Vaunted Revealed: New Strategy RPG from StarCraft Creator James Phinney

StarCraft Veteran Returns with Hybrid Strategy Game#

Hooded Horse and Lost Lake Games announced Vaunted, a new tactical RPG from James Phinney, the original creator of StarCraft. According to PCGamesN, the game fuses turn-based tactics with real-time action in what the studio describes as an ambitious approach to the strategy RPG genre.

For those unfamiliar with Phinney's work, his fingerprints are all over the original StarCraft's campaign design and unit balance - the foundation that made Blizzard's RTS a competitive phenomenon that's still played professionally today. After leaving Blizzard, Phinney founded Lost Lake Games, and Vaunted represents his first major project in years. The fact that he's tackling a hybrid system rather than a pure RTS suggests he's been thinking deeply about how to evolve the strategy genre beyond the real-time versus turn-based divide that's defined it for decades.

Vaunted draws inspiration from Valkyria Chronicles, the acclaimed PS3 tactics RPG known for its blend of strategic planning and action-oriented combat. That's a smart reference point. Valkyria Chronicles proved that mixing turn-based positioning with real-time aiming and movement could create tense, memorable battles where your tactical decisions mattered just as much as your execution. The game's BLiTZ system let you move units freely during their turn while enemies could still react and fire, creating a dynamic flow that felt distinct from both pure tactics games and traditional action titles.

If Vaunted can capture even a fraction of that magic while adding Phinney's strategic depth, it could carve out a unique space in the tactics RPG landscape. The genre has seen plenty of traditional grid-based entries lately, but few developers have seriously experimented with hybrid systems since Valkyria Chronicles itself.

Publisher Behind Manor Lords Backs New Title#

Hooded Horse, the publisher behind the successful city-builder Manor Lords, is backing Vaunted's development. The partnership pairs Lost Lake Games' veteran development team with a publisher that has demonstrated strong support for innovative strategy titles.

This partnership makes sense when you look at Hooded Horse's track record. Manor Lords launched in early access and became a surprise hit despite its solo developer and unconventional approach to the city-builder formula. The publisher has also backed Falling Frontier, Terra Invicta, and other strategy games that prioritize depth and innovation over mass-market appeal. They're clearly willing to give developers the time and resources to realize ambitious visions, which is exactly what a hybrid tactics system needs.

Hooded Horse's involvement also suggests Vaunted will likely target the PC strategy community first. The publisher has built its reputation primarily on Steam, where strategy fans are hungry for games that respect their intelligence and offer meaningful mechanical depth. That audience is also more likely to appreciate Phinney's pedigree and give a hybrid system the patience it needs to click.

What We Know About the Gameplay#

While specific gameplay details remain limited, the combination of turn-based tactical planning and real-time action execution suggests a system where players will need to balance strategic positioning with moment-to-moment combat decisions. This hybrid approach aims to deliver both the thoughtful planning of traditional tactics games and the dynamic engagement of real-time battles.

The challenge with hybrid systems is making both halves feel essential rather than tacked on. If the real-time portions are too simple, they become a tedious execution step after you've already won on the tactical layer. If they're too demanding, they can undermine the careful planning that makes tactics games satisfying in the first place. Valkyria Chronicles threaded this needle by making positioning and cover crucial during the planning phase, while the real-time aiming added tension and rewarded skill without overwhelming the strategic foundation.

Phinney's StarCraft background suggests he understands the importance of meaningful decision-making under pressure. StarCraft's campaign missions often forced players to manage multiple objectives simultaneously, balancing economy, defense, and offense in real time. If Vaunted can translate that kind of strategic tension into a turn-based framework with real-time execution, it could offer something genuinely fresh.

The RPG elements also raise interesting questions. Will units gain experience and abilities that change how they function in both the tactical and action phases? Will there be a narrative that justifies the hybrid system, or is it purely mechanical? These details will determine whether Vaunted feels like a cohesive experience or a collection of interesting ideas that don't quite gel.

Release Timeline and Platforms#

No release date or platform information has been announced yet. Hooded Horse typically supports extended development cycles for its strategy games, suggesting Vaunted may still be early in production.

Given that we're just seeing the announcement now with limited gameplay details, a 2026 release at the earliest seems realistic. Hooded Horse doesn't rush its projects. Manor Lords spent years in development before its early access launch, and that patience paid off with a polished, well-received game. If Lost Lake Games gets similar support, Vaunted could have the runway it needs to refine its hybrid systems and ensure both the tactical and real-time elements feel tight.

Platform-wise, expect PC first, possibly with console ports down the line if the control scheme translates well. Hybrid tactics games can be tricky on controllers - Valkyria Chronicles made it work, but it required thoughtful UI design and control mapping. A PC-first approach lets Lost Lake Games focus on getting the core systems right before worrying about platform-specific adaptations.

Are you interested in this blend of turn-based and real-time strategy, or do you prefer your tactics games to stick to one style? The hybrid approach is risky, but with Phinney's experience and Hooded Horse's support, Vaunted has a real shot at proving there's room for innovation in a genre that often plays it safe.