Just when you thought the co-op PvE genre had already dropped its ultimate loot, Steam says "hold my energy drink." According to Game Rant, a new game called Canyons is gearing up to blend the squad-based, third-person chaos of Helldivers 2 with the irradiated, post-apocalyptic vibes of Fallout - except this time, you're not a Democracy Officer or a Vault Dweller. You're a Crusader. Yes, with a capital C.
The game is set in a wasteland ruled by fanatical zealots, which honestly sounds like every Tuesday on a competitive shooter server anyway. Players squad up in co-op PvE missions, pushing back against the religious wackos who apparently decided the apocalypse was a great time to start a cult. Classic villain behavior.
So what's the actual gameplay loop?
From what Game Rant reports, Canyons is leaning hard into that Helldivers 2 formula of coordinated squad play and mission-based objectives - but wrapped in a dusty, sun-baked desert aesthetic that screams Fallout: New Vegas energy. Think less "Managed Democracy," more "righteous crusade through a canyon full of fanatics."
The co-op PvE wave on Steam has been absolutely relentless lately, with every dev and their grandmother trying to capture that sweet Helldivers 2 lightning in a bottle. Most of them respawn at a checkpoint and try again. Whether Canyons has the gear stats to compete is still a big question mark.
Should you wishlist this bad boy?
Look, the pitch is admittedly juicy. Fallout's world-building DNA plus Helldivers 2's frantic cooperative gameplay is basically the crossover event nobody expected but everyone secretly wants. Playing a Crusader fighting zealots in a post-apocalyptic wasteland sounds like the kind of fever dream that ends up being either a hidden gem or a spectacular wipe.
No release date has been announced yet based on Game Rant's report, so we're still in the "wishlisting and coping" phase of the hype cycle. But if Canyons can nail even half of what it's promising, the Helldivers 2 clones might finally have a worthy rival to fight. Democracy vs. zealotry - let's see who has better respawn timers.
