Silica, a first-person shooter and real-time strategy hybrid that blends a little Dune with Helldivers, has left early access and launched version 1.0.

Background: Martin Melichárek and the RTS-FPS Experiment

Since 2023, Martin Melichárek has been working on a new take on the combination of real-time strategy and first-person shooting. The project is Silica, developed under the watchful eye of DayZ developers Bohemia Interactive. The idea is a sci-fi shooter set on a planet where players try to mine a valuable resource that the game points out is definitely not the spice. The conflict begins with two warring factions competing for that resource. Then, bug-ish giant aliens react badly to all the fighting, giving the setting a hybrid flavor that draws from Dune's Arrakis and Helldivers' Terminids.

Development Process: Early Access and Two Ways to Fight

During early access, Silica built its identity around two roles. Players can join the fray on the ground with classic first-person shooting alongside friends, or take the role of commander and dictate artillery from above. This split is the core of the RTS and FPS fusion. The video titled "Silica - Release Trailer" is available to watch on YouTube, and the early access period allowed the project to shape that mixed combat loop before the full launch.

Latest Progress: 1.0 Adds Campaign, Command Tools, and 1v1 Matchmaking

Today marks the day that Silica leaves early access and enters 1.0, fully fleshing out its hybrid concept. The 1.0 update comes with several additions, most notably the Centauri Campaign, a story-driven single-player experience set in the war for Baltarus. It opens with a cinematic intro and features fully voiced mission briefings and in-game dialogue. Between missions, a 3D planetary globe tracks the war as territory changes hands.

Commanding an army should be a better experience now too. Players can arrange units into formations, issue more precise movement and attack orders, and quickly select all units of the same type. Improved AI targeting and vehicle movement also help armies operate more effectively in large-scale battles.

Beyond that, 1v1 matchmaking has been added, where players can fight against another commander. The Steam Workshop sandbox tools have been expanded for building your own scenarios and sharing them with others. There are also a whole bunch of bug fixes, quality-of-life improvements and additions. More detail can be read in a blog post, and the game can be picked up on Steam.

Current Stage: A Finished Hybrid

Silica is no longer a work-in-progress experiment in early access. With 1.0, the game has moved from a playable fusion of first-person shooting and top-down command into a more complete package: a single-player campaign, refined command controls, direct competitive play, and community scenario tools. The result is a clearer answer to the question it started with in 2023: what a modern RTS and FPS mix can look like when it is built around mining a planet, fighting factions, and dodging giant alien bugs.