We’re very pleased to announce that three classic games are OUT NOW on Steam, straight from the Rebellion archives!
We’re proud to be able to ensure these games’ legacies carry on through digital platforms for years to come. We hope you enjoy!
Rebellion, one of Europe’s largest independent creative studios, is proud to announce its brand new board game division, Rebellion Unplugged. The first game from the new offshoot will be Sniper Elite the Board Game, based on the studio’s bestselling tactical shooter series.
Headed up by Duncan Molloy, previously the Founder and Creative Lead of the board game line at Osprey Games, Rebellion Unplugged will release new physical games and collectibles based on the company’s diverse and extensive collection of properties. Several games are already in the works.
Rebellion operates across games, TV, books, comics and film. Among many others, its library of IPs includes the beloved sci-fi universes of 2000 AD, the upcoming spy-fi lair-builder Evil Genius 2, and the multi-million selling Zombie Army series – the next instalment of which, Zombie Army 4: Dead War, comes to PS4, Xbox One and PC on February 4th.
An early version of Sniper Elite the Board Game will be playable at PAX Unplugged this December. More details will be unveiled before it launches on Kickstarter early next year, and more games are due to be unveiled throughout 2020.
“We’re absolutely delighted to be launching Rebellion Unplugged,” said Rebellion CEO and founder Jason Kingsley OBE. “My brother Chris and I have been making video games for more than 25 years, and our love of the medium has its roots in our childhood love of board games. We’ve got so many great games and comic book heroes and universes to draw from too, so it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
For more details on Rebellion Unplugged, please visit RebellionUnplugged.com
Zombie Army 4: Dead War launches worldwide on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC on February 4, 2020, and is now available to pre-order.
All pre-orders include the Undead Airman Character Pack FREE, featuring new playable character Hector, the British zombie with a very stiff upper lip!
To celebrate today’s announcement, we’ve also unleashed a gameplay trailer – blazing with brand new reveals:
From Venetian canals gurgling with death to a Croatian zoo now home to mortal terror, and pouncing, bloodthirsty Creepers to grotesque, zombified tanks, demonically possessed and able to spawn undead at will! Brace yourself for a Mediterranean nightmare in the post-World War 2 hellscape of Zombie Army 4!
If that wasn’t enough, we’ve also got details on a variety of editions, now available to pre-order – including our horrifying Collector’s Edition! Check out the trailer here:
This limited edition set features stunning physical and digital items, including:
• The gorgeously horrifying 10” Zombie Shark Figurine
• Exclusive Collector’s Edition Box
• 60-page Art Book
• Steelbook Case
• Digital Soundtrack Sampler
• In-game Undead Airman Character Pack.
For more information on Zombie Army 4: Dead War’s various editions, and to find out how to pre-order, please visit ZombieArmy.com
-The Team At Rebellion
On March 27th 2014 the EU Commission finally approved games tax relief for UK game developers. It’s huge news for independent studios up and down the land, but it’s an especially sweet moment for Chris and Jason Kingsley – Rebellion’s co-founders.
You see, Chris and Jason helped found the industry organisation TIGA, and have campaigned tirelessly on behalf of the UK development scene for over a decade to secure the tax breaks announced today.
We sat down with Jason to ask him a few questions about the past and future of UK development:
What impact will this tax relief have on the games development sector?
Jason: In terms of financial impact TIGA’s figures demonstrate Games Tax Relief (GTR) will lead to an estimated £188m in additional investment for UK game developers over the next five years alone. We’re talking about an industry wide 25% reduction in the cost of games development in the UK, which is massive.
A more forgiving financial environment means greater creative freedom so more edgy, creatively focussed titles will get the green light. Games Tax Relief will help to level the international playing field, and drive the UK games industry forward, enabling UK studios to make even more world-beating award winning games.
How did it all come about?
Jason: Well originally the idea for a games tax relief came up in discussion with my brother Chris, who’s CTO at Rebellion. However, it started to be discussed as a serious concept a little over a decade ago. I was sitting in a TIGA board meeting with a group of UK devs both great and small, many of whom are sadly no longer around in the business any more, and said
“Why don’t we push for a games tax break akin to that which UK film makers benefit from? After all, we’re just as creative as them and perhaps even more globally focussed.”
Did you face any opposition?
Jason: During that time we’ve faced objections from outside as well as from inside the industry, with some politicians telling us we should shut up and quit, which we were simply not prepared to do. TIGA just kept on going.
Back in 2010 Games Tax relief was introduced in the last Labour Government’s budget. However, there was some back room counter lobbying taking place at the time. The new coalition Government then dropped Games Tax Relief in the June 2010 budget.
The next development was when, after another 18 months of relentless work, TIGA convinced the UK Government to finally back the measure in the Coalition’s March 2012 Budget. Yet again though, another roadblock appeared with the EU Commission citing concerns including video games not being culturally equal to film, and thus not deserving of the same or similar tax breaks.
At every stage TIGA has provided compelling evidence, and kept the issue of Games Tax Relief at the top of the agenda. Ultimately, that willingness to wage an unremitting, evidence based argument has taken us to today’s victory, one that finally gives the UK a level playing field and a fighting chance to become a top three game making nation once again.
Is there now an onus on the industry to prove to the Government that we are worth this investment?
Jason: Thanks to TIGA’s lobbying, politicians of all political parties recognise the value and potential of the UK video game industry. They talk to us on a regular basis and at all levels are interested in helping out as best they can, within the EU rules that we all have to live by.
What we do have to do is keep showing them and telling them that the video game sector, and particularly UK-tax-paying developers can really help the UK balance of payments – as we’re almost always export driven, and trying to reach that global audience.
What happens now?
Jason: With regard to the mechanics of application and approval, we’ll know exactly how this will work soon enough, as DCMS and HMRC will be confirming the details. It essentially comes down to passing a ‘cultural test’ which is administered by the British Film Institute, working with your accountant to identify which costs are eligible and including your claim for Games Tax Relief in your businesses end of year tax return.
At Rebellion we’ve been planning for this to happen for well over a year. It’s certainly been a long journey for the industry in the UK, but to paraphrase another Great Briton, it may just be ‘The End of the Beginning’.
What follows below is a copy of our reply to an open letter put together by Nick Smith and the unofficial Evil Genius 2 Facebook group:
Dear Evil Genius 2 Facebook group members and Evil Genius gamers everywhere,
Thank you for taking the time to prepare your open letter on behalf of the community.
We were overwhelmed by the response to the announcement of Evil Genius Online (EGO). Not only were all the closed beta slots taken in less than 24 hours, but we saw the Evil Genius community spring into action. Whether it was through emails, tweets, the online petition, in forums or through your open letter, you made the effort to let us know what Evil Genius means to you as gamers. We wanted to reply to you directly, and although we don’t have time to cover all your questions hopefully this letter will leave you a lot clearer about the future of Evil Genius!
So why did we make Evil Genius Online?
For independent studios like Rebellion to survive it’s important that we look beyond the console, PC and mobile platforms we know so well. Facebook are hubs with millions of gamers who can start playing any game in just a couple of clicks. There are almost no barriers. This is why free-to-play is so exciting for both developers and gamers, and yes, it means we can bring Evil Genius to a new audience too.
But hasn’t Evil Genius been on Facebook before?
Yes – Evil Genius: WMD – and it wasn’t up to scratch. We know fans and gamers deserved better. Evil Genius Online is a completely different game and we’ve learned some invaluable lessons since then.
Will social mechanics undermine the traditional Evil Genius gameplay?
While EGO will obviously attract a free-to-play audience, we wanted to create an experience that could be enjoyed by many types of gamers, including Evil Genius fans. Crucially the game doesn’t feature an ‘energy’ mechanic which would limit your play time each day. EGO is firmly mission based, with an open ended story that evolves as the gamer progresses. Yes, each mission takes time to complete and objectives can be accelerated with the use of virtual currency (no pressure applied), but gamers can play for as long as they want and completely redesign their lair to their heart’s content at any time. We honestly believe many of you will really enjoy EGO, but we also understand that we’ll still be disappointing some of you too.
So is this the ‘sequel’ that has been rumoured on Twitter?
When Jason – Rebellion’s CEO and co-founder – tweeted earlier in the year about a potential follow up to Evil Genius, he wasn’t talking about Evil Genius Online, which was already in development by a small team here in our Oxford studio.
We’ve always wanted to make a fully-featured PC follow-up. We’ve taken concepts for an Evil Genius sequel to publishers before but we weren’t able to secure the funding we needed. However since then, we’ve looked into alternative ways to get this game funded and created. We are going to make this happen. And it’s going to be soon.
We’ve been watching the Evil Genius community for some time now, and we’re sorry that we couldn’t tell you earlier about our plans. If anything, your enthusiasm over the last couple of weeks has galvanized our efforts!
In the next few days a key member from our Oxford studio will be in touch. They want to engage with the EG community and get you involved in the first steps we take towards the next Evil Genius game on PC.
Please make them welcome, and don’t be scared to share your ideas!
Yours Forever Evily
The Rebellion team
