ZeroSpace ambition clashes with creator-led Galactic War

ZeroSpace has entered Steam Early Access with an unusually broad combination of real-time strategy, role-playing systems and community warfare, although its decision to place prominent streamers at the centre of its flagship multiplayer event has divided attention from the strength of the game itself.

Developed by Starlance Studios and Ironward, the science-fiction strategy game launched on 20 July with the first act of its campaign, competitive matches, skirmishes, survival challenges and a persistent Galactic War mode. The project seeks to revive large-scale base-building strategy while borrowing narrative choices, character progression and companion relationships from role-playing games.

The campaign follows Prefect Aster of the Protectorate through 12 missions set in the Orion Sector. Players command armies, manage bases and make decisions that affect relationships and the direction of the story. The format resembles traditional real-time strategy campaigns but adds dialogue sequences, branching choices and hero development more commonly associated with titles such as Mass Effect.

Its tactical foundations are immediately recognisable. Players collect resources, construct production facilities, expand across maps and assemble forces built around infantry, vehicles, aircraft and specialised support units. Battles move quickly, with hero abilities and global powers adding another layer of control during larger engagements.

Four primary factions are available: the Protectorate, Grell, Legion and Xol. Each can be combined with one of six mercenary factions and a selected hero, creating a modular army system intended to offer more variation than fixed faction rosters. The Xol, a civilisation of self-evolving machines, remains under active balance testing and has not yet been fully introduced into ranked matchmaking.

This abundance is both ZeroSpace’s strongest quality and one of its risks. Players must learn faction mechanics, mercenary combinations, hero skills, upgrades and map objectives, often simultaneously. Experienced strategy players may welcome the depth, but newcomers could find the number of interconnected systems difficult to absorb, particularly when the interface and key bindings still require refinement.

The game’s most ambitious feature is Galactic War, a persistent cooperative competition influenced by the performance of the wider player community. Individual matches generate influence that helps alliances capture planets and expand across a strategic map, echoing the collective military campaigns popularised by Helldivers 2.

Season Zero runs until 2 August and divides players among three alliances led by RTS content creators Winter, Neo and uThermal. The winning side will determine a global reward, influence the theme of a future season and crown its associated creator as the first Galactic Emperor.

That structure has produced unease among players who would rather represent an in-game commander, invented faction or community-elected leader. Their victories ultimately contribute to the status of a streamer selected before the season began, making the war feel partly like a promotional competition rather than an open struggle shaped entirely by participants.

The accompanying clip contest reinforces that concern. Players can submit highlights featuring participating creators, with the top entries awarding $100 each to the person submitting the clip and the streamer shown in it. Although the campaign may increase visibility for a small studio operating in a difficult market, it also risks making ordinary players feel like supporting characters in somebody else’s marketing exercise.

Creator partnerships are now a standard part of game launches, particularly for independent studios that cannot match the advertising budgets of major publishers. ZeroSpace extends that approach beyond sponsored streams by incorporating personalities into the rules, rewards and outcome of its fictional conflict.

The strategy is understandable. Real-time strategy remains a challenging commercial category despite enduring enthusiasm for StarCraft, Age of Empires and Command & Conquer. Starlance needs an active community to support matchmaking, seasonal warfare and the continued development planned before version 1.0.

The studio has also organised the First Contact Invitational, featuring 12 experienced strategy players competing for a combined $13,000 prize pool. Participants include Harstem, MaNa, GiantGrantGames, Nathanias, PiG, MarineLorD, TheViper, Lowko, JimRising, UpATree, White-Ra and JuggernautJason. Their ranked results will determine tournament seeding ahead of a final competition scheduled for 9 August.