Hi-Rez Studios announced today at the Game Developers Conference that their upcoming game, Tribes: Ascend, is scheduled for an April 12, 2012 release date.
Dubbed the "World's Fastest Shooter", Tribes: Ascend is a fast-paced multiplayer shooter based on the sci-fi themed Tribes franchise by Dynamix, which created the original Starsiege Tribes and Tribes 2 a decade ago. The series drew in millions of fans during its heyday. Hi-Rez Studios intends to cater to fans of the original two games with the game's stiff skill requirements, while drawing in new players with the game's up-to-date graphics and other accessible features.
Supporting the announcement Hi-Rez Studios also released a parody trailer titled "Tribes Ascend – Llama Island."
"Tribes is all about speed and movement," said Todd Harris, Hi-Rez Studios Chief Operating Officer. "In fact the community uses the term llama to refer to a player moving too slowly, like a plodding llama. So this video demonstrates the perils of trying to capture a flag while going too slow. The outcome is predictable but no less tragic."
Tribes: Ascend currently supports 400,000 players in its open beta test. If you're interested in playing the game before it goes retail, you can do so at the official website here.