Sanctuary: Shattered Sun is an upcoming real-time strategy game that aims to capture the epic scale, intensity, and grandeur of the legendary Supreme Commander series. Developed by a small independent studio composed of veteran RTS developers, this ambitious passion project hopes to recapture the magic of those revered classics while bringing new innovations to the RTS genre.

Early previews show enormous promise, with Sanctuary taking the key elements of Supreme Commander’s exhilarating strategic gameplay and evolving them into something fresh and modern. If the final product lives up to expectations, it could be the next evolution of large-scale RTS games. Let’s explore what sets Sanctuary apart.

A Planet-Sized Battlefield

The setting of Sanctuary is a mind-bogglingly massive Dyson Sphere megastructure built by humanity to harness the power of an entire star. This immense globe-enclosing construct allows for unparalleled scale, with battlefields spanning dozens of kilometres across the sphere's artificial surface.

To put this in perspective, maps in Supreme Commander could reach up to 81 square kilometres. Sanctuary’s scale means that even maps of half this size will offer the same gameplay experience. Smaller units will make the same size map appear twice as huge. Players will be able to zoom from an intimate view of individual units to a god-like view of the entire battlefield.

The battlefield will offer distinct strategic considerations for players. Seas can be frozen allowing tanks to drive over and attack previously inaccessible sections of the map. Bridges will span chasms and can be destroyed to prevent their use. Gargantuan game-changing weapons will deform the environment, blocking chokepoints and forcing players to adapt their tactics on the fly.

The sphere is home to over a trillion human lives, divided into various factions vying for control. Tensions between the enhanced post-humanoid Chosen, the disenfranchised masses of the Earth Defence Alliance, and the sphere’s own robotic Guard have erupted into all-out war. Their struggle for dominance takes place across Sanctuary’s mix of high-tech cities, idyllic nature preserves, and war-ravaged wastelands.

This vast and visually varied battlefield meshes well with Sanctuary’s theme of civilization-spanning warfare. Battles will have fronts spanning multiple biomes, testing a player’s ability to adapt strategies and supply chains across vast distances. Manoeuvring between different terrain types will add further complexity.

Three Unique Factions

In the world of Sanctuary: Shattered Sun, you have the option to align with one of three factions vying for control over the Dyson Sphere: the EDA, the Chosen, or the Guard. Each faction employs unique strategies, weaponry, and forces, all united by a common objective – to emerge as the ultimate power within the solar system:

The Earth Defence Alliance is a coalition prioritizing humanity's interests, committed to safeguarding the rights and autonomy of its populace. Emerging in response to enduring corruption, economic disparity, and the imperative for unity, the EDA emerged as the predominant governing force, vehemently countering the Chosen faction. While some view them as domineering zealots, others regard them as humanity's sole beacon of hope.

The EDA prioritizes efficiency over ornate strategies employed by their adversaries. Leveraging vast human populations and abundant resources, their mobilization might be gradual, yet it commands formidable power. Embracing a doctrine of swift and overwhelming impact, anticipate the EDA to obliterate opposition using an array of devastating weaponry, their ruthlessness matched only by their dependability. However, necessity fuels innovation, leading many of their top Sentinels to master guerrilla tactics, skilfully merging stealth technology and robust armour to deliver unexpected blows where adversaries are least prepared.

The Chosen are a society of Post-Humans who have transcended their physical forms to inhabit machines. Perceiving themselves as the next phase in Human evolution, their heightened intellect is harmonized with an impeccable aesthetic sensibility. From the vastness of their super-computer networks, the Chosen orchestrates warfare, leading legions of elegant yet lethal robotic forces.

The Chosen stands as the pinnacle of technological advancement among the three factions, harnessing streamlined designs and personal shielding to swiftly approach and annihilate adversaries with an exotic arsenal of energy weaponry. While their war apparatus boasts specialisation, it also demands substantial investment. A commitment to excellence over sheer quantity necessitates the astute management of fewer units for heightened impact. Within each Sentinel resides the consciousness of an individual from the Chosen; its obliteration equates to the demise of that consciousness. Given their limited numbers, safeguarding these unparalleled field commanders becomes of paramount importance.

The Guard are the custodians of Sanctuary, once its architects, now its sentinels. Their warfare is driven by a singular objective: to quell the rival factions and safeguard the Dyson sphere from further harm. Remodelled and fortified, the Guard stand as an unfeeling and strategic mechanized force, resolute in their determination to preserve their creation through any means necessary.

Unrivalled in their knowledge of Sanctuary, the Guard possess unparalleled intelligence and reconnaissance capabilities, enabling them to meticulously select the optimal time and place to engage their adversaries. While lacking the intricate designs seen in EDA military technology or the advanced shielding employed by the Chosen, the Guard predominantly rely on vast numbers of near-disposable drone vehicles, supplemented by a smaller contingent of unorthodox specialized units and potent Experimental assets. The most proficient Guard Sentinels adeptly maintain ceaseless pressure on their foes, biding their time until their opponents weaken, ultimately delivering the decisive, concluding strike.

Simulation-Driven Large Scale Combat

Unlike many RTS games where combat is resolved abstractly with hit point mechanics, Sanctuary features real-time ballistic and beam weapon simulations. Projectiles visibly fly across the battlefield and can be dodged. Direct hits matter more than just steadily depleting hit points. This gives battles a more immersive and authentic feel.

The developers promise this will lead to chaotic and intense clashes as thousands of projectiles crisscross the battlefield. Expert players will need to master movement and positioning to avoid devastating barrages. Individual unit survivability will rely heavily on properly using cover and line of sight, allowing for ambushes and flanking manoeuvres during the heat of battle.

When combined with thousands of units engaged in war across fronts separated by kilometres, players will need to keep a vigilant eye on multiple skirmishes happening across the sphere. Victory goes to those who can best manage their forces across a truly grand scale.

Strategic Scale Meets Tactical Gameplay

Players will be able to field armies of up to 10000 units on ground, air, and naval* theatres. For perspective, even at 200-unit armies, the scope of the epic clashes goes beyond what you see in most games. Units range from hulking experimental war machines to swarms of agile fighters. The game is designed around controlling such huge armies, with UI and controls optimized for commanding groups of units.

At the same time, individual units have their own unique attributes and abilities. Managing these tactical factors across a grand strategic battlefield presents a novel twist on traditional RTS gameplay. Do you mass an unstoppable army of brute force? Or use a specialized strike team for surgical precision strikes? Sanctuary’s scale allows for many creative paths to victory.

The developers have also emphasized smarter unit AI that requires less micromanagement compared to older RTS games. Your troops will manoeuvre and follow orders more intelligently, allowing you to focus on high-level strategy. But direct control is still crucial for utilizing each unit’s potential to the fullest. Finding the right balance of command and control presents yet another strategic choice.

Economy Drives Decision Making

An flow-based economic system aims to provide strategic depth beyond just base building and unit queues. Players must juggle income and expenses in real-time, with no arbitrary resource caps. Going all out for a quick massive army could leave you bankrupt and defenceless against a patient, fortified foe playing the long game. Intelligent expansion and investment will be required for victory.

The economy reacts dynamically to decisions, so no two matches will play out the same. For example, rapid investment in infrastructure could kick off an economic boom. Or reckless spending could trigger a recession making unit production tank. This system will test a player's flexibility in responding to an ever-changing battlefield. Economic choices will be just as important as unit tactics.

Between managing economies, battles, resource networks, and production across a planet-sized battlefield, Sanctuary will challenge players with the ultimate RTS juggle. Do you have the multitasking skills and strategic thinking to emerge victorious in such a grand undertaking? Sanctuary aims to find out.

Story-Driven Single Player Campaign*

For those who enjoy their RTS with an engaging campaign and storyline, Sanctuary aims to deliver. The initial release will ship with a robust story-focused single player mode to go alongside its multiplayer. Players can experience the intricate fiction of the Dyson Sphere through immersive missions unlocked in branching paths.

The developers promise an epic tale filled with plot twists, tense diplomacy, grand battles, and colourful characters. Co-op support will also allow playing through the campaign cooperatively with friends, letting you conquer Sanctuary together.

The campaign aims to showcase the diverse abilities of the sphere's factions. Certain missions will let you take command of the Chosen, EDA, or Guard to highlight their contrasting strengths and playstyles. Deeper story content will also unveil more of the sphere’s hidden secrets and centuries-long history that led to open war.

Ambitious Post-Launch Plans

While the initial release promises hundreds of hours of RTS content, the dev team has even more ambitious plans post-launch. Their commitment shows this is a true passion project that aims to build the next great RTS franchise.

Planned features include multi-player seasons, ranked 1v1 ladders, team games, tournaments with prize pools, regular balance adjustments based on community feedback, and years of ongoing refinement and improvements.

The team wants to support Sanctuary so that keeps it evolving and expanding for the foreseeable future. There will be mod and map support allowing the game community to continuously add new content such as maps, factions, campaigns, and modes in response to what the player base enjoys most. This would provide near endless replayability and help Sanctuary’s multiplayer thrive for years past launch.

Overall the team seems laser focused on releasing not just a great RTS, but also on post-launch support to keep it a thriving destination for RTS players. If they can fulfil this vision, Sanctuary could become the next long-term staple and social hub for the RTS community.

Built From a Legacy of Classics

Sanctuary: Shattered Sun is the creation of a small but talented development team composed of veteran RTS designers and modders who were directly inspired by playing Supreme Commander, Total Annihilation, and other iconic strategy titles. They set out to capture the best aspects of these beloved games while modernizing the genre with Sanctuary’s fresh features and innovations.

Several developers’ work has been heavily inspired by Total Annihilation which was released back in 1997. Their experience with one of the first 3D large-scale RTS games equipped them well to now push boundaries even further with Sanctuary. The team and developers have been in fact endorsed and complimented directly by Chris Taylor, the legendary RTS visionary behind Total Annihilation and Supreme Commander. This makes the team uniquely suited to building the spiritual successor that Sanctuary aims to be.

Make no mistake though, Sanctuary is not just imitating past games, but rather using their legacy as a foundation to build something new. This is not a sequel or remaster, but instead an evolution that takes the greatest aspects of its influencers and transforms them into a truly modern RTS perfectly suited to current gaming landscape.

With a jaw-dropping spherical world, unique gameplay mechanics, and revamped economics, Sanctuary is shaping up to be a one-of-a-kind strategy experience. Its shattered factions await your guidance. Which will you lead to victory? Keep an eye on this ambitious and promising game as it marches towards launch and carves out its own place in RTS history. The next evolution of the genre could soon be here.

System Requirements (TBC)


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*dependent upon a successful Kickstarter campaign – coming soon.

Wishlist Sanctuary Shattered Sun on Steam:


Join the official Discord:

The Enhearten Media development team has been working their magic behind the scenes to bring fresh, exciting content to Sanctuary: Shattered Sun. Our game will whisk you away to a variety of captivating environments, and we're thrilled to share with you our latest delight: the winter biomes!

Imagine a world covered in pristine, glistening snow. But hold onto your mittens, because pretty soon, this snowy paradise will be transformed into a battleground. The serene white canvas will bear the scars of epic battles, with enemy wrecks dotting the landscape and explosions turning snow into billowing clouds of steam. It's a sight to behold—bleak, beautiful, and definitely not your typical winter wonderland!

For all the latest updates and news, don't forget to follow us on Twitter. We can't wait to share more of the exciting world of Sanctuary: Shattered Sun with you!

We've got an awesome competition for you: Design a cool smartphone wallpaper for Sanctuary: Shattered Sun!

It's your chance to show off your artistic skills by making official wallpapers for Sanctuary: Shattered Sun. These awesome creations will be featured on all the official Sanctuary websites and social media pages, so people can download them and make their mobile devices look amazing.

There are four categories to choose from, and you can enter one or all of them if you like. There's a category for The Guard , The Chosen, and The EDA, plus a general category. The rules are super simple:

• Create your wallpaper following the provided template.
• Let your imagination run wild!

We’ve made some incredible resources available to help you in creating the perfect wallpaper:

Incredible new unit icons: Sanctuary Unit Icons Pack
Beautiful new faction icons: Sanctuary Faction Icons Pack
The Sanctuary: Shattered Sun logo and text: Sanctuary Shattered Sun Logo
The Sanctuary 'Lato' font: Sanctuary 'Lato' Font
The Sanctuary: Shattered Sun media gallery: Media | Sanctuary

Once you're happy with your creation, just hop on over to the competition section and start a new thread. Our team of judges will pick the top three entries, and then it's up to the public to vote for their favourites.

The winners will get their awesome wallpapers featured on the official Sanctuary website and all our social media channels. Plus, they'll score an exclusive invite to a private voice-chat session on Discord with some of the Sanctuary developers. That's your chance to ask all those burning questions you've been itching to ask! And as a cherry on top, they'll also receive a cool 3D printed Sanctuary: Shattered Sun unit model that was previously only available to folks at PAX Aus 2023.

No need to wait! The contest kicks off on Sunday, October 1, 2023, and you've got a week to send in your entries. After that, the judges will do their thing, and public voting starts on Sunday, October 15. We'll announce the winner on Halloween, so get those creative juices flowing!

As reported last week, Sanctuary: Shattered Sun will be at PAX Aus 2023. The dev team have been hard at work preparing for this event and they have an incredible opportunity for those excited about Sanctuary.

At PAX Aus 2023 you will be able to see Sanctuary: Shattered Sun first hand and be some of the first people on the planet to play the demo.

That's right, there will be a playable demo of Sanctuary: Shattered Sun available at PAX Aus 2023. Enhearten Media (the company behind Sanctuary) Director Nine2 said:

Hey guys we are headed to PAX to showcase Sanctuary, in Melbourne from Oct 6 - 8.
PAX is the biggest gaming convention in the southern hemisphere with about 110k people attending.

We will have The Demo there, so you will be able to see Sanctuary with your own eyes and PLAY IT!
I will be attending with Nate (programmer) and Avitus (Chosen modeller) - to answer all of your questions.

So if you are in Melbourne, pop along, don't be shy, come and say hi and tell us who you are!

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I never thought I'd feel jealous of Australia. I am now!

Welcome to ShatteredSunRTS.com - the vibrant hub of the NOW OFFICIAL community for the in-development real time strategy game, Sanctuary: Shattered Sun. My name is Al and I’m the community manager for all things Sanctuary. At ShatteredSunRTS.com will keep track of progress and bring you all of the latest news and developments as they happen.


About Sanctuary: Shattered Sun:

Sanctuary: Shattered Sun is more than just a game; it's an immersive experience that transports players to a realm where strategy, innovation, and sheer determination collide. Developed with an unwavering commitment to honouring the legacy of Supreme Commander, Sanctuary: Shattered Sun takes the genre to new heights. From awe-inspiring units to meticulously crafted environments, every aspect of the game is designed to captivate your senses and challenge your strategic prowess. As the spiritual successor to the iconic game Supreme Commander, we will embark on a thrilling journey to explore new frontiers in real-time strategy gaming.

Our Vibrant Community:

ShatteredSunRTS.com isn't just a website; it's a thriving community of players, enthusiasts, and visionaries who share an insatiable appetite for strategic excellence. Here, you'll find a haven for discussing tactics, sharing insights, and connecting with fellow gamers who understand the unique allure of real-time strategy. Whether you're a seasoned commander with countless battles under your belt or a newcomer eager to learn the ropes, our community welcomes you with open arms.

What We Offer:

• News and Updates: Stay in the loop with the latest developments, patches, and updates related to Sanctuary: Shattered Sun. Our dedicated team ensures you're always up-to-date with the evolving landscape of the game.
• Forums and Discussions: Engage in thought-provoking conversations with fellow players. From strategy breakdowns to lore discussions, our forums are a treasure trove of insights waiting to be explored.
• Events and Tournaments: Put your skills to the test by participating in community-hosted events and tournaments. Show off your strategic finesse and compete for prestigious titles within the Sanctuary: Shattered Sun universe.
• Guides and Tutorials: Whether you're struggling with base building or perfecting your micromanagement skills, our collection of guides and tutorials are here to assist you on your journey to becoming a master commander.
• Modding Community: Unleash your creativity and customize your gaming experience through mods and user-generated content. Our community celebrates the art of modding and offers a platform for creators to showcase their innovations.

Join Us Today:

Whether you're drawn to the strategic complexities of Sanctuary: Shattered Sun or simply eager to connect with like-minded individuals, ShatteredSunRTS.com invites you to become a part of our ever-growing family. Together, we'll shape the future of real-time strategy. Embark on this journey with us and let's forge victories, unravel the mysteries of Sanctuary, and conquer the Dyson Sphere in Sanctuary: Shattered Sun.

In a move which Unity Create president Marc Whitten states is to "make more money", the video game software development company has announced plan pricing and packaging updates.

Starting in January 2024, Unity will introduce a new cost called the "Unity Runtime Fee." This fee is based on the number of users who install games created using Unity as their game engine.

The fee applies once certain revenue and installation milestones are reached, depending on your subscription plan:

• Unity Personal and Unity Plus users will start paying the fee once a project reaches $200,000 in revenue over 12 months and has 200,000 total installs.
• Unity Pro and Unity Enterprise users have a higher threshold: the fee applies when a project earns $1 million in revenue over the same 12-month period and reaches 1 million installs.

The fees will be charged on a monthly basis, and the amount per install varies based on your license:

• Unity Personal and Plus users pay a fixed fee of 20 cents per install.
• Unity Pro users start at 15 cents per install and can go as low as 0.02 cents per install as installations increase.
• Unity Enterprise users start at 12.5 cents per install and can go as low as 0.01 cents per install as installations increase.

The decision to move from a flat fee to an install-based fee has raised some eyebrows in the game development community. Especially as at first glance the decision looks to penalise the smaller Personal or Plus customers over the more expensive Pro and Enterprise subscribers.

gamedeveloper.com reports:

In Unity's announcement, the company attributed the fee to the ongoing development of Unity Runtime—the executable that players download with every game and allows games made in Unity to "work at scale."

Unity has not previously charged developers for any services related to Unity Runtime. Its various licensing plans hawk the capabilities of the Unity editor and offer a number of services for live service games including DevOps, monetization, and player analytics.

Whitten explained that maintaining the Unity Runtime executable is an active effort. Even after a game ships, Unity Runtime needs to be frequently updated to operate on platforms that are being constantly updated. "It's quite expensive," he said, adding that the fee was designed to charge developers who have found "scaled success" with their games while giving smaller studios enough time to build their audience before paying additional costs.

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How will this impact the development of Sanctuary: Shattered Sun? We have reached out to the developers for comment and will update once a response has been received; but one user on the official Discord had a single comment:



Yet this dedicated Sanctuary: Shattered Sun enthusiast is not yet willing to see everything in a negative light. More information will be made available once we have it.

PAX Aus 2023, running from 6 - 8 October at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre will give the folks down under a first-hand look at Sanctuary: Shattered Sun.

PAX Australia is the largest gaming event in the southern hemisphere with 80,000 people attending the event last year. That's 79,999* potential new devotees to our favourite in development RTS game.

Keep your eyes peeled for more information on what to expect at PAX Aus 2023.

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* @nine2 will be there and he's already sold his soul to the Sphere

Here at Shattered Sun RTS we have been blessed with the development team taking notice of what the community has been asking for. Developer, Nine2, has been busy letting us know some of the confirmed features for Sanctuary Shattered Sun that people might not know about and might not expect, so without further ado, let's get to it:

Infinite Terrain:​

"Our super genius art peoples have been hard at work delivering infinite terrain - there is no map border. Only part of the map is playable, after that it just keeps going off into the distance, no hard maps edge."

Unlike Supreme Commander, which had a hard and fake looking border, the maps in Sanctuary are much more realistic with the maps simply fading into the distance rather that having a hard wall surrounding the play area.

Whilst this is unlikely to effect gameplay too much it just shows the attention to details which the development team are putting into the game.

It. Will. Be. Beautiful.

Commander Chassis System​

"One of my favourite features is around all the commander upgrade stuff with the seperate chassis system. Players will be able to transfer their commander into a completely different vehicle with completely different specs ... like a bot turning into a tank instead, with slower movement and more hp, but with completely different upgrades. One of the reasons I like this is because it advertises the commander capabilities ... like he is tank mode now so he could have the scary epic gun upgrade. Having the chassis change is like a big warning."

I love this idea. Not only are the Kingpiece (not Commander!) units different for each faction, but they are customisable by changing their chassis. Why is this important? Well each different chassis unlocks a different 'tech tree' such as offensive, builder, intel. The key component of this feature is that the chassis chosen advertises to your opponent how you plan to use your commander. In Supreme Commander, an ACU with double-gun upgrade looked entirely similar to one with T3 engineering suite. In Sanctuary you'll be able to - at a glance - see what the threat rating is of your opponent.

Bridges​

"Our pathfinding is designed to support bridges. Units can travel on top of or below bridges. Bridges can be destroyed which would damage the units above which would take fall damage, and everything below which would get crushed. Perhaps bridges can be repaired, who knows?"

The option to traverse previously in accessible areas of the terrain by building bridges to access them is an interesting inclusion. Destructible and repairable bridges have been a feature of RTS games since - at least - 1995, but being able to build bridges would be an incredible tactical options for players. One thing to consider is the option for air dropping units. Will bridges be required at all? There will need to be some way to incentive the use of bridges to ensure they're a viable alternative to simply flying across chasms and gaps in the map.

Second Wind​

"One of the more controversial features we are talking about is a second wind feature - in team games, when your commander dies, he is downed for a bit and your team mate can come over with his own commander and revive you. In other games - one of the frustrations is being sniped, you've played a game for 20 minutes and you are doing well then just suddenly die. Some people love it, some people hate it. Besides fixing an annoying issue, Second Wind will create lots of super excting gaming moments, where the main player is going really well, but he is downed! and then his teammates come to revive him! but then the area is nuked!

In Sanctuary players will have the option to be able to enable or disable Second Wind, which nerfs snipes a bit and provides excitement."

The death of the Commander Unit is the end of the game in Supreme Commander. In Sanctuary: Shattered Sun there is the option to have your Kingpiece revived by a team-mate to give a player another chance to engage the enemy. The finer details of the Second Wind feature are still to be worked out, but on paper the option to be revived is certainly interesting. Especially when Second Wind has a limited timer. Do you traverse the map to keep you comrade in the game and risk your own Kingpiece to do so? These and other tactical decisions with be the making of Sanctuary: Shattered Sun.

Would you like to know more? Would you like to influence the development of the game? Post your ideas in Sanctuary: Shattered Sun Game Suggestions

The Steam Strategy Fest is underway, presenting an exclusive chance for gamers to gain an early glimpse of highly anticipated strategy games, including Sanctuary: Shattered Sun.

As reported earlier, Sanctuary Shattered Sun will be a part of the Steam Strategy Fest, taking place from August 28th to September 4th.


As a highlight of the festival, the team behind Sanctuary Shattered Sun will be holding a special developers panel. During this session, they will be answering questions and delving into discussions about the game.

Don't miss it! Mark your calendars for Saturday, September 2nd, at 18:00 UTC. The event will be hosted on the official Discord.

Sanctuary: Shattered Sun is coming to the Steam Strategy Fest 2023! The event, running from August 28th until September 04th will feature discounts and sections for games which are 'coming soon' and demos.


At this time the developers of Sanctuary: Shattered Sun remain tight-lipped on what we can expect to see from the game as part of the event. Will there be a demo? Will there be feature reveals? Check back here frequently for further news and reaction to this exciting event!

And in the meantime don't for get to sign up for the beta, wishlist on Steam, and join the official Discord server.