Exterminauts Season Pass Won’t Make You Pay If You’re Willing To Play

Dead by Daylight developer Behaviour Interactive is venturing into new live-service territory with the upcoming release of Exterminauts, a third-person shooter that merges the blue-collar energy of Ghostbusters with Starship Troopers. The title is drawing comparisons to Helldivers 2, and the developer is taking inspiration from Arrowhead's approach by giving players the opportunity to unlock Battle Passes simply by playing the game, or buying them with cash to support the studio if they are pressed for time.

According to creative director Vincent Regimbald, who spoke with GameSpot at Gamescom, the team plans to launch live content about a month after the game's release. The game will feature short, Warbond-like Battle Passes lasting about six weeks, creating a fairly quick cycle. Payment is described as purely optional, with in-game currency obtainable through daily and weekly objectives. These Battle Passes will offer new cosmetics and weapons that are generally earnable through regular play. Mods can also be earned via this route, shaking up default weapon performance and allowing players to unlock wild options.

Mods can grant elemental damage, instant reloads, or extra critical damage, combining with gadgets and special weapons to let players skew their builds in specific directions. Additionally, the game features passive abilities called emblems and badges that act as character or playstyle classes focusing on gadgets, healing, or ice damage. For instance, taking an ice-focused emblem allows players to freeze enemies and shoot them to cause area-of-effect damage, opening up various combo possibilities.

Hands-on previews indicate that the mod system provides a strong incentive for players to stick around for additional runs, and while the combat is not described as revolutionary, its lighthearted nature and chaotic co-op could make it worth keeping an eye on. Exterminauts is scheduled to launch in 2027 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.