GungHo has kept quiet about its quirky battle royale in recent months, but now, not only do we have a Deathverse release date, but we got the chance to see the brutal battler in action. The dev team showed us a deep dive and explored some of the game’s many systems and influences, and it looks like we’re in for a wild ride when the Deathverse launches for PC on October 5. PlayStation players can get in on the action a bit sooner, as it launches for that platform on September 28.
Deathverse comes from the team that made Let It Die, and while they describe it as a spiritual successor to that game, Deathverse has a strong and unique identity all its own. GungHo wanted to experiment with more of a fighting game, and after seeing how popular Let It Die’s PvPvE elements were, they decided a battle royale was just the thing.
But not just any battle royale. Deathverse takes place in the future, where a gathering of departed souls fight each other on live TV for the enjoyment of all – well, almost all. Those getting sawed into pieces and stabbed with katanas probably aren’t having much fun.
The journey is more enjoyable than the outcome, though, as GungHo worked to ensure Deathverse provides a different kind of battle royale experience from what you may be used to. Along with its customizable weapons – more on that in a bit – and unique combat abilities, Deathverse places great emphasis on verticality. Holding the high ground can make a significanant difference in the flow of battle, and weapons even have special falling attacks to help you get the drop on your opponents.
Each season in Deathverse will introduce new weapons or variations on existing types. To start with, you can expect to play with daggers, katanas, buzzsaws, hammers, arms, and dual blades, each of which comes with its own special abilities. Arms let you glide, for example, but suffer in mid- and long-range combat. Hammers hit hard, but slow, while katanas are perfect for speedy fighters.
You can customize traits, unlock mastery skills, and take your own perfect monstrosity of a weapon into combat, which GungHo hopes will help Deathverse stand out from similar free-for-alls.
You also get Wilson, a personalized robot assistant who can create shields, generate shock traps, and trigger a number of custom abilities for use in combat. You need all the help you can get. Aside from the 99 other players who want to impress the audience by killing you, there’s also the Hunter characters to contend with. Hunters are CPU-controlled antagonists who roam the battlefield looking for victims, and they look even more brutal than your human opponents.
If you’re looking for ways to pass the time until Deathverse launches, check out our picks for the best multiplayer games and the best free games on PC to make the wait a bit easier.