Blast Out launches on Steam Early Access tomorrow, Battlerite goes free-to-play in November

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Tarhead Studio have announced that their top down PvP arena brawler, Blast Out (formerly known as RUiN), will be entering Steam Early Access tomorrow.

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by Chris Brand

@pass_controller

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Blast Out features deep character customisation, allowing players to equip their chosen fighter with 4 abilities from a total pool of 28. Alongside the offensive, defensive, control and movement abilities, players can also take a weapon with them into combat, each one with another unique ability.

You can further augment your characters by changing their armour and equipment, with every gear piece conferring a positive and negative stat change to maintain balance whilst allowing you to tweak your characters towards a certain playstyle.

It's not just other players you need to worry about, as the arenas themselves change shape and size over time, introducing new traps and hazards. A lot of the abilities have a knock back effect which can be strategically used to send your opponent flying to their death.

“We’re really pleased to announce that Blast Out is coming to Steam Early Access”, said Martin Eriksson, CEO of Tarhead Studio. “With a heavy dose of inspiration from the Warcraft III mod, Warlock and our own visions on what an arcade based arena brawler should look like, we believe Blast Out delivers a fast paced battle arena experience unlike anything else on the market."

Blast Out is available from tomorrow on Steam and will set you back $12.99 (or regional equivalent).

If you'd like to know how it plays, watch this space as we'll have something for you soon.

There's more battle arena news, as Battlerite is going free-to-play on 8 November.

The title has surpassed 1 million downloads on Steam's Early Access platform and to celebrate this, players can try out Battlerite for free from 25 September through 1 October. Throughout the free week, you can pick it up on Steam for the discounted price of £7.49/$9.98/€9.98.

Battlerite, the spiritual successor to the critically acclaimed Bloodline Champions, is a fast-paced team arena brawler focused on competitive PvP combat. Players choose one of 21 champions (each specialising in melee combat, ranged combat or support) to fight as, taking part in 2v2 or 3v3 battles in colosseum-style surroundings.

Stunlock Studios have also released a roadmap letting us know what to expect in the coming months. This year will see the start of a new season as the game officially launches, as well as the addition of new champions, items, events and a game mode. Next year will bring even more champions, maps, modes and events. Tournament and clan systems will be implemented and an Xbox release is on the cards.

Share your thoughts on the two arena brawlers below or over in the forums.

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