Smash + Grab is the surprising new game in development at United Front Games. The developer became popular with the release of Sleeping Dogs in 2012, though their subsequent project (Triad Wars) was ultimately cancelled.

　　They're not straying too far from their pedigree with Smash + Grab, which is due to hit PC next month via Steam Early Access. According to the fresh press release, this is a 3v3 game about competitive gang warfare set in a dystopian future. It's an illicit underground competition where rival gangs compete for loot, weapons and infamy.

　　Each team of five players needs to grapple, shoot, and smash their way to victory by collecting $50k in goods from locked-down, high-end shopping districts – or from the opposing team! In rapid-fire, 15-minute matches, players raid increasingly larger stores, mod lethal new weapons like chain-saw-shovels and poison-crossbows, and afterward, level up with new perks and clothing. Smash + Grab will also let you customize your gang's loadout and you may even pick a lieutenant.

Assemble Your Crew

　　A gang includes a leader, a lieutenant, and 3 soldiersChoose from a selection of melee and ranged charactersCombine your special abilities for deadly strategyLevel up characters to unlock perks and vanity items

Smash It Up

　　Fight against and alongside player and AI controlled enemiesUse strikes, grapples, counters, evades, and brutal finishersKill enemies to take their loot for cash and upgradesYour gang fights on its own but can be influenced by the leader

Grab What You Can

　　Everything you need to win can be found by looting stores and vending machinesLoot weapons to upgrade your gangCraft elemental weapon mods from the ingredients you lootFirst team to get $50,000 winsStephen Van Der Mescht, CEO of United Front Games, said:

　　Smash + Grab combines our love of competitive online games with our expertise in action mechanics and hand-to-hand combat, sharpened during our development of Sleeping Dogs. The playtesting rivalries got pretty intense in the studio during development, and we hope to see the same reaction on a bigger scale with Smash + Grab’s Early Access launch.

　　Smash + Grab should stay in Early Access for about six months, according to United Front Games. There's currently no word about a console release, though it would be far from surprising.

　　Check out the Early Access trailer below.