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Elden Ring developer’s next game is Armored Core VI

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Armored Core is back. FromSoftware, the developer of Elden Ring, is working on Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon. The upcoming sequel was announced Thursday night during The Game Awards 2022 via a short cinematic trailer. It’s gearing up to launch sometime in 2023.

ARMORED CORE VI FIRES OF RUBICON – Reveal Trailer

The trailer didn’t show off any gameplay, but did give us a look at the tone and visual style. It seems like fire will be the main theme of this entry. If it’s anything like the other installments, Armored Core VI will feature tactical third-person gameplay with an emphasis on shooting and mech customization.

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While this does serve as the first official announcement for Armored Core VI, the game has been rumored for a while. Earlier in 2022, players received a survey with details about the game well before its announcement. The survey apparently noted that the game would feature “a “high degree of freedom in customization.” In an interview with IGN in 2017, the head of FromSoftware, Hidetaka Miyazaki, revealed the team was working on Armored Core.

Armored Core is a mech series that began in 1997 and spawned numerous sequels. Before Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Elden Ring, FromSoftware was known for the Armored Core series and served as the main developer. The most recent installment, Armored Core: Verdict Day, launched for PlayStationn 3 and Xbox 360 in 2013 and has been dormant since. Armored Core VI Fires of Rubicon launches for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Steam in 2023.

Elden Ring fans shouldn’t worry about their favorite game being abandoned. As part of FromSoftware’s Game of the Year acceptance speech for Elden Ring at The Game Awards 2022, Miyazaki said “we still have several more things we want to do.”

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Joseph Yaden
Joseph Yaden
Joseph Yaden is a freelance journalist who covers Nintendo, shooters, and horror games. He mostly covers game guides for…
How to beat Balteus in Armored Core 6
Two mechs facing off about to fight.

The first chapter of Armored Core 6 will teach you all the basics you need to know when jumping into your AC mech on a mission. You might face a tough mission or two here and there, and even a challenging boss, but you likely won't hit a real roadblock until the final boss of chapter 1, Balteus. This boss acts much differently from any enemy you faced before, and won't go easy on you. If you're struggling to survive in this hectic encounter, here's how to beat Balteus in Armored Core 6.
Balteus boss guide

Why will Balteus give you so much trouble? This is the first boss with a shield, and it can unleash what feels like an impossible amount of missiles upon you. When entering this fight, it is important that you have something that can quickly deal with its shields, such as a pulse gun or strong assault rifle, plus something on your shoulders like missile launchers for when it's time to deal direct damage.

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The best OS Tuning upgrades in Armored Core 6
A mech carrying things overlooks a destroyed world in Armored Core 6's reveal trailer.

As much as you're a pilot in Armored Core 6, you're just as much a mechanic. Almost every mission will have you back in the garage swapping out parts, buying new ones, replacing weapons, and customizing your mech for the task at hand. This is quite different from typical FromSoftware games due to the fact that you can't actually improve any weapon or mech part, but that doesn't mean the only way to get better is to buy new parts. OS Tuning upgrades play a major part in your build by giving you a wide range of advantages at the cost of OS Tuning chips you earn from the Arena. These come in passive and active types, and you can unlock and keep all the passives active at once, but will need to pick and choose between active ones. Here are the most powerful OS upgrades you should spend your chips on in Armored Core 6.
Best OS upgrades

Quick Turn
Do yourself a massive favor and significantly improve your quality of life in Armored Core 6 by unlocking Quick Turn. This maneuver lets you snap your mech to either side, or completely flip around, without having to manually rotate around slowly. The only slight trouble is that it is awkward to pull off since the input is using your left analog stick to point in whichever direction you want to turn and you need to press the boost button, which can occasionally send you blasting off when you didn't intend to.
Repair Kits
If you're a FromSoft fan, Repair Kits are your Estus Flasks in Armored Core 6. Unlike the Estus, however, you can never get more than three of them at a time. The only upgrade you can apply to them is with this OS one that buffs how many Armored Points (AP) each one restores by 500 for each level you upgrade it. Once you get tankier mechs, upgrading your kits to max will be almost mandatory to make them at all useful, unless you're so good you just never need to heal.
Assault Armor
Do you find yourself getting swarmed and annoyed at how hard it is to get those little pests off of you? Assault Armor is your "get off me" move that creates a small blast surrounding your mech that deals damage and stagger on anything that's too close for comfort. You don't hurt yourself using it, and each upgrade you invest in lets you use it more times per mission.
Explosive Weapons
Missiles, grenades, and anything that goes boom is probably a key part of your arsenal already. These are already the weapons with the highest damage potential in the game, so why not make them even more powerful? The Explosive Weapons upgrade isn't going to make your weapons too overpowered, with each upgrade only giving you a 3% damage increase, but that can add up fast once you get to the max rank.
Direct Hit Modifier
Similar to Sekiro, staggering enemies in Armored Core 6 is a major mechanic for the flow of combat that lets you get in a lot of damage quickly and without danger. You need to make the most of these opportunities whenever you create them, especially on bosses, so Direct Hit Modifier is an easy upgrade to recommend as it will increase the damage you do to a staggered enemy by 5% per upgrade.

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A mech flies towards an icy facility in Armored Core 6.

If you're a mecha fan, odds are you're looking forward to customizing every inch of your hulking Armored Core (AC) mecha in Armored Core 6. Just like in a Souls game, what gear you outfit your mech with determines everything about how you play, including your movement speed, optimal ranges, defense, and more. You'll be expected to tweak and update your AC constantly to handle new situations and missions. Still, there are a few builds that you can gravitate toward for more broad use to overpower and overcome any task at hand reliably. Because Armored Core 6 doesn't do upgrades in the traditional sense, such as earning XP and gradually increasing in power, it all comes down to your gear. If you want to overpower your opponents with sheer force, here are some of the best builds you can make in Armored Core 6.
Best early game build

During chapter 1, and in general for Armored Core 6, having the maximum amount of Armor Points (AP) is your top priority. Enemies and bosses are brutal right from the jump, and since you'll still be finding your footing in how to fully control your AC, being able to survive long enough to learn the game and mission is key. Here's a solid build to save up for:

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