Free for All: Renegade X Open Beta Now Underway

Renegade: X is the perfect example of why games (even Free-to-Play ones) should allow mod support. After the original Renegade failed to bring the Command and Conquer series to the TPS/FPS genre back in 2002, the Renegade line of C&C titles was shelved, at least in the minds of EA. The original Renegade still had quite a dedicated following, and in the years following enjoyed numerous unofficial patches, graphical mods, and even complete conversions.

The original Renegade enjoyed success as a moddable shooter so much so that it inspired the mod team Totem Arts to create a completely standalone spiritual successor called Renegade: X. Having been in development since 2006, Renegade: X aims to capture the sophistication of the original while taking a step further and setting itself apart from its predecessor.

Players familiar with the original can enjoy updated weaponry, new secondary weapons, vehicle tweaks, and the use of the Unreal 3 engine. Those who are not can expect a team-based experience filled with RTS style resource management, upgradable characters, a variety of weapons and vehicles, as well as unique objectives which have players disrupting the enemy's tech progression and economy by destroying key base structures.

For those worried about EA shutting down the project, Totem Arts have already received EA's support although the team obviously cannot profit from the project. Ultimately this translates into an extremely well put together shooter with nary a cash shop in sight. Despite being completely Free-to-Play, Renegade: X will still receive regular support from its developers who plan on adding new maps, features, modes, and other content to the shooter in the coming months.

For instructions on how to download and play along with a detailed introduction to Renegade: X's main features, check out the full open beta announcement here.