Ruckus Games - The Holdouts

I’m genuinely excited for the full release of The Holdouts. I had the privilege of joining the playtest and sharing feedback directly with the developers in their Discord, and the experience left a strong positive impression.

The playtest remains open and runs on a scheduled appointment system. This structured approach helps the team manage sessions smoothly and track participant needs effectively—something I appreciated. Playtests take place in the Ruckus Games Discord. Sessions typically begin with a short briefing on the game’s backstory (often led by community members such as @LadyDevann and others on the team), after which players form groups of up to four and jump into missions together. Sessions usually last around 2.5 hours and include opportunities for developers to drop in, chat, and collect feedback in real time. You can sign up via ruckus.firstlook.gg.

Here’s the official Steam description that captures the tone perfectly:

“Smash, grab, and grow in this third-person, session-based shooter—playable solo or cooperatively. Bash through small-town locales and cobble together anything deadly to build the most unhinged weapons you’ve ever seen. Lawn equipment, power tools, kitchen appliances, vintage 8-track toys—even the brass section of your local band—all become deadly weapons in your hands. Fight back, hold out, and rebuild a home in a warped new reality.”

Set against a warped small-town backdrop filled with 1980s-era flavor (think lawn tools, 8-track players, kitchen appliances, and brass instruments turned into weapons), the game casts players as survivors fighting an alien invasion. You and your teammates scavenge, craft wildly inventive (and often ridiculous) weapons, complete missions, loot resources, upgrade your gear, and work to hold out and rebuild a home base. It supports solo play or 1–4 player co-op and blends third-person shooting with crafting, session-based missions, and light base-building/RPG elements.

What stands out just as much as the gameplay is the team behind it. Ruckus Games is led by CEO and Game Director Paul Sage (former Creative Director on Borderlands 3 and The Elder Scrolls Online), with a roster of veterans from studios like Gearbox, Epic Games, Bethesda, Riot, Blizzard, and others. The studio puts real effort into staying connected with players. They regularly host developer streams on Discord where team members share work-in-progress content, answer questions, and interact directly. One recent session featured Principal Concept Artist Paul Richards (whose credits include work on Darksiders, Overwatch, Halo, and Fortnite) creating concepts live, chatting with attendees, and taking feedback. That kind of open, positive, family-like atmosphere between developers and players is genuinely rare and makes the community feel valued.

The Holdouts is currently in early/alpha playtesting with a release date still to be announced. It’s already wishlistable on Steam, and the playtests continue on a rolling basis. If the energy from the sessions and the team’s approach carry through to launch, this one has the potential to be a standout co-op shooter with personality to spare.

Wishlist it on Steam, join the Discord, and keep an eye on the playtest sign-ups if you want an early look. I’m looking forward to seeing where Ruckus takes this.