It's been a while since we last heard anything about action-RPG The Ascent, which was announced as part of Microsoft's first look Xbox Series X gameplay event back in May, but it has been confirmed today that the game will now launch in 2021 and will be available from day one with Xbox Game Pass.

To coincide with the news, developer Neon Giant has put together a new developer walkthrough trailer (which you can watch above) showing some two-player co-op footage and explaining more about the game's dystopian world.

Here's what Tor Frick, co-founder of Neon Giant had to say about the announcement:

“Xbox Game Pass is an amazing proposition for us as a small indie developer with a team of only 11 people, because it allows more players around the world to experience our game. To celebrate this exciting news, we wanted to cement the game’s place in 2021’s next-gen line-up by casting light on what players can expect to experience at launch."

The Ascent will be available on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One and Windows 10 PC when it arrives next year, and will target 4K resolution at 60 frames per-second on Xbox Series X.

You can check out a list of features below, as well as some story details.

The Ascent will see players dive into ‘The Ascent Group’ arcology, a self-contained corporate-run metropolis, stretching high into the sky and filled with creatures from all over the galaxy. Taking on the role of an indentured worker, the world starts to go haywire when The Ascent Group shuts down for unknown reasons. Life becomes a case of survival, with rival corporations and crime syndicates looking to fill the empty space. Players will have to take up arms and hold them off. The Ascent begins here.

The Ascent will feature:

  • A free-roam play style in a cyberpunk inspired dystopian world
  • Classic RPG mechanics to enable players to build up their character including cyberwear, augmentations and looting
  • An unprecedented sense of verticality within its world, with different levels and platforms discernible within play
  • Double-aim mechanic enables players to utilise the full screen and choose between multiple targets anywhere in the environment
  • A narrative-led adventure playable in single and up to four-player co-op modes

Happy to see The Ascent coming to Xbox Game Pass? Let us know in the comments.