If you’re strongly awaiting the release of the franchise reboot, MechWarrior then, boy, do I have news for you.

Adding to the IGN exclusive reveal of the game, Smith And Tinker added its own special way of commemorating BattleTech’s 25th anniversary.

On it’s website, Smith & Tinker stated that it had “authorized MekTek.net and MekTek Studios to distribute MechWarrior 4 (along with its expansion packs) completely free.”

The announcement did not state a particular date that the game and its packs would be released.

[MechWarrior 4 To Be Re-Released via IGN]

Ever since the MechWarrior 4 expansion pack released in 2002, fans have been waiting, hoping for another MechWarrior title to cool their Mech fighting needs. Now, seven years later, their prayers, and hopes, have been answered.

First shown via a teaser trailer, we can now confirm that there is a new MechWarrior title in development at Piranha Games, who recently HELPED with the newest Transformer title.

Anyway, this new title is simply entitled MechWarrior, and will serve as a reboot for the franchise. You’ll still be piloting mechs, but the developers reckon that current console technology will for the first time let you feel like you’re really behind the sticks of a giant fighting robot.

They’re also shooting for a “dynamic battlefield”, and rather than feature a food chain of mechs, instead want to let players choose a style of mech and then upgrade that to suit their tastes as they progress through the game. MechWarrior is coming to the PC and Xbox 360, with no details yet on either a publisher or a release time frame.

[New Mechwarrior Game Confirmed, Will Reboot Series via Kotaku]