Battlerite – a story about how good games die

There was 2017 in the yard. Then a wonderful game in my opinion came out – Battlerite. It seems that it was just recently, as I remember yesterday – I chopped it in the evenings, quickly playing for many hours. But everything is relative. For a competitive game designed for e -sports – 4 years is just a huge time. During this time, she can strengthen, dial a fan base, organize stable tournaments, get to your feet as a discipline. or. die.

To my great regret with Battlerite, the second option occurred. Why? Who is to blame for this? Was the game a chance? Let’s figure it out.

Start, I think it is worth a little from afar, and specifically since 2011. At this time, Stunlock Studios developers release the game – Bloodline Champions. It can be called the ancestor Battlerite, because they are very similar, the basics of game mechanics were just laid then. I honestly admit it, I did not play it, and there is no such opportunity anyway. Everything died there completely.

Although at some point everything was great, the game prophesied a great future, put in a row with giants such as Dota 2 and Lol. Even serious tournaments were held. If you read reviews about it, you can see how much people liked the game, you can see with what kind of trepidation and warmth players remember it. What went wrong?

There is no answer here. There are only facts – an openly weak marketing company. Yes, of course, some of those who tasted the game were devoted to her, but without the influx of new players, the project cannot live for a long time. The old ones leave, the new ones come – this is normal. Over time, players became smaller and less, as well as patches with updates. Apparently the developers missed an important point – when it was necessary to invest in the game, PR it, to act more actively, update, and so on, very little was done, this was not enough to keep the old ones and attract new ones.

And when the moment is missed, then pour huge budgets to revive the old woman, apparently no one wanted to. And I wanted to “restart”. Take the same mechanics, wrap in a new shell and start all over again. So Battlerite appeared.

What is he generally like? If you look scarabwinscasino.co.uk/ at genre, then at first glance it can be attributed to Moba, but it will be wrong. On the page in Steam the genre is designated as – TAB (Team Arena Brawler). Speaking in an understandable language, the game process can be described this way – heroes with their unique abilities fight in the arena in 2×2 or 3×3 format. Top view, responsive key control. Without mana, without shmotka, without pumping. Only the skills of your character and your personal skill.

Here it seems to me and is the main charm of the game – everyone always fights on an equal footing. That is, purely technically there cannot be a hero who farm the whole game, and then came and broke your face. Or did you collect the wrong clothes and because of this you were killed. No. Only your personal skill, nothing more, nothing superfluous.

This is very cool, because of such mechanics, every battle turns out to be very tense, the outcome is always unpredictable. Moreover, the battles flow quickly enough, literally 3 minutes and a maximum of 5 rounds. But emotions in such a short time you get a whole carriage. At the same time, different emotions.

For some reason, losing in Battlerite is especially difficult, because victories can cost literally millisecond, and there is some reason to blame for yourself and there. In short, played great, dynamic. Every battle is something new, unique. Also, before the battle, you can configure bonuses to abilities – this brings its diversity. There are enough heroes too.

And now you look at such a seemingly wonderful game, and then you look at the online. And. Tears are full. On average, 300-500 people play. You see, you can find a rink in about 5 minutes, in general, it’s normal, you can call a friend and take a couple of evenings together. But from the realization that this figure will decrease and decrease over time, becomes very, very sad.

What happened?

Exactly the same as with Bloodline Champions. The developers stepped on the same rake and hit their forehead even more. The lack of marketing for several years is still the most important reason. Even the translation to the Free-to-Play model did not save the game (at first it cost either 300r., then 500r.)

Plus, they went somewhere in a dark forest and tried to jump in the Hype wave into the genre of Battle Royale. That is, they released a separate client with this mode. For what? For whom? Someone at all asked? There was such a need? And this is time, budgets, the same long -term support, employees, server, etc. and t.D

As if developers do not know how to study on the experience of errors and repeat them again. History is cyclical friends.

Battlerite is an ideal example of how you can destroy an excellent game with incorrect development strategies. I would like to hope that the developers will still take into account mistakes and please us with wonderful games in the future.

By the way, literally recently, Stunlock Studios published published on their Facebook* 3D animator vacancy, so they may work on a new, non -annexed project.

I will still spend a couple of tube evenings in it, although I will hardly return in the future. But Battlerite will have a pleasant memory for me, like thousands of other players.

And what games in your opinion “died” undeservedly?

* The activities of the parent organization META are recognized as extremist and prohibited in the Russian Federation