WayForward and 13AM Games announced that kaiju beat ’em up Dawn of the Monsters releases in March 2022 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch and PC! The developers also shared new details about artist collaborations for the upcoming game and a story trailer. Check it out below:
The kaiju invasion is coming! Alongside our developer friends at 13AM Games, we are proud to share new details for the upcoming giant-monster beat-’em-up Dawn of the Monsters — including the release window! Beyond its awe-inspiring playable behemoths, two-player local co-op action, and more than 35 missions, Dawn of the Monsters will also provide an epic story and compelling characters when the game launches digitally on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Stadia, and PC in March 2022.
The Dawn of the Monsters saga begins in 2036 when enormous creatures known as the Nephilim invade Earth, leaving calamity in their wake. To counter the threat, a global task force known as DAWN (Defense Alliance Worldwide Network) is established, but it isn’t until three decades later that humanity can properly strike back. With four gargantuan guardians at its command — Megadon, the living volcano; Ganira, the colossal crustacean; Aegis Prime, a superhuman warrior; and Tempest Galahad, a massive mech — DAWN prepares to reclaim the planet. A new trailer highlighting the game’s story can be seen here!
Dawn of the Monsters is a passion project that stems from 13AM Games’ love of all things kaiju. But in addition to the internal creative crew, we have joined forces with an incredible team of collaborative artists to bring Dawn of the Monsters to life, both in-game and for promotional purposes. The list includes:
•Shinji Nishikawa – This world-renowned kaiju designer who worked on the Godzilla film series and SSSS.Gridman designed the flame Nephilim, Agnitor.
•Matt Frank – A comic book artist known for his work on IDW’s Godzilla comics, Arrow Films’ Gamera: The Complete Collection box set, and the Redman comic series, Matt Frank designed the Bakudon and Inazudon Nephilim. He also created a piece of key art and illustrations for the game’s physical collector’s edition.
•Yuji Kaida – One of the most well-known kaiju artists living today, Yuji Kaida has created illustrations for Neon Genesis Evangelion, Godzilla, Gamera, and Ultraman, as well as video games such as Monster Hunter and more. He created the painting that will adorn the game’s physical collector’s edition.
•Zander Cannon – An Eisner Award-winning comic book artist famous for his ongoing comic series Kaijumax from Oni Press, Zander Cannon created one of the game’s promotional illustrations.
•EJ Su – Known for his work on Marvel’s Rise of Ultraman and IDW’s Godzilla Rivals and Transformers comic books, EJ Su produced numerous pieces of art for the game, including key art, character illustrations, and promotional comic illustrations.
•Kim Jacinto – With work seen in numerous Marvel comics, including Rise of Ultraman and Shang Chi, Kim Jacinto provided the game’s alternative cover art.
•DJ Crumrine – This animator and storyboard artist at Titmouse who worked on Animaniacs and Critical Role is also a huge kaiju fan. He created one of the game’s promotional illustrations.
•Zedd – An incredibly talented illustrator and animator known for his kaiju and Monster Hunter art, Zedd worked on the cutscenes for Dawn of the Monsters.
•Robo7 (Jon Belotti Jr.) – An artist who loves illustrating giant monsters, Robo7 has done work for G-Fan, Famous Monsters of Filmland, and Alien. He provided header card art for Seismic Toys’ Megadon and Ganira figures.
•Caroline “Luka” Bromley – A concept artist and merchandise designer for the RWBY series who also loves kaiju and helped spearhead “Kaiju Monster March” on social media. She created chibi illustrations of the Dawn of the Monsters cast.
•Ninsai Kato – A kaiju artist from Japan, Ninsai Kato lent her talents with a promotional Megadon brush-ink illustration.
•Powerhouse Animation – Known for animated series such as Castlevania, Masters of the Universe: Revelation, and the upcoming Skull Island, Powerhouse Animation created the phenomenal opening animation for Dawn of the Monsters.
“It was personally important to me that Dawn of the Monsters not be viewed as a kaiju parody or a ‘b-movie monster spoof’ or anything like that,” says 13AM Games CEO Alex Rushdy. “I really wanted to reflect the spirit and intent of the best craftsmen and storytellers in the kaiju and tokusatsu genre. To realize this we decided we needed to involve people who have worked on some of the most important and impactful kaiju media out there. It was a dream come true for me. I never thought I’d one day be working with Mr. Nishikawa and Mr. Kaida — two people responsible for some of the most striking images from my childhood!”
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