Multiplayer shooter Ghost in the Shell: First Assault coming to Steam Early Access

Neople and Nexon America have confirmed their latest project, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex – First Assault, will enter Early Access via Steam and the Nexon Launcher Monday, December 14.

First Assault is a free-to-play multiplayer shooter featuring a sci-fi setting based on its titular franchise. The game draws heavily upon the characters and premise of Production I.G.’s Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, a 26-episode animated series first aired in October 2002.

“We want First Assault to appeal to longtime fans of the Stand Alone Complex anime as much as to FPS fans looking for a new sci-fi game experience,” Lead Director Jung Eik Choi said in a statement, “and we’re working hard to develop elements to engage both audiences.”

Ghost in the Shell fans will recognize such characters as Motoko Kusanagi, Batou, and Togusa. First Assault will launch with eight playable characters, all of whom can be unlocked with the in-game currency GP, or “grind points.”

Each character is also equipped with their own “cyberskill,” a unique ability made possible through cybernetic augmentation. Kusanagi, for example, can render herself nearly invisible for a short time. The cyberskill roster also includes enhanced radar, endurance, speed and many others.

Cyberskills are integral to the flow of First Assault. Not only can each character utilize their own unique skill, they can share their abilities with nearby allies through the “SkillSync” system. Syncing skills allows for a wealth of creative strategies, Neople promises, such as fast-moving, invisible soldiers rushing toward a capture point.

Those interested in joining First Assault’s upcoming early access period, or later beta periods, can bid for a spot via Nexon’s official page. In addition, the game will launch with several early access packs which grant buyers access in addition to other rewards. Those are:

Nexon and Steam	Steam Exclusive
Recruit Early Access Pack – $4.99 Beta access and exclusive MP-V5A Rare Tachikoma Weapon Skin	Operative Early Access Pack – $9.99 Recruit content plus M4A1 Rare Tachikoma Weapon Skin and two 100,000 GP coupons (one coupon unlocked at early access launch, the other at open beta)
Elite Early Access Pack – $29.99 Specialist content plus one additional character unlock coupon, exclusive Motoko Rare Character Skin and two additional 500,000 GP coupons	Specialist Early Access Pack – $14.99 Operative content plus one character unlock coupon and exclusive L118A-S1B Rare Tachikoma Weapon Skin

Although First Assault will incorporate in-game microtransactions, Nexon and Neople remain adamant that there is no competitive advantage to spending real money. All characters, equipment, abilities and items can be unlocked freely through GP. However, certain cosmetic features such as character skins may be behind a paywall.

Nexon is known for a wealth of free-to-play titles, chief among them the long-running MMORPG MapleStory. The studio is also backing Cliff Bleszinski's upcoming shooter LawBreakers. You may know Neople's work from such titles as Dungeon & Fighter and Cyphers.