Here's an announcement we didn't expect to ever land in our email inbox. Six Days in Fallujah, the formerly cancelled tactical shooter that was the subject of controversy all the way back in 2009, has been resurrected by Highwire Games for a release at the end of this year. Development is headed up by a team of veteran industry members that includes the lead designer of Destiny and Halo: Combat Evolved Jaime Griesemer as well as composer Marty O'Donnell. Get a first look at what Six Days in Fallujah looks like a whole 12 years later in the announcement trailer above.

This unexpected revival is an "all-new game" told from the first-person perspective, aiming to recreate the "true stories of Marines, soldiers, and Iraqi civilians who fought Al Qaeda during the toughest urban battle since 1968." You will take control of a squad faced with real-life combat encounters, which have been put together following more than 100 interviews with those who were present during the second battle of Fallujah. A press release reads: "The game gives these stories voice through gameplay and first-person accounts captured in original documentary interview footage. Six Days in Fallujah aims to be the most authentic military shooter to date and to tell these military and civilian stories with the integrity they deserve."

Upon its cancellation back in 2009, Six Days in Fallujah was criticised for attempting to release in far too close proximity to the actual real-life events it was based on. In response, former Marine Sergeant Eddie Garcia, who was wounded during the battle for Fallujah, said: "Sometimes the only way to understand what’s true is to experience reality for yourself. War is filled with uncertainty and tough choices that can’t be understood by watching someone on a TV or movie screen make these choices for you. Video games can help all of us understand real-world events in ways other media can’t."

Victura CEO Peter Tamte adds: "It’s hard to understand what combat is actually like through fake people doing fake things in fake places. This generation showed sacrifice and courage in Iraq as remarkable as any in history. And now they’re offering the rest of us a new way to understand one of the most important events of our century. It’s time to challenge outdated stereotypes about what video games can be."

More information and footage of Six Days in Fallujah will be shared soon. Is this a title you ever expected to make a comeback? Share your thoughts on what you've seen in the comments below.