Atari Announces Asteroids: Outpost, a PC reimagining of the classic arcade shooter being developed by Salty Games exactly like the original except for the 2D vector graphics, and just about everything else, as they describe an "open world, sandbox style, survival experience." The Asteroids: Outpost website is live, and word is this will enter early access soon. In the meantime, here are some screenshots, and here's the announcement:

Atari®, one of the world's most recognized publishers and producers of interactive entertainment, today announced the upcoming release of Asteroids: Outpost™ for PC. This re-imagining of the world-renowned 1979 arcade shooter puts players in the role of a deep space miner, as they struggle for survival in the asteroid belt. Asteroids: Outpost reinvents the classic Atari title as an open world, sandbox style, survival experience, where players mine, build and defend their base and grow their fortune as they go “from rocks to riches”.

Set in the distant future, Asteroids: Outpost thrusts players into a harsh deep space environment. While on a massive, unforgiving asteroid, players face the challenges of exploring the asteroid, collecting resources, scavenging for ore, crafting equipment, and expanding their territory as they build highly customized bases - all while forming alliances and fighting off other players in challenging multiplayer gameplay. Recurring showers of smaller asteroids represent a source of wealth and a threat as players shoot down these incoming projectiles to defend their claims and harvest their components.

“Asteroids is one of the most iconic titles in Atari’s portfolio of more than 200 games and franchises, and we’re looking forward to ushering the game into today’s digital gaming era,” said Fred Chesnais, Chief Executive Officer, Atari. “We’re paying homage to the original Asteroids by incorporating classic features such as asteroid blasting capabilities, while introducing a completely new premise and gameplay. Asteroids: Outpost will appeal to both fans of the classic Asteroids as well as enthusiasts of immersive survival games and expansive MMOs.”