UPDATE 11.15am UK: Hyenas publisher Sega has stopped short of confirming the game has transitioned to a free-to-play business model when questioned by Eurogamer about the "adjustments" being made.

"We have dedicated the past year to reviewing our business model alongside months of extremely valuable player testing of the gameplay experience," a Sega spokesperson told me.

"We're very excited with this progress and the reaction to yesterday's gameplay reveal. We'll build on that foundation with our Closed Beta test beginning 31st August and use this insight to finalise our plans for launch."

Exactly how the game will be sold - and how much for - seemingly remains to be decided.

ORIGINAL STORY 10.20am UK: Hyenas, the upcoming extraction hero shooter from Total War developer Creative Assembly, has been a "challenging title", publisher Sega has said.

Speaking to investors during a recent Q&A session, the transcript of which was published online today, Sega remarked that the company was now "striving to improve [Hyenas'] quality towards the release on the front line of development" (thanks, VGC).

Notably, Sega said it was "also making final adjustments to its business model in parallel".

Hyenas was first announced a year ago but has remained largely under-wraps since. Yesterday, a Hyenas closed beta test was announced for PC, after the game's first public playtest at Gamescom in Cologne next week where Eurogamer will be in attendance.

Sega has previously said Hyenas will not be a free-to-play game, despite launching into the incredibly competitive online hero shooter market.

Eurogamer has contacted Sega for more detail on what its adjustments to Hyenas' business model might entail.

Hyenas is being developed by Creative Assembly, the UK-based team better known for its long-running Total War strategy series.

This space-based loot shooter is something very different, a hero shooter that looks a bit like Payday in space. Here, the loot is licensed objects you'd recognise from the real world - like a Sonic the Hedgehog figurine. One of the heroes in the game is even a Sonic the Hedgehog cosplayer.