Canyons Preview: A Co-Op Shooter Where Faith, Firepower, and the Wasteland Collide

RedRuins Softworks has partnered with HypeTrain Digital for Canyons, a tough-as-nails third-person co-op action shooter in a brutal procedurally generated world. Players will craft personalized decks that wield “Blood Pacts” and collect relics to power up while facing off against the bizarre hybrids of the living and lifeless known as Awakened in Crawler (pun intended) using, fast-paced combat.

Featuring both solo and four-player online co-op, Canyons wants to combine elements of survival, looter-shooters and tactical base-building. It’s a brutal new spin on post-apocalyptic faith and firepower — and one that has already attracted players with its “World War Z set in fantasy World War 1” sensibilities.

Checkout the game Teaser here

A Faith-Enflamed War in a Fractured World

Formally a place of water and technology, the land is now covered in Smog. The Awakened came from nowhere — savages who were made something other than they once had been, men and things twisted by chimera of flesh and metal whose growing power was a threat to whatever life was left in the world.

Out of the confusion came a new equilibrium: The Order of the Double Cross. These crusaders, bound by Blood Pacts to the sacred grounds they serve, exploit the power of their forbidden relics in order to fight back against the Awakened. Each mission, each relic and every divesson in Canyons feels like a tension between faith and corruption.

Players can expect a very tense atmosphere — one that fans were quick to notice after the teaser trailer was released. Comments like, “Remnant meets World War Z” and “I’d watch a movie set in this world” are indicative of the feeling that this new looter-shooter might be able to find its footing in the genre.

THE CANYONS: A WORLD THAT PUSHES BACK

In Canyons, each foray into the wastes starts on your Crawler - a huge mobile base and transport.You’ll need to schedule your training to keep up with all this action. The game’s procedurally generated world offers varied biomes — including endless sandstorms, scorched ruins and heretic encampments — which means no two runs are the same.

Players will collect relics, save survivors and enlist in missions that can go south with a quickness. The Canyons are introduced as an living ecosystem where “every action has consequences,” say the developers. This moral elasticity — the ability to rescue or exploit others — layers meaning over what would otherwise amount to merely shooting.

Indeed, the tone is darkly comic as well, and this is something that players have already noticed. One fan wisecracked, “Maybe the real mimics are the friends we made along the way … until one of them grows extra arms and rips my head off.” That perversion of charm may be what separates Canyons from typical looter shooters.

Construction of the Sanctuary of the Covenant

Players return to the Haven of the Covenant—a private sanctuary bestowed upon each by the game’s titular Cardinal—between expeditions. Here, you’ll reconstruct the remnants of civilization by recruiting settlers, crafting new weapons and upgrading your facilities.

Among other highlights of the Haven are:

• Weapon and relic crafting workshops
• Workshops for repairing and boosting Crawlers
• Your Armories and Crusaders quarters
• Centers of commerce and hospitals for resource management
• Pre–modern for surviving raids

But the Haven is not (certainly not just) cosmetic — it’s a functioning hub with choices that have a direct impact on one’s survival and progress. “So much better than a miserable desert,” one fan joked, while another added, “About time we’ve got a hub that just doesn’t feel like some sad ass outpost.”

The Power of the Crew

The Canyons have never produced a lone survivor, no crusader. Canyons gameplay is absolutely focused on teamwork, whether you’re playing with friends in online co-op or AI-controlled compadres in solo play. A squad can have up to four players and will combine unique skills and relics in the fight against giant enemies or rival factions.

Each crusader can also specialize in varied occupations — battlefield combat, thank-you note engineering, artisanal something-or-other, some sorta diplomacy dealie. These decisions change throughout the game, unlocking new perks and moral quagmires.

“For Faith and a rifle alone won’t save you,” as the developers describe it. This creates a dynamic where Canyons seems like it’s closer to Remnant 2 or The Division, but with moral choices and supernatural powers slapped on top.

Player Reactions So Far

Despite key info such as the Canyons release date being on hold indefinitely, the reveal trailer hiked up everyone’s expectations. Fans have compared it to everything from Serious Sam to Remnant: From the Ashes — but most agree on the art direction and tone that has shaped it into something unique.

Here’s what the community is saying:

• “World War Z set in fantasy World War 1, I’m all for it.”
• “Game isn’t even out yet and I want a film adaptation.”
• “Keeping an eye on this one! Dig the aesthetic!”
• “Just got Voidtrain, so anything from HypeTrain Digital — I’m in.”
• “Looks very interesting, wishlist’d.”

Not all feedback was glowing, of course — several people pointed out the performance problems in the trailer and joked that their “PC lagged just watching the video.” Still, the prevailing mood is of optimism and curiosity about whether Canyons might arrive on consoles or Game Pass down the line.

System Requirements

If you want to check out the Canyons on PC, here’s what you’ll need:

Minimum Requirements

• OS: Windows 10 (64-bit)
• CPU: Intel Core i5-8400 / AMD Ryzen 3 3300X
• RAM: 12 GB
• GPU: NVIDIA GTX 1060 3GB / AMD RX 570 4GB
• DirectX: 11
• Storage: 30 GB

Recommended Requirements

• OS: Windows 11 (64-bit)
• CPU: Intel Core i7-10700 / AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
• RAM: 16 GB
• GPU: NVIDIA RTX 3080 / AMD RX 6800 XT
• DirectX: 12
• Storage: 30 GB

RedRuins meets HypeTrain: A New and Blessed Union

Canyons follows yet another interesting release in HypeTrain Digital’s portfolio, a publisher best known for launching creative indie games such as Voidtrain. The developer, RedRuins Softworks, already dabbled in surreal, systems-heavy design with Breathedge, and Canyons looks to be taking that farther yet — mixing together storytelling and survival mechanics and dark humor into a package all its own.

Such a blend of procedural generation, squad-based fighting and moral decision-making might establish Canyons as one the more intriguing new co-op things heading into 2025.

Summary

Although Canyons still has no official release date, early footage of leaves a tantalizing suggestion — the world where faith meets firepower as they scramble for survival. From controlling giant Crawlers, to striking sinister deals, and constructing a fortress of your very own; the game is a blend of strategy and chaos not-soon seen in co-op shooters.”

If RedRuin can get its ambitious procedural systems to play nicely with progression that matters, Canyons has the chance of being another modern cult hit like Remnant and Deep Rock Galactic. Until then it remains high on the wishlists of gamers hungry for something bloody and strange.

FAQ: Canyons Game

Q1: What is Canyons about?
Canyons is a third-person co-op action shooter set in a procedurally generated wasteland. Players fight the Awakened, command giant Crawlers, and build their own haven for survival.

Q2: Who is developing Canyons?
The game is developed by RedRuins Softworks and published by HypeTrain Digital, known for titles like Voidtrain and Breathedge.

Q3: What platforms will Canyons be available on?
Currently, Canyons is confirmed for PC via Steam. Console versions have not been officially announced but are frequently requested by fans.

Q4: Does Canyons have co-op multiplayer?
Yes. The game supports online co-op for up to four players, allowing squads to take on missions together.

Q5: When is the Canyons release date?
The release date is to be announced. Players can wishlist the game on Steam for updates.

Q6: What makes Canyons gameplay unique?
The combination of procedural generation, moral choices, base-building, and co-op combat creates a dynamic gameplay loop that changes with every expedition.