The war between humanity and Martians now has a date. Relic Labs has confirmed that its new turn-based strategy title, Earth vs Mars, will release very soon.
The announcement also revealed that the game will be part of the October Steam Next Fest, giving players another chance to sample the demo before the full launch. But now I want to give you some details about it.
Table of Contents
Relic Labs and the Idea Behind the Game
Earth vs Mars comes from Relic Labs, a smaller, experimental branch within Relic Entertainment. The aim is to deliver strategy experiences in shorter development cycles, without losing the studio’s long history of tactical design.
This is the first Relic Labs release, and the team is clearly looking to balance creativity with accessibility.
Martians have abducted humans and animals for decades, harvesting their atomic essence. Now they’ve come openly to invade Earth with saucers, grav-tanks, and elite warriors.
Humanity’s last hope is a machine called the Splice-O-Tron, which fuses human volunteers with animal DNA to create hybrid supersoldiers. The result is an army of unusual combinations: cheetah-flies, human-rhinos, squirrel-cows, and much stranger hybrids as the campaign unfolds.
Earth’s hybrids are not the only evolving factor. The Martians bring their own range of advanced weapons and creatures.
They field saucers, grav-tanks, and alien warriors, and later in the campaign, they unleash mutant creations and a mysterious organic force called The Creep. This progression ensures battles stay challenging, requiring players to adapt their hybrid strategies throughout the story.
Campaign, Modes, and Replay Options
The core of the package is an expansive single-player campaign with over 30 hand-crafted missions.
Relic Labs describes it as narrative-focused, with escalating threats as the Martians adapt and mutate in response to Earth’s growing hybrid roster.
Alongside the campaign, players can jump into VS Mode with custom maps against AI, or test themselves against others in online multiplayer, playing as either Earth or the Martian forces.
A fully featured Map Editor is also confirmed. Players will be able to build their own maps and scenarios, extending replay value and community sharing well beyond the campaign.
The Splice-O-Tron and Commanders
The real mechanical hook is the Splice-O-Tron. Using it, you choose which human volunteers to combine with animal DNA, producing units that inherit traits from both.
A cheetah-fly, for example, merges speed and mobility; a human-rhino brings heavy armor and brute strength. In the demo, three animal types are available (fly, cheetah, rhino), while the full release expands that to include eagle, gecko, axolotl, and more.
Commanders further shape playstyle. Each commander has a mix of passive bonuses and active abilities, letting you adapt strategy depending on your preferred approach.
Many units, both human and hybrid, come with unique active skills that change how they interact on the grid-based battlefields.
Demo Details and Next Fest
The current Steam demo, released in July, includes three Skirmish maps against AI and gives players a first look at the Splice-O-Tron and three commanders and it has been well received so far.
The demo will be updated and promoted during Steam Next Fest in mid-October, making it a key chance to try the game before launch. Relic Labs is encouraging feedback during this event to fine-tune balance and features.
Release Date and Platforms
The invasion begins on October 29, 2025, as Earth vs Mars will launch on PC through Steam. If you want to see how a rhino fused with a human volunteer stacks up against Martian grav-tanks, the demo is already live on Steam, and the updated version arrives in mid-October. Below you can find the trailer and more details about the game.
Details from Steam Page
Martians have been visiting Earth for decades, abducting animals and humans and harvesting their atomic essence to create bizarre Martian-creature hybrids. This time they’re here to claim our planet.
In this turn-based strategy game, an unlikely group of commanders will lead Earth’s military as they face an overwhelming Martian invasion. Fight high-tech saucers, grav-tanks and elite alien warriors in a battle for the planet’s survival.
Your secret weapon is the “Splice-O-Tron”. With it, you can combine human “volunteers” with Earth creatures to create powerful hybrid supersoldiers to fight alongside Earth’s regular military.Rain acid from the skies with the fast-moving cheetah-fly. Charge through enemy lines with devastating human-rhino hybrids. Or strike from the forests with your deadly squirrel-cow infantry.
As the campaign progresses, you’ll unlock new types of creature, powerful unit upgrades and game-changing commander abilities. But as your army evolves, so will your enemy’s, and you’ll face everything from the sentient organic weapon known only as “The Creep” to the Martian’s own mutant creations.
More info on each of our key features will be released in the coming months, but for now, here is a short summary.
- Single Player Campaign – Earth vs Mars will feature an expansive narrative focused campaign composed of over 30 hand-crafted missions.
- Online Multiplayer – Battle against other commanders, either as the armies of Earth or as the forces of the Martian Invaders. Lots more info to come!
- VS Mode – Battle against the AI on custom maps giving lots of replayability to single-player fans
- Map Editor – Fully featured Map Editor allows you to create custom maps and scenarios. Again, more info to come in time!
- Splice-o-tron – Bringing some old-school Relic flavor to this genre, the Splice-o-Tron will be a key mechanic in the game. Combining creatures with human “volunteers” will allow you to field an array of exciting and powerful hybrid units.
- Unit Abilities – Many of the Units in Earth vs Mars will have their own unique abilities, adding new strategies and gameplay depth to this style of game
- Commanders – There will be multiple commanders in the game, each bringing passive and active abilities that enhance the way you play
- Beautifully realized 3D world – We’re excited to bring 3D units, tilesets, and stunning effects to turn and tile-based players in Earth vs Mars
