Nyan Heroes, the team-based hero shooter featuring little cats piloting giant mechs, has revealed more modes and guardians for its upcoming playtest.

Singapore-based 9 Lives Interactive, formerly known as Rude Robot Studios, is developing Nyan Heroes, a hero shooter game that combines unique gameplay mechanics with cat-inspired characters and blockchain technology to achieve widespread adoption.

The game’s open pre-alpha playtest 3 will be available on the Epic Games Store from September 4 to September 25. This latest playtest brings a number of new features, including the Payload game mode, the Arctic map Erebus, Scout and Mage Guardians, improved passive customization through player augments, a new “Embark” leveling game mechanic, and more.

Building on the success of previous Playtests, which reached #5 on the list of most wishlisted games and the top 30 most played games on the Epic Games Store, Playtest 3 features randomly selected games between the popular Stronghold mode, where teams compete to capture an objective, and the new Payload mode.

In Payload, two teams of six players attack or defend the payload as it passes through three checkpoints on the Erebus map. Teams must strategically use highs and lows, Guardian abilities, and areas that can only be reached in Nyan form to gain an advantage and claim victory.

Players can experiment with team compositions by adding Scout and Mage Sentinels, as well as take advantage of the brand new embarkation mechanic and “advanced” customization. Ayana, the Scout Sentinel’s cat pilot, excels at reconnaissance and alerting allies to approaching threats.

Cat pilot Yuri uses the Mage Guardian to cast powerful spells and curses on the battlefield and protect a team’s home. The new gameplay mechanic allows young Nyans to climb into teammates’ mechs and play and shoot with them in the guise of a cat pilot.

Character add-ons provide passive effects, from improving health, armor, or speed to adding unique modifiers like explosions and blood. Character reward add-ons also drop at the end of a match. Finally, character emotes were added by community request.

“Our team has been working tirelessly to bring the next chapter of Nyan action to life,” said Max Fu, creative director and CEO of 9 Lives Interactive, in a statement. “We’re excited for players to compete in the Battledome with new strategies and experiences unique to our vibrant, cat-centric world. Thank you to the community for your feedback and support. It’s time to get stuck in and compete, and of course, let us know what you think. Good luck, heroes!”

Download Nyan Heroes Playtest 3 here via Epic Games.

9 Lives Interactive is an independent game studio founded in 2021. It uses Unreal Engine 5 to develop its debut title Nyan Heroes. The company employs 60 people.