Indie developer Deploy Starship is set to make its mark on the strategy genre with the announcement of Starship Warbeasts, a free-to-play multiplayer card game that blends the tactical depth of Hearthstone and Magic: The Gathering with the cinematic, turn-based combat of classic JRPGs. The game is in active development for PC, iOS, and Android, with a release slated for 2026.
More than just another digital TCG, Starship Warbeasts puts players in control of teams of five powerful creatures—called Warbeasts—each one unique, upgradable, and battle-hardened. With over 75 million possible team combinations available from launch, players can expect a staggering level of tactical depth and creativity in building their ultimate squad.
🃏 Card Game Meets JRPG Combat
While deck-building is a major component, Starship Warbeasts turns traditional card game expectations on their head. Battles don’t just rely on card draws — they play out in a turn-based JRPG format, with each Warbeast unleashing signature attacks, special skills, and level-up abilities mid-fight.
Players will also be able to:
- Use spells and items to manipulate combat outcomes,
- Level up Warbeasts during battles to unlock new abilities,
- Strategically mix and match creatures for optimal synergy,
- And outwit opponents using both preparation and in-the-moment decisions.
According to the team, Starship Warbeasts will reward both strategic planning and quick tactical thinking, avoiding pay-to-win pitfalls in favor of rewarding player skill.
🌌 A Galaxy at War
Beyond the multiplayer competition, Starship Warbeasts features a rich sci-fi setting filled with lore and interplanetary conflict. The game’s narrative, delivered through live in-game events and future campaign content, will center on a galactic struggle across at least 10 planets, pitting rival factions and alien Warbeasts against one another in a race for survival — and domination.
Expect a story steeped in inspiration from sci-fi classics, full of cosmic threats, resource wars, and larger-than-life characters.
🚀 A Studio on a Mission
Founded in Florida, Deploy Starship is a newly formed indie studio led by Matthew Albright, who aims to infuse the game with the energetic style of Saturday morning action cartoons.
“I want Starship Warbeasts to have a feeling of high-action cartoons. Cool and fun. And even though it’s our debut project, I can already see that we’re going to make something great,” said Albright.
The team is planning playtests, demos, and closed betas ahead of the full release in 2026, giving players early access to shape and influence the development.
