Rumbleverse

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Rumbleverse
Developer(s)Iron Galaxy
Publisher(s)Epic Games Publishing
EngineUnreal Engine 4[1]
Platform(s)
ReleaseAugust 11, 2022
Genre(s)Brawler, battle royale
Mode(s)Multiplayer

Rumbleverse was a free-to-play brawler battle royale video game developed by Iron Galaxy and published by Epic Games Publishing. The game was released for Windows via Epic Games Store, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S on August 11, 2022. The servers shut down on February 28, 2023, six months after its launch.

Gameplay[edit]

Rumbleverse was a battle royale game played from a third-person perspective. 40 players were dropped into Grapital City or Low key key and they had to fight against each other with the goal of being the last survivor.[2] Unlike similar games in the market, Rumbleverse focused on melee combat, and players had no access to any gun or firearm. Players had several base attacks, including punches, kicks, and elbow drops. Basic attacks could be blocked, while stronger attacks or in other words vicious attacks were unblockable and had to be dodged instead.

At the beginning of a match, players would explore Grapital city or Low key key and collect magazines hidden inside boxes that could teach players special moves from special strikes all the way to unblockable vicious attacks, along with that players could use potions that increased the player's stats such as health, stamina and strength. Only a maximum of 10 potions could be used in solos, 8 in duos and finally a maximum of 6 in trios.[3] Melee weapons, such as baseball bats and chairs, could be picked up and used as weapons against other opponents. Every building in the game was climbable, allowing players to quickly navigate through Grapital City and reach strategic positions while in a quick fight or in an intense endgame. Similar to other battle royale games, players had to stay within a shrinking circle. When the player was outside the circle, a timer began counting down from 10. Players were disqualified once the timer reaches zero. Iron Galaxy estimated that each match lasted around 12–15 minutes.[4]

Rumbleverse utilized a battle pass model. As players could complete matches and progress in the game, they could earn Fame, which was considered xp in other games that gives random items every time they level up in the fan mail leagues. Players could also purchase Brawlla Bills, another type of currency which was purchased through microtransactions.[4]

Development[edit]

The game was developed by Iron Galaxy. The studio, when developing Rumbleverse, drew from their experience working on live service games, as they were involved in porting Fortnite and The Elder Scrolls Online to consoles. The idea of developing a pro wrestling game first originated from Iron Galaxy's co-CEO Chelsea Blasko in October 2017. The idea led to the creation of the timer, which was considered to be "a convenient homage to the wrestling world" by the team. Traversal was considered to be an important gameplay pillar. Adam Boyes, the CEO of the studio, described it as "a very important, almost main character" for Rumbleverse, and added that players who are familiar with speedrunning and platform games such as Crash Bandicoot and Mario win a match most frequently as they understand how to navigate the map efficiently. The team believed that the lack of firearms in the game will compel players to change the tactics they usually use in other battle royale games, resulting in a different gameplay experience.[5][4]

Rumbleverse was first announced at The Game Awards 2021 by Iron Galaxy and Epic Games Publishing.[6] Initially set to be released on February 15, 2022, the game was delayed so that the development team can add more content.[7] Rumbleverse was released for PC via the Epic Games Store, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X and Series S on August 11 of the same year.[8][9] Several online playtesting sessions were held. The final season was released on November 16 of the same year.[10]

The game was taken offline on February 28, 2023 and all in-game purchases since launch were eligible for a refund.[11]

Reception[edit]

During the 26th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated Rumbleverse for Online Game of the Year and Fighting Game of the Year.[12]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Over 80 Unreal Engine-powered games featured during 2022 summer gaming events". Unreal Engine. August 15, 2022. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  2. ^ LeBlanc, Wesley (December 9, 2021). "Iron Galaxy Announces Rumbleverse, A Colorful Free-To-Play Brawler, And Gameplay Will Be Shown Tomorrow". Game Informer. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
  3. ^ Toms, Ollie (December 15, 2021). "My early look at Rumbleverse was some of the most fun I've ever had in a battle royale". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c Saltzmann, Michell (December 11, 2021). "Rumbleverse Preview". IGN. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
  5. ^ Bedingfield, Will (December 9, 2021). "Rumbleverse Adds a Melee Twist to the Battle Royale". Wired. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
  6. ^ Takahashi, Dean (December 9, 2021). "Iron Galaxy teams with Epic Games to create Rumbleverse brawler royale". VentureBeat. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
  7. ^ Koch, Cameron (January 27, 2022). "Iron Galaxy's Brawler Royale Rumbleverse Delayed". GameSpot. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
  8. ^ Wales, Matt (July 14, 2022). "Killer Instinct 2013 dev's "brawler royale" Rumbleverse gets August release date". Eurogamer. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  9. ^ "Rumbleverse launches August 11". Gematsu. 2022-07-14. Retrieved 2022-07-14.
  10. ^ Cook, Adam (June 2, 2022). "Rumbleverse is getting a cross platform playtest this month". God is a Geek. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
  11. ^ @Rumbleverse (January 31, 2023). "We have an important announcement to share. On February 28, 2023, Rumbleverse servers will go offline. Players who have made any purchase since launch will be eligible for a refund. We thank you so much for playing. Please see the full details on our blog" (Tweet). Retrieved January 31, 2023 – via Twitter.
  12. ^ "D.I.C.E. Awards By Video Game Details Rumbleverse". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 21 July 2023.

External links[edit]

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