Age of Water: Everything We Know

Imagine a world without land—a post-apocalyptic planet in which water reigns supreme and the only life left onboard are those shackled to the open seas. This, really, is the basic setup for Three Whales Studio’s upcoming online adventure game, Age of Water.

“Become a sea captain of a post-apocalyptic Earth completely covered in water and go on an adventure in a huge open world,” the elevator pitch reads in part. “Sail through storms, fight and trade, capture other people’s boats or build your own, extract resources from the bottom of the ocean, reveal the secrets of the Age of Water world.”

For what it’s worth, it seems Age of Water will take a couple of pages out of Sea of Thieves’ book, in the fact that players will need to build their own vessels, as well as navigate rough tides in order to claim better loot and secure sturdy relationships with other privateers across the globe. The only difference, of course, is that there will be far fewer pirates, and more, shall we say, camaraderie between like-minded souls. Interested to hear what else the upcoming title will have in store for its users? Here’s everything we can tell you about Age of Water.

What Is Age of Water?

Age of Water is an online adventure game, and thus, a perfect opportunity for those who’ve yearned to explore a “true open world” in a setting that’s swallowed whole by the waves. As such, budding adventurers will be able to forge their own paths and set out to explore vast open tides, either alone, or with a team of like-minded voyagers.

“Explore the world at your own pace, discover new settlements and meet their inhabitants,” the description adds. “Complete tasks, search for and extract valuable resources from the bottom of the ocean, earn money on trade or simply sell the artifacts you have obtained, and when you get the idea of how this world works, build your own base.”

Story

Going by the game’s description that was hung out to dry earlier this week, Age of Water will cast its focus on a world that’s been ravaged by—you guessed it—water. In light of the earth-shattering event, folks made the last-ditch effort to rebuild from the skies, which in turn led them to craft new ways to explore the remnants of the planet via the seas. This is where you, one of its fledgling buccaneers, will begin your journey — atop one of the last-remaining towers, and in search of a vessel to call your own as the world succumbs to the ruthless high seas and elemental forces that claim the terrain, piece by piece.

“The ocean destroyed a once great civilization, but people survived and adapted,” the blurb reads. “They built settlements on the roofs of tall buildings and the tops of other man-made structures. People travel across the ocean in tiny boats and huge combat vessels. The ocean provides everything they need, including extractable resources on the seabed. And yet, the dream of real land is still alive.”

Gameplay

Although Three Whales Studio has yet to paint the entire picture of Age of Water, we do know that it’ll feature a wide array of gameplay elements, including the ability to craft your own vessel, as well as engage in naval combat with other players all over the globe.

“Build boats from scratch or modify existing ones,” the description elaborates. “Players have access to dozens of hulls and hundreds of parts, from which they can assemble anything ranging from a small boat to a hefty vessel 30 meters long, and then install equipment, armor and weapons. It’s important not to forget to gather a team of good crewmembers so that there is someone to stand behind machine guns and cannons or do other work on board.”

“Pirates are always waiting for you at sea, and in some cases more aggressive players even start to chase you, so do not forget to install enough guns on your deck,” the description continues. “You can destroy an enemy vessel, or you can capture it in battle and take it for yourself forever. Adventures might also get you into storming enemy fortresses and defending allied settlements!”

Development

In case you missed the initial announcement, Age of Water is being developed by Three Whales Studio, who made it clear back in 2020 that it was working on a brand-new “aquatic adventure MMO” with Gaijin. Since making the announcement, the game has undergone several revisions, with a Closed Beta also hitting the shelves just last year on PC. Now, it’ll be shaping up for a release in its Early Access version, which means those who failed to miss the first wave will have full access to the next edition over the coming months.

Trailer

As luck would have it, there is indeed a trailer of Age of Water — and a pretty good one, at that. But don’t let us spoil it for you. If you’d like to catch a glimpse of the game’s setting, then be sure to check out the recent announcement trailer embedded above.

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

Age of Water is currently scheduled to arrive on PC via Steam at some point in Q1 2024, which means we’ll be seeing even more of the upcoming title over the next several months. Does this mean we won’t be seeing it arrive on the likes of Xbox Series X|S or PlayStation 5? At present, it’s hard to say, though if the game goes on to sell well, then we could very well be in for a console port at some stage in the distant future. Again, it’s a little too early to call it for the time being.

Interested in staying up to date with Age of Water? If so, then be sure to check in with Three Whales Studio over on their official social handle here. If anything does change ahead of its Q1 2024 debut, then we’ll be sure to fill you in on all the key details right here on gaming.net.

So, what’s your take? Will you be getting your hands on a copy of Age of Water when it arrives on its chosen platforms? Let us know your thoughts over on our socials here.