Spec Ops: The Line release date announced

By Wesley Yin-Poole Published 21 February, 2012

Pre-order for an "immediate advantage" in multiplayer.

Dubai third-person shooter Spec Ops: The Line launches in the US on 26th June and everywhere else on 29th June, 2K Games has announced.

Those release dates apply to all three versions of the Yager-developed game: PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.

Pre-order and you get in-game bonuses for use in multiplayer, which 2K senior producer Denby Grace said provide an "immediate advantage".

The pre-order bonuses, in 2K's words:

  • Twice the amount of experience points will be awarded during the first week of play, enabling gamers to expedite character ranking.
  • The AK-47 weapon will unlock at rank one.
  • The "Officer Class" will unlock at rank one. This character class includes several team-based advantages, such as reducing damage to teammates and increasing the effectiveness of other classes.
  • Access to the "FUBAR Pack," which contains exclusive accessories allowing players to customize their characters with unique and visually distinctive items.

"Spec Ops: The Line is 2K Games' first foray into the military shooter genre," 2K president Christoph Hartmann said.

"We've created a unique game that explores the dark realities of war and places players in difficult situations where the line between right and wrong becomes increasingly blurred as players fight to survive."

2K released a new trailer, below, which goes into more detail on the multiplayer pre-order bonuses.

Picture of Wesley.

About Wesley Yin-Poole

Wesley is Eurogamer's news editor. He likes news, interviews, and more news. He also likes Street Fighter more than anyone can get him to shut up about it.

Read more articles from Wesley by visiting the Wesley Yin-Poole archive page.

You may also like...

Comments (21) Latest comment 3 months ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Nico4 #1 3 months ago

    Another generic pre-order bullshit. But the environmetns looks different. I dunno, reviewers decide this one

  • bad09 #2 3 months ago

    "Pre-order and you get in-game bonuses for use in multiplayer, which 2K senior producer Denby Grace said provide an "immediate advantage"."


    Multiplayer "advantages" to bribe pre-orders before reviews? Good god has it really sunk to this? How depressing...
    Edited by bad09 at 21/02/12 @ 13:42

  • Brakara #3 3 months ago

    In other words, if you don't pre-order, you'll be at a disadvantage. No thank you, 2K, I'll just not buy your stupid game at all then.

  • jaguarwong #4 3 months ago

    @bad09
    But that's always been the point of any and all pre-order bonuses.

    They exist solely to minimise the impact of poor reviews and word-of-mouth - no matter what the incentive itself.

  • ruthlesskiller #5 3 months ago

    @bad09 they're certainly not the first to offer this, but still it's sorry state of affairs

  • jstar #6 3 months ago

    Well said Brakara, no sale for me. They can fuck off with their stupid pre-order bonuses quite frankly.

  • ruthlesskiller #7 3 months ago

    @ruthlesskiller didn't Black Ops or MW3 have double xp cards in them?? I remember giving to my friend as I rarely touch the MP side of CoD games nowadays

  • jmcflash #8 3 months ago

    I really don't get the hate for this specific case.

    I dislike preorder bonuses as much as anyone but really getting an AK47 & officer class a little earlier than everyone else isn't that bad. Its not as if there won't be other guns to use and classes to play.

  • bad09 #9 3 months ago

    @jaguarwong

    Oh yeah I know that's what they are for but to actually offer a real advantage over everyone else in the game instead of some skins and junk is just dreadful.

    It's no wonder traditional gaming is on the decline year on year...

  • Brakara #10 3 months ago

    @jmcflash But they're not just different, they are better (which is why they give you an advantage).

  • peeps #11 3 months ago

    @jmcflash "This character class includes several team-based advantages, such as reducing damage to teammates and increasing the effectiveness of other classes."

    That alone could mean balancing issues once people have actually achieved the rank, so to give some people an advantage or as they put it an "immediate advantage" will surely effect gameplay balance.

    I mean are they saying that someone who pre ordered will be able to take more bullets to die online compared to someone who didn't??

  • peeps #12 3 months ago

    @Brakara agreed. Rather than skins for characters or weapons that simply give you a cosmetic appearance and is a nice little pre order incentive, they are actually just saying you will get a headstart on other ppl in mp just cus you pre ordered. That's not right imo

  • Cjail #13 3 months ago

    I pre-ordered my copy months ago and even if I don't use extras unlocks for my online gaming, nor double XP (I prefer to "sweat" my way up in the online) the extra customization items are always welcome.
    Also Yager probably have balanced things and they just made a poor choice of word with saying that these unlocks will give an "immediate advantage".

    @bad09
    Frankly I find a bit extreme to attack a developer only because he offers a incentive for those that pre-order the game.
    Maybe I am naive but I never see devious schemes and machinations behind these kind of pre-order incentives, especially if they apply to all pre-order and are not retailer exclusives.
    Edited by Cjail at 21/02/12 @ 14:15

  • FuzzyDuck #14 3 months ago

    I really hope people start kicking back against this kind of shite.

    No sale here!

  • chaywa #15 3 months ago

    Hope the single player is worth the fiver i'm paying for it! Thank you GAME glitch!!

  • TheGuvernor #16 3 months ago

    This game's main problem is in being 3rd person.

  • Wizard83 #17 3 months ago

    Being able to buy an advantage is bullshit!

    Skill born of practise should prevail not how much money youre willing to spend or using MW3 as an example how many elite vids youve watched!

  • Eraysor #18 3 months ago

    What I don't understand about double XP is surely you'll reach the end faster, so aren't you cheating yourself out of gaming time?

    I've had this problem with games like RAGE which as a preorder bonus gave you overpowered weapons to start the game with! So you just end up blitzing early areas.

  • God_Octo #19 3 months ago

    The fact that this game even had a multiplayer aspect totally passed me by, so I'm in two minds about this. Giving people a head start for cash is definitely wrong, but I am unlikely to get really into the MP part of the whole game, so I sort of don't care. Now, if the pre-order bonuses were part of the single player story, I'd be bloody furious...

  • LittleRiver #20 3 months ago

    Do these type of bonuses encourage more pre-orders to those that want an advantage or cost release-week sales to those that perceive themselves to be at a disadvantage?

    It would be better to simply give "exclusive" content like camo or gun-skins to those that pre-order.

  • DRUNK3N-_-DRAGON #21 3 months ago

    and if you are a yank then there is no competing against you!