This week has been all about lore and player progression in HyperBrawl, which all culminated in this week's Weekly Brawl, where I got my butt handed to me by our artist, Luke. If you want to watch our matches while taking in some background information about some of our heroes and arenas, check the video below. We also talk about a couple of video games, if you need some inspiration for games to play until HyperBrawl hits later this summer!
[previewyoutube="oVWt3yg9TZQ;full"]
The Quest Has Begun!
Just in case you haven't signed up to our newsletter yet, there's honestly never been a better time. Not only are we still sending out new, newsletter-exclusive wallpapers every time, we've got added some exciting new stuff too!
The main thing are our new Quests, that give you an opportunity to get your hands on the highly limited Ambassador rewards, which include some unique character skins that are completely unobtainable unless you become an Ambassador. These will really make you stand out online, which is pretty awesome, if you ask me :)
Another benefit of being signed up to our newsletter is that we will pick one lucky newsletter subscriber every week to receive a free Steam code for HyperBrawl at launch. So there you have it, an opportunity to not only get the game for free, but ALSO potentially look even more badass while playing, what more could you ask for!?
This week has been all about HyperBrawl weapons, so if you're curious just how awesome they are, you've come to the right place!
Weapons of HyperBrawl
As you may have seen across our social channels, we've been talking a whole lot about weapons - and all of that just covers a small selection of what's available in the full game. If you want to see us brawl it out with a bunch of these weapons in the latest build on Steam, take a look at the video below where we play for about half an hour - and talk about other fun stuff too!
[previewyoutube="ch8DUc6Kflg;full"] Oh and before you ask; no, we're not just playing, the team is also hard at work on preparing both the Steam and consoles versions for our full launch later this summer. If you want to watch previous Weekly Brawls, you can do so here.
The HyperBrawl Quest
We've been working hard to make our newsletter not just your one-stop shop for all things HyperBrawl, but we've also just launched a brand new newsletter-exclusive feature, called The HyperBrawl Quest!
Every week, when we update you on all the latest in the world of HyperBrawl, we'll also include the latest Quest for you to complete. What exactly is required is different from week to week, but one thing is for certain; there's awesome loot to be had! We can't have a quest without a quest reward, right?
If you're curious and want to know more, sign up to our newsletter below and you'll be able to complete quests from next week onward. You'll also receive all the latest news, giveaways - and exclusive wallpapers!
We're yet another week closer to the summer launch of HyperBrawl Tournament, and this week we're diving into the powers (or abilities if you will) that will help you secure your victory - once you master them, that is. Let's look at the week ahead!
HyperCurve + HyperForce = Hyper Awesome!
This week will be all about the HyperCurve, which allows you to control the ball mid-air, as well the HyperForce, which helps you even the odds. If you're completely new to these - or just want a refresher on how they work, check out the videos below.
In case you missed the update last week, we've started giving out exclusive wallpapers via our newsletter, so if you'd like your favourite character or HyperBrawl art on your desktop, there's no better way to do it than by signing up below!
Whether you'll be playing alone or teaming up with your friends in online matches, you'll probably want a brand spanking new headset by your side! If you'd like to be in with a chance at winning a CORSAIR HS70 Pro wireless gaming headset AND a ST50 stand, you'll want to check out the giveaway below. As always, the more steps you complete in the giveaway, the bigger your chance of winning. Good luck!
That's all for this week's update. If you've got any feedback or requests for next week's update, do let us know below. See you in the arena!
Win custom HyperBrawl controller!
Hi brawlers!
As we're currently putting the finishing touches on HyperBrawl ahead of our summer launch (yes, we're getting ever closer!), we want to start giving you weekly updates on all the things going on in the arena. Read below for all the latest!
Win a custom HyperBrawl controller!
We've just launched a brand new giveaway where you could win a hyper awesome custom Xbox One controller. Follow the link below to enter and remember; the more steps you complete, the bigger your chances. Good luck!
We recently sent out a survey to our newsletter subscribers and one of the many things we learned, was that there is a clear demand for things like exclusive wallpapers. That's why we've now started including exclusive content in our newsletters, and if you would like to receive exclusive stuff too, you can sign up below!
Starting this week and running until launch and beyond, we've decided to create regular video features that each see us playing a bunch of HyperBrawl, while diving into different aspects of the game - and other things! Curious about what that means? Keep an eye on our social media channels on Friday for the video - or sign up to the newsletter above, and you'll get it directly to your inbox next Monday.
Speaking of video, here's one we did earlier this month, that talks about all the basics of HyperBrawl Tournament. It's not the same format as what we've got planned for Friday, but it may serve as a refresher for those that want a newer look at some gameplay.
[previewyoutube="j0TVpw1T2oY;full"] That's all for this week's update. If you've got any feedback or requests for next week's update, do let us know below. See you in the arena!
Behind the Brawl #5: Hero Design & Development
Hi brawlers!
K. A. here, Community Manager for HyperBrawl Tournament. I'm back with another Behind the Brawl development blog and this time I've sat down with our Game Designer, Scott, to look at HyperBrawl's three different hero classes - and why they're important to gameplay. Let's jump in!
Hero classes - what are they?
The heroes of HyperBrawl come in three different types; Swift, Tank and Core. These classes offer slightly different play styles and benefits, giving players more strategy and diversity in their gameplay. Here's the quick rundown:
Swift heroes are faster and more agile, but can't deal or take as much damage. They're good for getting around the arena quickly, but less capable in a brawl.
Tank heroes are very strong and have more health, but are slower than other hero types. They can be great in a brawl or at defending the goal area.
Core heroes are jack of all trades. They're somewhere in between the other two types, which makes them good at everything, without excelling at anything.
Ultimately it's important to note that any hero can be used for any job; it all depends on your play style and what your opponent is bringing to the brawl.
Settling on three classes
In the very early days of development, each hero was much more unique and had their own abilities, though this quickly became very difficult to balance. Another concern was how confusing it became to play, when you would suddenly need hours of practice to learn the ins and outs of each character. Being able to just pick up the controller and play was always important to us, so the system needed simplification.
With a class system, the game became much easier to both balance and understand. Settling on a few classes allowed us to be able to fall back on class rule sets to help balance the game, while making the game in a way that most players would be able to get into more easily, simply because it's so common in other games and genres already.
Turning the unique heroes into class-based archetypes was actually what introduced the weapons we have today. Each hero was originally conceived to have their own unique abilities/weapons, but the class system allowed us to separate the heroes from the weapons, which now means that any hero can use any weapon. This has allowed for considerably more flexibility in each player's play style - and allows you to really play the game any way you want, with whatever hero and weapon combination you prefer.
Balancing each hero
Balancing became a lot easier once we decided on the hero classes and their pre-defined rule sets. We did a lot of testing in the early stages of development, that allowed us to lock down each class' behaviour quite quickly. Now when we add a new hero to the roster, we assign them a class and that immediately gives us a specific framework to work from. This allows us to still be creative and make them unique within their given class, without risking their overall balance getting out of hand.
As each hero has their own unique stats, however, there is still some tweaking that can be done on a hero-by-hero basis - and as we see players experiment and provide us with feedback, changes can quite easily be made over time as needed.
Advice for new players
Experimentation is the key. The team's done their best to ensure, that HyperBrawl doesn't have a "best loadout"; it all depends on your play style. Maybe you like the Tank characters for their added health or ability to goal keep, or maybe you prefer a Swift class for their ability to out-run the slower heroes, opening up new opportunities in the arena.
Generally, we'd advise that you try all three classes and the various weapon combinations to find what works for you. Changing up your weapon can completely change how you play a specific hero or class too; you may normally want to keep your distance with a Swift character due to their low health, but equipping them with the Slam Hammer and getting up close and personal for a devastating attack can be effective too. Experiment and have fun - and let us know your favourites!
Want to know more?
That's it for this Behind the Brawl dev blog. We've now done five of these and are always keen to know what you would like us to talk about in the future. Whether you're curious about HyperBrawl's gameplay or development, ask away and we'll answer best we can!
For the latest news as well as the occasional tips and tricks, be sure to follow us on Twitter or join us on Discord. Finally, as always, if you haven't already, please consider Wishlisting HyperBrawl on Steam - it really helps!
We recently had a chat about Game Design and thought you lovely folks would like to tune in for some insights. The chat is initially focused on HyperBrawl's Campaign mode, but quickly branches off into other topics as well. We hope you'll find it interesting!
[previewyoutube="E8Q1qle3G3U;full"] If there's something relevant you think we missed, do let us know. We're planning additional content between now and launch this Summer, and we're more than happy to provide any insight and answer any questions that we can.
See you in the arena!
Discord - Live Dev Q&A!
Hi brawlers!
Join us at 2-5pm BST on 22nd June 2020 for a live developer Q&A in the #dev-q-and-a channel on our Discord server!
You can ask us anything about HyperBrawl Tournament, its development or things you may want to know about us at Milky Tea. See you there!
Developer livestream at 5pm BST!
Hi brawlers!
We'll be hosting a livestream on Twitch today at 5pm BST and we would love for you to join us! You can either talk to us in chat - or take us on in the arena, simply be grabbing the free demo, and queuing up for Blitz mode at 5pm BST today!
We're excited to announce that the limited-time HyperBrawl Tournament demo for Steam Game Festival is now available, and will remain available for the duration of the event, 16th-22nd June.
To get brawling, all you have to do is jump over to the Steam store page, and hit Download. It's really that simple!
The Steam Game Festival demo is a small portion of the full game, with limited heroes, arenas, weapons, game modes, features - and none of the new content and overall optimisations we've added to the complete game in the last couple of months. You'll be able to check out the complete experience this summer, when it launches on Steam and consoles - and if you want to be notified when we post updates and announcements, be sure to wishlist right here on Steam!
If you're brand new to HyperBrawl Tournament, you may be wondering what exactly this is... so here's a quick rundown:
1-4 player arena-based sports-brawling, feat. local and online multiplayer.
Unique heroes, weapons and customisation options, allowing for more than 4,000 unique loadouts.
HyperCurve allows you to control the ball mid-air, giving you ultimate control to avoid opponents and obstacles alike.
HyperForce grants you super-human strength and the ability to easily take down your opponents for a limited time, in an effort to turn the tide.
12 unique arenas where obstacles and arena shapes can play a part in your overall tactics.
7 game modes, including a campaign mode, a local multiplayer mode and online modes complete with worldwide leaderboards.
Private matches to play with your friends using the in-game party system.
The above is just a short list of what HyperBrawl has to offer, and if you would like to see it in action, check out the following trailer:
[previewyoutube="1xBw29e8Hac;full"]
The Steam Game Festival demo
The SGF demo is just a small portion of the full game, with a limited number of modes, heroes, weapons, arenas and overall features. It's also by no means the latest version of the game, which means it is missing several months of added content, improvements, features and bug fixing. It does, however, include both local and online multiplayer, so you can still get an action packed taste of the HyperBrawl experience.
If you play the HyperBrawl demo and like what you see, please consider wishlisting the game on Steam - it really helps!
