The news is celebrated with a single fresh screenshot showing a gaggle of lerks in flight.

While a Steam version of NS2 was always planned, UW had previously been unable to confirm that pre-order keys would be transferable. Valve's Steamworks suite will be used for "voice support, friends lists and server browser," founder Charlie Cleveland told Shacknews in an interview, and "we'll probably use their anti-cheat as well."

UW also reveals that it has "over 10,000" pre-orders so far, which Cleveland told us were hugely important as they were "the only funding we're currently receiving." The recent discount bundle with Wolfire Games' rabbity Overgrowth sold 1,658 copies.

NS2 can be pre-ordered from $20 from UW for $20, which will grant beta access, while a $40 'Special Edition' also offers access to the alpha and to a pre-alpha engine test due to roll out "shortly" plus exclusive black armour. The editor is already available for pre-orderers to make levels, which have a shot at being included in the final release.

Natural Selection 2's launch was once slated for fall 2009 but, having missed that, Cleveland recently told Shacknews that "we're only going to release when it's ready."