Halo 4 Director's New Studio Launches Gravhounds on Game Pass This November

Gravhounds is the debut game from Octopus Panic, and it enters Early Access on November 2. It is a co-op action builder where bio-engineered space dogs drop onto hostile planets, build a base, and try to extract with as much loot as they can carry.

Quick Facts

• Release Date:November 2, 2026 (Early Access)

• Price:Not announced

• Platforms:PC (Steam, Xbox on PC) and Xbox Series X|S

• Game Pass:Day one (tier not specified)

• Players:1 to 4, solo or online co-op

• Genre:Co-op action builder

• Developer:Octopus Panic

• Publisher:Octopus Panic

What Is Gravhounds ?

You play as a pack of canine workers, each with different strengths, who land on a planet, fight off alien swarms, and build defenses. The Steam page describes a loop where staying longer pays more but brings more danger, so every run is a choice between greed and getting out.

The signature tool is the Grav Beam, which lets you fling objects to teammates across the battlefield. Bases are built from turrets, generators, fabricators and pipelines, and a pipeline boost helps you reposition under fire. Mid-shift upgrades stack and change your loadout, while new Gravhounds, weapons, and upgrade paths unlock over time.

Platforms, Co-Op And Game Pass

Gravhounds launches in Early Access on Steam and in Xbox Game Preview on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox on PC, and it comes to Game Pass on day one. Smaller details live in the developer's Steam FAQ : Xbox Series X|S and Xbox on PC support crossplay with each other, but Steam players cannot cross over to Xbox yet, and Xbox consoles target 60 FPS.

It supports 1 to 4 players on listen servers, so you can join public sessions, host your own or keep it to friends. Solo play works too, with difficulty and mission timing scaling to the size of your squad. On PC, it plays with a controller or with mouse and keyboard. A free demo is available on Steam and Xbox, and a September playtest drew more than 20,000 players.

How Long Is Early Access?

The developer expects Early Access to last roughly six months, possibly longer, before a 1.0 release. The roadmap points to more Gravhounds, jobs, worlds, enemies, weapons and upgrades, plus balance, performance and co-op improvements. Mods are not confirmed.

Pricing has not been announced, and the developer expects the price to go up later, with changes shared in advance. Progression in Early Access is meant to carry over into 1.0.

Octopus Panic is an independent studio founded by veterans of 343 Industries and DICE, with Josh Holmes, the creative director of Halo 4 , leading development. It first showed Gravhounds at gamescom 2026 Opening Night Live . Which role will your pack take on first?

This story was originally published by GameDaily on Nov 2, 2026, where it first appeared in the Games section. Add GameDaily as a Preferred Source by clicking here.