Sign-ups are open for the DARK MACHINE THE GAME playtest, and the new multiplayer mecha shooter is inviting players to try its 7v7 battles from December 18 to 25, 2026. The game is part of a cross-media project alongside DARK MACHINE: THE ANIMATION, and it is led by Goro Taniguchi, the director behind ONE PIECE FILM RED. If you like giant robots, transforming machines, and large-scale team fights, this is one to put on your watchlist — and the playtest is your first chance to get hands-on.
DARK MACHINE THE GAME is a multiplayer mecha action shooter set in a world where machines fight over Palma Energy, a mysterious power source at the center of the conflict. It is being developed by DARK MACHINE PROJECT and LIONA Inc., and it is planned for release in 2027 on PC via Steam. The game shares its world with an anime series, DARK MACHINE: THE ANIMATION, so the machines, the factions, and the story all come from the same universe — and the playtest is the first time players can step into it themselves.
Terminal Siege: 7v7 Battles, PvE Hordes, and the Shift Up System
The playtest centers on Terminal Siege, the game’s signature mode, where two teams of seven fight for control while waves of PvE enemies crash into the battle. It is a mix of player-versus-player combat and co-op survival: you are fighting the other team and the hordes at the same time, and the map changes as structures are destroyed. Knocking out a building can reroute enemies and open new paths, so every match plays out differently depending on what your team chooses to break.
The machines themselves are the real hook. DARK MACHINE THE GAME uses a system called Shift Up, which lets your machine morph between three classes mid-battle: the compact Worker, the mid-sized Ride Loader, and a large class built for heavy firepower. Each class has its own strengths, and switching at the right moment can turn a fight around. On top of that, machines are fully customizable, with swappable parts, weapons, modular upgrades, and cosmetic options like colors and decals, so your machine can look and fight the way you want it to.
How to Join the DARK MACHINE THE GAME Playtest
The playtest runs from December 18 to 25, 2026, and sign-ups are open now on Steam. Players who want in can request access through the game’s Steam page, where the playtest will appear as an option to join. The test is the first public hands-on with Terminal Siege and the Shift Up system, so it is the best way to see how the game actually plays before its 2027 launch. Spots are likely to be limited, so it is worth signing up sooner rather than later if you want to be in the first wave.
If you want a first look before you sign up, the announcement trailer shows the machines in action, and it is embedded below. The trailer gives a sense of the scale of the battles and the look of the three machine classes, from the nimble Worker to the heavy large class. And if the world grabs you, there is more to it than the game — DARK MACHINE: THE ANIMATION tells stories from the same universe, making this one of the rare shooters that arrives with an anime already attached.
A 2027 Launch on Steam — and Why the Playtest Matters
DARK MACHINE THE GAME is planned for release in 2027 on PC via Steam, and the December playtest is the first real test of whether its mix of 7v7 combat, PvE hordes, and transforming machines works in players’ hands. Games that run public tests this early are usually serious about using the feedback, and a week-long test over the holidays gives the team a lot of data to work with. For players, it is a free look at a shooter with a big anime pedigree and a genuinely unusual hook — machines that change shape in the middle of a fight.
The DARK MACHINE THE GAME playtest runs December 18-25, 2026, and sign-ups are open now. Read the full announcement on GamesPress, request access on Steam, and watch the trailer above to see the machines in action. While you wait, there is plenty to play — Marvel Rivals Unveils Details for Season 2.5: Hellfire Gala, Launching May 30 with New Hero, Map and Features is still going strong, EVE Online: Fractured Skies Is Live — And EVE Vanguard’s Alpha Is Open 24/7 for $15!, and Mistfall Hunter Season 2 Is Live — Fires of the Past, a New Boss and a 20% Sale — but DARK MACHINE is the one bringing transforming robots and anime-scale battles to Steam in 2027.
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