Hi-Rez Studios announces Tribes: Ascend, an upcoming game to precede the previously announced Tribes Universe, as they resume the series of sci-fi multiplayer first-person shooters started by Dynamix in 1998 with Starsiege: Tribes. The game will use the Unreal Engine 3, and is targeted for release later this year for Windows and Xbox 360. A Tribes: Ascend Website is already online, offering a pair of teaser trailers, a Blood Eagle version and a Diamond Sword version, which are identical save for the color scheme. We asked what this meant about the status of Tribes Universe, and were told the same thing that it says in the announcement: "We’ve had tremendous fun play-testing and realized the potential of a multiplayer focused title ahead of Tribes Universe." We asked for further clarification, and were told this will be more of a "traditional" multiplayer game, while Tribes Universe will operate more along the lines of an MMOG. Here's a bit from the announcement:

"Before Halo, before Modern Warfare, and before Battlefield, there was Tribes.", says Todd Harris, Hi-Rez Studios COO. "Tribes fans appreciate the game's essence - athletic FPS combat combined with teamwork and strategy. As we began development of Tribes Universe, we focused first on capturing that essence - refining and modernizing iconic elements like jetpacks, skiing, and vehicles. We’ve had tremendous fun play-testing and realized the potential of a multiplayer focused title ahead of Tribes Universe. The community has been waiting for a multi-player shooter that is the modern successor to T2. Tribes: Ascend is that game."