Upcoming Extraction Shooter Adds Player-Controlled Monster Mechanic to Genre

Beautiful Light is set to enter Steam early access in December 2026 as an objective-based tactical extraction shooter with an unusual asymmetrical multiplayer twist. The game allows some players to join matches as hostile alien creatures called anomalies, enabling them to sabotage human players' objectives—a feature rarely seen in extraction shooters. Developer Deep Worlds is confident their replayable gameplay loop differentiates the title from the increasingly saturated extraction shooter market.

Beautiful Light distinguishes itself within the crowded extraction shooter genre through its asymmetrical gameplay design. Rather than limiting all players to human roles, the game permits some participants to spawn as anomalies—hostile extraterrestrial entities capable of disrupting other squads' mission progress. This mechanic creates dynamic matches where teams must navigate competing human factions while contending with environmental threats controlled by other players, adding unpredictability to each session.

The game emphasizes tactical depth through artifact-based objectives scattered across maps. These collectible items serve as primary mission targets and grant meaningful in-game advantages to teams securing them, creating natural points of conflict. Combat mechanics borrow from established tactical shooters, incorporating features like leaning, night vision equipment, and strategic lighting systems, suggesting Deep Worlds intends to appeal to players seeking methodical, skill-based gameplay rather than arcade-style action.