banners, emblems and set the colors of your emblem, hull, stripes, and ship trails.
To apply customizations, you must first create or join a Multiplayer lobby. Here, you will see your selected Banner, your display name with your game edition color, Fleet Customization, and Fleet Composition.
Banner Customization
You can change your selected banner image by clicking your banner on the top right of the screen and selecting “Customize Profile” on the popup.
Display Name Color
Your display name is automatically set with the game edition that you own.
Fig Backers are Purple, Fleet Command Editions are Gold, and other editions appear white.
To disable the purple or gold display colors, you will have to disable the DLC in the platform’s game properties for that edition. If you still want to utilize customizations from the Fig Backers Edition, like emblems or profile icons, just customize your ship before disabling the DLC. You'll keep your customization.
Ship Customizations
The banner under your display name will customize your fleet’s appearance. Select that to open a pop up where you can switch out emblems and colors. This is where emblems from Twitch Drops and SHiFT code rewards will appear.
You can also use Fleet Presets to mimic different factions from the campaign. The ships on this screen will adapt to your updates. Make sure to save your changes to use your customizations in multiplayer!
FAQ
Q. How do I link my SHiFT and Twitch account? A. Linking your SHiFT Account and Twitch account is super simple!
Your items will be waiting for you the next time you play Homeworld 3!
Q. What devices can I use to earn and claim drops? A. You can earn and claim drops using your web browser or on the Twitch app for Android or iOS. Twitch apps on game consoles, smart TVs, and other TV apps do not support drops.
Q. Do I need to watch the same channel the entire time to earn my drops? A. You can earn progress towards a drop on any eligible channel in Homeworld 3 Directory on Twitch.
Q. Will I receive my drop rewards in-game automatically? A. To receive your rewards, you must claim the drop on the channel you’re watching or in the Drops Inventory menu on Twitch after you have completed the watch requirements.
Q. Do Twitch Drop rewards expire? A. Earned Twitch Drop rewards will expire 7 days after the drop period has ended
Q. As a streamer, how do I get Twitch Drops on my channel? A. All you need to do is make sure Drops are enabled by visiting the Drops section within your Dashboard (see Drops Streamer Home).
Drops for Homeworld 3 should be listed in the Open Campaigns, along with a link to connect your accounts if you haven’t already.
These drops are enabled for all streamers playing Homeworld 3. Read more on Drops on the Twitch website here!
*Play on May 10 with advance access granted to players at the Fleet Command level, including those with Collectors Editions, and Fig backers.
Good news everyone! Your Homeworld 3 War Games demo save game files are compatible with the Homeworld 3 game at launch. Let’s unpack what that means:
The experience you gained playing the War Games demo is preserved.
If you reached level 6 during the demo, you’ll be level 6 when you launch the full game on or after May 10.
The challenges you’ve accomplished when playing the War Games demo are preserved
A few challenges were available during the demo, if you accomplished them, they will still be accomplished when launching the full game on or after May 10.
Accomplishing challenges also came with rewards (new artifacts), they are likewise preserved.
Game settings and preferences will be reset
Many options have changed since the demo, so all your settings will be reset to their defaults. Make sure you adjust those to your preferences before diving in.
You will be run through the ‘First Time Setup’ again. This is normal.
Awesome, but how does importing that save game data work? Simple version: If you played the War Games Demo on the same computer and platform (Steam or EGS) you intend to play the full game on and have not manually deleted your save game folder or reformatted your PC, then there should be no problem, simply start the game and everything previously unlocked will be there.
If you have HAVE deleted your save game folder or reformatted your PC, never fear! There are other solutions as well.
STEAM
If you have Cloud Saves active (active on Steam by default setting, if it wasn’t manually deactivated), your War Games save data will already be saved in the cloud. When you install and launch the full game, your demo cloud saves will be synced and used and there should be no problem. Very Important Reminder - When you start the game for the first time, if Steam warns you about a Steam Cloud conflict, make sure to choose the version (Cloud or Local) that corresponds to when you played the demo last. The demo ran from February 5 to February 12 If you have deactivated Cloud Saves on Steam, but still have the local save files on a different PC you will be able to transfer your War Games progress. You can import them to the PC you will be playing on by following the below steps:
Finding the HW3 save game folder:
Shortcut: Win+R and type %LocalAppData%
OR go to this folder : C:\Users\%UserProfile%\AppData\Local
You will find a folder named “Homeworld3”
Copy this whole folder
Paste it at the same location on the new computer
Unfortunately, if you have deleted/lost the save game folder, it is not recoverable.
*Play on May 10 with advance access granted to players at the Fleet Command level, including those with Collectors Editions, and Fig backers.
