Second Intergalactic War — Active Conflict

Ascension
After Thunder

Multiplayer Space Combat  ·  PC  ·  Free to Play

Five factions. Fourteen ship classes. One solar system at war. Build your fleet. Master your doctrine. Shape the outcome.

Play on itch.io Join Discord Research Tree
5 Factions
14 Ship Classes
70+ Ships Planned
80+ Dev Commits
// About the Game

The War Moved to Space

The conflict didn't start in the stars. It started on Mars — over resources, over territory, over the future of humanity's expansion. What began as political standoffs became the First Galactic War. When it ended, it wasn't with a victory. It ended when nations turned their weapons on Earth itself.

The Earth Accords brought a fragile peace to the homeworld. Everything else became a battleground. The Second Intergalactic War is ongoing. Five powers — shaped by their history, their doctrine, and what they learned from the first war — are fighting for orbital zones, resource corridors, and strategic control across the solar system.

You enter the war somewhere in the middle. Your fleet is yours to build.

Ascension After Thunder
Skill-Based Progression
Ships are unlocked through Research Points and Credits earned in battle. Your fleet reflects your time and performance, not your wallet.
Faction Identity Matters
Each faction fights with a distinct combat doctrine. Choosing your allegiance determines your playstyle, not just your flag.
Triple-Layer Defense
Shield, Armor, Hull — each responds differently to damage types. Weapon selection and target awareness define the tactical depth.
Fleet-Scale Combat
From expendable Drones to Battleships, every class has a role. The best fleets require every class to pull its weight.
Buildable Ships
Every hull has a Tech Tree. Specialize into speed, armor, firepower, or signature reduction. Respec any time with in-game currency.
// Five Powers

Choose Your Doctrine

USASF
American Space Force
Kinetic Dominance
Long-range precision. Pick off exposed targets before they close the gap. Railguns and precision missiles.
UNESF
European Space Coalition
Area Denial
Control space rather than fighting through it. Minefields, heavy torpedoes. Some ships trade shields for reinforced armor.
CSN
Chinese Space Navy
Directed Energy
Sustained medium-range pressure. Lasers and blasters are exceptionally effective at burning through shields.
RSF
Russian Space Federation
Brute Force
Close-range brawling. High armor, high volume of fire. Heavy rockets and high-caliber projectiles. No finesse required.
// Daily Spotlight

Ship of the Day

// Latest Updates

News & Announcements

New // 2026.02.01
Game Design Document v1.0 Released
The full GDD for Ascension After Thunder is now available. Covers factions, ship classes, combat systems, progression, and the development roadmap.
Community // Ongoing
Discord Community Open
Development is shared openly. Follow progress, give feedback, and get early access news on the official Discord server.
Video // Ongoing
YouTube Channel Active
Development footage, ship showcases, and gameplay previews are posted to the official YouTube channel as milestones are reached.
// Development Log

Devlogs

View All Devlogs
// Media

Screenshots & Videos

Gameplay — Target Lock
Above the Clouds
Cockpit View
Ship Selection
Spaceport
Lobby
Gameplay
Light Fighter
Fan Art
[ Video 01 ] Add YouTube embed here
[ Video 02 ] Add YouTube embed here
// Fleet Roster

14 Ship Classes

From expendable strike craft to fleet-anchoring Battleships. Every class fills a specific role — and no fleet wins without coordinating across them.

Drone
Strike Craft
Drone
Expendable and fast. Deployed from Carriers for swarming and screening roles.
USV
Strike Craft
USV
Unmanned Space Vehicle. Operated remotely or launched from a Carrier.
Fighter
Strike Craft
Fighter
Fast and maneuverable. Built to intercept other strike craft. Limited against larger hulls.
Attacker
Strike Craft
Attacker
Fighter-bomber hybrid. Flexible against a wider range of target sizes than a pure fighter.
Bomber
Strike Craft
Bomber
Devastating against capital ships. Needs escort. Vulnerable in direct engagements.
Corvette
Light Warship
Corvette
First real warship tier. Armed with turrets. Considerably more durable than strike craft.
Destroyer
Light Warship
Destroyer
Fleet defense specialist. Protects against missiles, torpedoes, and incoming strike craft.
Frigate
Warship
Frigate
General-purpose warship. Balanced firepower and survivability. Good fleet foundation.
Cruiser
Capital Ship
Cruiser
Mid-weight capital. Balances firepower and speed. The backbone of most fleet compositions.
Battlecruiser
Capital Ship
Battlecruiser
Heavy guns at cruiser speed. Hits hard and moves faster than a Battleship.
Battleship
Capital Ship
Battleship
Maximum armor and firepower. Slow and immovable. The fleet anchor.
[ Carrier — Coming Soon ]
Support Capital
Carrier
Deploys and recovers strike craft. A force multiplier rather than a direct combatant.
[ Combat Engineer — Coming Soon ]
Support
Combat Engineer
Constructs field structures, repairs allied ships, handles battlefield logistics.
[ Auxiliary — Coming Soon ]
Support
Auxiliary / Command
Jamming, fleet-wide buffs, and mobile spawn point for allies.
// Combat System

How the Fighting Works

// Triple-Layer Defense
01 — Shield
Energy barrier. Regenerates over time. Weak to Energy weapons.
Regen ✓
02 — Armor
Physical plating. No passive regen. Absorbs kinetic force.
No Regen
03 — Hull
Structural integrity. Zero means destruction. Vulnerable to Thermal.
No Regen
// Damage Type Matrix
Damage Type Shield Armor Hull
Kinetic Low Normal High
Energy High 30% bypass —
Thermal Normal Normal +DoT
System — — Systems
System Damage targets propulsion, weapons, and bridge independently. Each degrades efficiency — a damaged weapons system fires slower, a damaged engine cuts speed. Systems repair over time unless continuously hit.
// Development Status

Development Roadmap

// Active
Right Now
  • → Completing 3D models for the full ship roster (70 ships)
  • → Steam integration (lobbies, matchmaking, auth)
  • → First playable map with capture-point loop
  • → Research & Acquisition system
  • → Ability system and initial balance pass
// Coming Next
Short Term
  • → Closed playtesting via Discord
  • → Public gameplay trailer
  • → Per-ship Tech Trees
  • → Basic cosmetic system (skins, nameplates)
// Long Term
Horizon
  • → Steam Early Access release
  • → Ranked matchmaking
  • → Seasonal content — new ships, maps, events
  • → Community-driven balance decisions
Multiplayer Replication
✓ Working
Steam Integration
⟳ In Progress
Ships Modeled
10+ of 70
Development Time
1+ Year
GitHub Commits
80+
Available Now
itch.io ↗
// The Developer

Built by One Person

Ascension After Thunder is a solo project by InternCG — a student developer based in Hungary, building a full-scale multiplayer space combat game part-time alongside school.

Every ship model, every Blueprint, every gameplay system — one person. Development is done openly: progress, setbacks, and design decisions are shared with the community as they happen.

If you want to follow the build, give feedback, or just see how a game like this comes together, the Discord and YouTube channel are the best places to watch.

Join Discord Watch on YouTube
Engine
Unreal Engine 5 — Blueprints
Networking
UE5 Replication — Server Authoritative
Platform
PC / Windows — Steam (In Progress)
Art Style
Military-Grounded, Stylized for Readability
Community
Discord · Reddit · YouTube · Twitch · TikTok
// Acknowledgements

Games That Inspired AAT

Ascension After Thunder was shaped by a handful of titles that demonstrated what faction-based, vehicle-combat games can achieve. We want to acknowledge their influence on this project's design.

War Thunder
Nation-based factions, vehicle variety, and session-based structure.
Infinite Lagrange
Faction aesthetics and ship class variety across a large roster.
Star Conflict
Space combat feel, ship role differentiation, and PvP structure.
Warpath: Ace Shooter
Strategic unit composition and faction-driven combat doctrine.
// Join the War

The Second Intergalactic War
Needs Commanders

Play the current build on itch.io, follow development on Discord and YouTube, or dive into the Research Tree to plan your fleet before you deploy.

Play on itch.io Join Discord Watch on YouTube Research Tree