Dawn of Defense, a debut tower defence game from German indie 6side, launches on PC via Steam on 17 November.
6side Studio and its publisher Rekoup say the launch is at 4pm CET, which is 7pm UAE time. The studio has also put out the launch trailer.
The Steam page is open for wishlists. The game mixes tower defence, real-time strategy, and roguelite progression. Players command a tribe defending its homeland against the Imperium Aeternum, a shadow empire that sends its legions to erase the North. 6side says players must build defences, set up a war economy, and command armies to capture enemy territory while holding back waves of enemies. Each captured island lets them place new defences, secure resources, and strengthen their economy as they push toward the Empire’s fortresses.
Maps are procedurally generated. After each defeated wave, players pick one of three random Runestones, each with different effects and upgrades for buildings and troops, and progression carries over between runs. The Steam page also describes tribe heroes with their own abilities, and Empire warlords who challenge defences with unique tactics.
A free demo has been on Steam since 9 March 2026, so players can try it first. Chalgyr reports that an expanded demo ran during Steam Next Fest from 19 to 26 October, adding a much larger map with three enemy fortresses and a new objective. The same version introduced a Troll Rider boss, Banner Carriers, Elite enemies, and a Hog-riding Pikeman recruit.
Dawn of Defense is the debut title of 6side, a three-person independent team based in Germany. Rekoup is a Stockholm-based publisher of premium PC and console games that helps independent studios fund, launch and grow their games. Steam also lists Gamersky Games as a publisher. 6side’s site says PC first, and no other platform is named.
The price hasn’t been announced, and no critic reviews are out yet. Steam’s minimum requirements are Windows 11, 8GB of RAM, a GTX 1050 graphics card, and 2GB of storage, with the processor and the recommended specs still to be confirmed. English is the only language with full audio; the other 10 supported languages get the interface and subtitles.
It isn’t the only Steam launch this month; Split Brain Samsara, an online co-op game, launches on 26 November.
