Strategy Informer  

Ironclad and Stardock Studios have announced a new standalone expansion, Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion, which will introduce two factions: the Rebels and the Loyalists, each of which will have their own art style.

The expansion will also feature "truly massive" Titan-class ships which Stardock CEO Brad Wardell states is the Sins version of the Super Star Destroyer. There will be no single player campaign in Rebellion, and will remain skirmish-based. According to Big Download, "Wardell told us that Stardock and Ironclad have wavered back and forth on adding such a feature for the game but ultimately decided against it."

"Rebellion is the first stand-alone expansion to the Sins of a Solar Empire universe," said Brian Clair, director of publishing for Stardock. "Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion will add many new ships, refresh the visuals and integrate Impulse::Reactor features to support achievements, multiplayer leagues and much more."

Wardell expects to release Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion by the end of 2011, but won't release an unfinished product. Owners of the original Sins of a Solar Empire will get a rebate when purchasing Rebellion. Gamers who only bought the Entrenchment expansion will also get a rebate.

New features of Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion include:
* New Factions: Players decide whether to become Loyalists or Rebels, which unlocks a unique new tech tree granting them new technologies and ship variants.
* New Titan-class ships: Massive warships for each race that dwarf capital ships, these deadly new monsters are capable of wiping out entire enemy fleets single-handedly.
* New Capital Ships: A new capital ship class arrives, giving players new strategic options.
* New Corvette-class ships: Small, highly maneuverable light ships that are adept at a variety of tasks.
* Loyalist and Rebel versions of some of the existing Sins' frigates and cruisers, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses.
* Updated lighting and particle effects for enhanced visuals.
* New Victory Conditions to allow for more variety, differing strategies and shorter game sessions.
* Additional capital shipability levels, for greater strategic choice.
* Impulse::Reactor support for chat, friends, achievements and more.

Source: Big Download

Related games: Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion (PC)