Gravhounds Unveiled: Halo and Battlefield Veterans Send Dogs into Space

At gamescom in Cologne, Xbox unveiled Gravhounds, a new co-op game that's sure to turn heads: you control bioengineered dogs tasked with mining resources, building defenses, and fending off waves of attackers on hostile planets. The game is the debut title from the seven-person independent studio Octopus Panic and is set to launch on November 2, 2026, in Xbox Game Preview for Xbox Series X|S and PC – launching directly into Xbox Game Pass.

Up to four players will land together on hostile worlds, build towers and other defenses, and must escape with valuable resources before being overrun by increasingly aggressive creatures. All sorts of bizarre equipment comes into play: an anti-gravity weapon slings resources (or enemies) across the battlefield, a jetpack allows for quick evasive maneuvers, and you'll unlock new abilities mid-combat.

Who's Behind Gravhounds?

Octopus Panic is a young studio, but far from inexperienced. The creative lead is none other than Josh Holmes, former Head of Halo Studios and Creative Director of Halo 4. The team also includes former developers from DICE (known for Battlefield) and 343 Industries (Halo). This very blend likely explains why Gravhounds draws gameplay inspiration from precisely these two franchises – but with dogs instead of soldiers.

What Does the Early Access Launch Mean for Players?

Important for anyone who's already itching for some space-chaos: Gravhounds is initially launching into Xbox Game Preview, meaning Early Access – the game won't be finished at launch on November 2nd and will continue to be developed with updates over the coming months. Game Pass subscribers can jump in for free on day one without having to buy the game separately. This is particularly good news for an unknown indie debut, as it allows significantly more players to check it out without commitment than would be the case with a traditional full-price release.

Source: Xbox Wire

What do you think of Gravhounds – will you be there on November 2nd, or does the concept sound too wild? Let us know in the comments!