Battlerite's upcoming battle royale mode has become a standalone game, and it will enter Early Access next month, Stunlock Studios has announced.
Battlerite Royale, which was initially due to launch this summer, has broken off from the MOBA partly because of the "huge reaction" fans had to its announcement, and partly because it was being constrained by some of the systems in the main game, the developer said.
"As we continued to develop Battlerite Royale we saw more and more potential in it with every passing day, but we also noticed the difficulties with keeping Royale in the same frame as [Battlerite]," Stunlock said in a blog post.
"When the decision was made, we suddenly could do more to make the best possible royale experience. We redesigned champion ability kits, rebalanced stats, added new gameplay systems, and removed systems. We also had to develop new matchmaking and rating systems, create a new interface, and a separate onboarding experience."
All Battlerite champions have been "fully revised" for battle royale, but the main game's combat and input system is unchanged. The developer has also increased "lethality" across the board to quicken the pace of matches. "This meant that we had to balance out defensive mechanics, in particular healing, shields, and crowd control. Tackling support champions has been quite challenging, as their role is to prolong and defend themselves and their allies."
Stunlock said it will provide more details on these changes in a future update.
Cosmetics that Battlerite players have earned will transfer over to Battlerite Royale, and if you own the All Champions Pack, Battlerite Early Access, or the Ultimate Fan Pack you'll get extra rewards.
Closed beta sign-ups will launch tomorrow, August 13, alongside a full development roadmap.