Upcoming space games: Homeworld 3, Space Marine 2, Star Wars Outlaws & more

Still from the video game Star Wars Outlaws. Here we see a dogfight in space. A flat, rectangular ship is being fired at by several enemy spaceships. They're going through an asteroid field, so there are lots of chunks of rock floating about.
(Image credit: Ubisoft)

The number of upcoming space games is rocketing as adventures among the cosmos continue to captivate the video game industry. That's why we've put together a list of ten future space games that you should keep an eye on. So, take your protein pills and put your helmet on as we embark on plenty of new space odysseys in 2024.

From big Star Wars games to brand new IPs, there are tons of space-set video games coming our way across a variety of genres, and sometimes it's quite hard to navigate such a crowded market and to pick the perfect game if we're short on free time. Our hope is that this list will make some future purchases easier, and maybe even reveal some overlooked releases to you. That is… if you can escape Starfield's gravitational pull.

If you're looking for games tied to the stars which are already available, then check out our list of the best space exploration games and the best space games on Xbox game pass. For something a little different, we also have some suggestions about space games that should be turned into movies and TV series.

Outcast: A New Beginning - March 15, 2024

(Image credit: THQ Nordic)
  • Release date: March 15, 2024
  • Platform: PC, Xbox Series X/S, PS5
  • Developer: Appeal Studios

After the remake of the original classic, titled Outcast: Second Contact (2017), Appeal Studios started working on a sequel that also aims to serve as a "soft reboot" of sorts to bring new players into the fascinating (open) world of Adelpha.

Again, Cutter Slade is at the center of the action, returning to Adelpha only to find the Talans enslaved by invading robotic forces. Thanks to new tech and a bigger budget, the developers aim to further explore the planet, its people, and the dangerous creatures that inhabit it. All in all, the second Outcast game sounds like a throwback for fans of good ol' action-adventure games that weren't bloated.

Lightyear Frontier - March 19, 2024

(Image credit: FRAME BREAK/Amplifier Studios)
  • Release date: March 19, 2024
  • Platform: PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
  • Developer: FRAME BREAK/Amplifier Studios

Farming video games have become huge in recent years, but surprisingly few of them are inviting players into alien worlds… until now. Say hello to Lightyear Frontier, where you can farm alien crops on a planet far, far away. It's been described as "a peaceful open-world farming adventure" and we can't wait to see what it brings to the genre's increasingly crowded table.

If you're buzzing with excitement for Lightyear Frontier, you'll be happy to know that the game is currently in early access so you don't have to wait to play it. It already looks very promising and the perfect kind of cozy – who knew that big mech-suits and protecting your crops from alien creatures could be so relaxing? The game has also been built with four-player co-op in mind, so it might potentially be one of those huge time sinks that feels just right after a stressful day at work.

Homeworld 3 - May 13, 2024

(Image credit: Gearbox Publishing)
  • Release date: May 13, 2024
  • Platform: PC
  • Developer: Blackbird Interactive

The Homeworld games were picked up by Gearbox in 2015 and given a new paintjob alongside plenty of 'quality of life' changes. Since then, the series has been reactivated with a prequel title (Deserts of Kharak) and a third entry which has been in development for a while now.

While still built around solo gameplay, Homeworld 3 will introduce a fresh co-op mode that "will fuse Homeworld's RTS gameplay with a roguelike structure." Most longtime PC gamers can't wait for this one, but we can also see many newcomers jumping in and guiding massive fleets of spaceships once it launches this year.

Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 - September 9, 2024

(Image credit: Focus Entertainment)
  • Release date: September 9, 2024
  • Platform: PC, Xbox Series X/S, PS5
  • Developer: Saber Interactive

More than a decade after the original 2011 game, it's finally time to return to the distant future of Warhammer 40K as Captain Titus. Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 looks epic, ferocious, and the big blockbuster sequel finally arrives this year.

While Warhammer 40K video games haven't gone anywhere (if anything, we now have more of them), Space Marine 2 marks Titus and the Ultramarines' long-anticipated return to the big-budget action genre. Like in the first game, players will be able to "embody the superhuman skill and brutality of a Space Marine, the greatest of the Emperor's warriors" as they destroy the relentless Tyranid hordes and other filthy heretics.

Saber Interactive is handling this one and given their recent work on big properties, such as World War Z and Evil Dead, we couldn't be more excited.

Star Wars Outlaws - TBA 2024

(Image credit: Ubisoft)
  • Release date: TBA 2024
  • Platform: PC, Xbox Series X/S, PS5
  • Developer: Massive Entertainment

Following the success of Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, the Ubisoft-backed studio of Massive Entertainment is now in the final stages of developing the first-ever open-world Star Wars game (yes, it somehow hasn't already happened yet), unless you count the latest Lego Star Wars entry as one.

Set between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, Star Wars Outlaws stars Kay Vess, a scoundrel "seeking freedom and the means to start a new life" with her companion Nix and the reprogrammed commando droid ND-5. Together you'll explore the seedy underworlds found across the galaxy and run into several criminal syndicates along the way.

It's been described as a galaxy-spanning heist story, and that's one hell of an elevator pitch. After watching last year's gameplay reveal, our hype simply jumped to hyperspace. Give it to us now.

Pragmata - TBA 2024

(Image credit: Capcom)
  • Release date: TBA 2024
  • Platform: PC, Xbox Series X/S, PS5
  • Developer: Capcom

Even after two stunning trailers, we still can't quite figure out what Pragmata is really about. We know that outer space is part of the story, as it'll take players to a futuristic dystopian world built on the moon. According to Capcom, this first game has been envisioned as the start of a new franchise, so we're expecting a high-profile action-adventure game.

From the previews, we can also discern that the plot revolves around a little girl who seems a bit odd (maybe she's an alien or some sort of entity) and a person in an astronaut suit. There's also a robot cat, which, coupled with the catastrophic shots of the environments they're trying to leave, might suggest a biological or technological disaster of some sort. Based on the vibes alone, we can't wait to learn more about this one.

Judas - TBA 2024/2025

(Image credit: Ghost Story Games)
  • Release date: By March 2025 at the latest
  • Platform: PC, Xbox Series X/S, PS5
  • Developer: Ghost Story Games

If you're a fan of the best space horror games and you loved the System Shock and BioShock games, then you're in luck with Judas. Ken Levine – the creative director behind System Shock 2, BioShock, and BioShock Infinite – is back with a veteran team of devs and creating another narrative-heavy first-person shooter. However, this game feels like an evolution of the formula he and his people are known for.

According to the official Judas press release, the story takes place inside a disintegrating ship and follows the "desperate escape plan" of a troubled main character. It also sounds like alliances and choices may be part of the game's systems, as Levine has teased in the past that he wanted to push the possibilities of an open-ended narrative further. It's ambitious sci-fi and, from what we've seen in the Judas reveal trailer, it looks pretty fantastic. We're prepared to have our minds blown again.

Star Wars Eclipse - TBA

(Image credit: Quantic Dream)
  • Release date: TBA
  • Platform: PC, Xbox Series X/S
  • Developer: Obsidian Entertainment

Star Wars Eclipse promises to be large, action-heavy, and narratively flexible. That said, proper development is barely getting started now. Set in the High Republic era of the Star Wars timeline, Lucasfilm Games and Quantic Dream's extremely ambitious title is years away, if it ends up happening at all… but we're still hopeful!

The "branching narrative" game features several characters and takes place across a number of Star Wars planets, old and new. The Jedi Knights are part of the story, but the Trade Federation and the mysterious Nihil (introduced in the High Republic novels) are part of the larger conflict too. Moreover, a previously unseen alien species appears to be preparing for the return of a big villain that likely isn't a Sith.

The Outer Worlds 2 - TBA

(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)
  • Release date: TBA
  • Platform: PC, Xbox Series X/S
  • Developer: Obsidian Entertainment

Another big space game coming from Microsoft is the sequel to Obsidian's The Outer Worlds, a surprise RPG hit released in 2019. Even though the developer is now busy with several projects across different genres, the company has grown quite a bit since Microsoft's acquisition, so it makes sense to keep the Outer Worlds IP going as well.

Little is known about the project at this time, but it’s reasonable to expect a storyline set after the events of the first game, which happen in the year 2355. The highly satirical, hyper-corporate, class-centric setting – plus the first-person gameplay – certainly gave The Outer Worlds a flavor which reminded veteran players of titles such as Fallout or Borderlands, but it was ultimately far from those and had other objectives in mind. Hopefully, the Stranger’s (the player) big choices will shape the sequel’s world and main story one way or another.

Mass Effect 4 - TBA

(Image credit: EA)
  • Release date: TBA
  • Platform: PC, Xbox Series X/S, PS5
  • Developer: BioWare

Only named "The Next Mass Effect" at this point, a follow-up to the classic Mass Effect trilogy is coming from BioWare veterans and new talent added in recent years. Its mission is to course-correct the action-RPG franchise after Mass Effect: Andromeda failed to meet expectations in 2017.

As far as we know, that game's storyline is being dropped for now… although some rumors and theories suggest it could be woven into the fourth mainline Mass Effect. This will have the huge task of reigniting a galaxy that was shaken and forever changed by the events of Mass Effect 3 – there are more than a few mysteries we want to see unraveled in Mass Effect 4.

This could be quite unique for a variety of reasons, but Mass Effect 4 is sadly still far away. For now, we recommend revisiting – or discovering for the first time – the outstanding Mass Effect trilogy with 2021's Mass Effect: Legendary Edition. We just know that this will be your favorite game on the Citadel.

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Fran Ruiz

Fran Ruiz is our resident Star Wars guy. His hunger for movies and TV series is only matched by his love for video games. He got a BA of English Studies, focusing on English Literature, from the University of Malaga, in Spain, as well as a Master's Degree in English Studies, Multilingual and Intercultural Communication. On top of writing features and other longform articles for Space.com since 2021, he is a frequent collaborator of VG247 and other gaming sites. He also serves as associate editor over at Star Wars News Net and its sister site, Movie News Net.

With contributions from