Spellbreak

Spellbreak was a free-to-play, class-based third-person shooter video game developed by Proletariat for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch, released on September 3, 2020.[2]

Spellbreak
Developer(s)Proletariat
Publisher(s)Proletariat
EngineUnreal Engine 4[1]
Platform(s)
ReleaseSeptember 3, 2020
Genre(s)Battle royale
Mode(s)Multiplayer

On June 28, 2022, it was announced that Spellbreak would shutdown in early 2023.[3] It was shut down on January 10, 2023.[4]

Gameplay

Spellbreak was a projectile-based PvP shooter, however, unlike other shooters, it used gauntlets that fired magical spells in place of guns. Additionally, players could levitate and carry one 'Rune,' giving access to abilities like flight, teleportation or invisibility. Players could choose from one of six elemental classes: wind, fire, ice, lightning, stone and toxic, which granted in game benefits related to that element. Each player started with their class gauntlet permanently attached to them and could pick up one of the other five as a secondary. Gauntlets could deal a primary attack, called a spell, and a secondary attack, called a sorcery. Spells were limited by Mana which was an energy pool shared with levitation, while using a sorcery triggered a cooldown timer. Elements from different gauntlets could be combined to make spells more powerful, provide crowd control effects, or reduce others, depending on strategic desires.[5][6][7] According to the developer the game also included role-playing and roguelike elements.

Game modes included battle royale and Clash, a team deathmatch. With the release of Chapter 2 on April 8, 2021, Dominion, a 5v5 mode featuring control points would replace Clash.[8]

Development

The core combat was inspired by old school shooters like Quake and Unreal Tournament.[9] At the time the Battle Royale genre was and CEO Seth Sivak remembers thinking "was really a competitive roguelike for people that didn’t play roguelikes" wondering "Could we do a cool, interesting fantasy version of that and make it into something awesome? All the mean while finishing it up with in 2 years and with a team of 6.’"[10] The setting was decided on after the team realized that most Battle Royale games were gun based and felt that they could produce a fantasy themed version of the genre. According to executive producer Cardell Kerr the game was initially more "swords than sorcery" although the balance would eventually switch.[11] The gameplay was influenced by such games as Unreal Tournament and Quake, while the visual design was influenced by such animated movies such as Akira and Princess Mononoke as well the TV show Avatar: The Last Airbender. Further inspiration for the visuals came from games with "gorgeous visual effects like 2D Castlevanias, League of Legends, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild"[12]

Proletariat announced in late June 2022 that they would stop working on further updates for Spellbreak as they had been acquired by Activision Blizzard and were transitioning to incorporate into Blizzard Entertainment's team that is in charge of developing World of Warcraft.[13]

Reception

Spellbreak received "generally positive" reviews for Microsoft Windows and Xbox One and "mixed or average" reviews for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch, according to review aggregator Metacritic.

References
  1. "Spellbreak is a unique battle royale game that combines magic, roguelike, and RPG elements". Unreal Engine. February 19, 2019. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  2. "Spellbreak to launch as free-to-play title". Gematsu. 15 July 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  3. "On the future of Spellbreak". Spellbreak. 28 June 2022. Retrieved 2022-12-26.
  4. "Servers Have Sunset". Spellbreak. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
  5. Hargreaves, Jim (19 March 2020). "Preview: Is Spellbreak the next must-play battle royale game?". The Sixth Axis. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  6. Orland, Kyle (3 March 2020). "Spellbreak beta stands out from the copycat battle royale crowd". Arstechnicha. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  7. Chandler, Sam (29 February 2020). "Spellbreak hands-on preview: Battle royale with a magical twist". Shack News. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  8. "Spellbreak officially reveals new Dominion game mode details". PC Invasion. 2021-03-23. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
  9. Hargreaves, Jim (19 March 2020). "Spellbreak developer talks PS4, inspirations, and cross-play". TheSixthAxis. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  10. "Spellbreak is a chaotic, magic-slinging take on battle royale". Venturebeat. 30 October 2019. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  11. Shubhankar, Parijat. "Spellbreak Interview – Progression, Upcoming Improvements, Possible Next-Gen Ports, and More". Gamingbolt. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
  12. Hargreeves, Jim (19 March 2020). "Spellbreak developer talks PS4, inspirations, and cross-play". The Sixth Axis. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
  13. Takahashi, Dean (June 29, 2022). "Blizzard acquires Spellbreak studio Proletariat to bolster World of Warcraft". Venture Beat. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  14. "Spellbreak for PC Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
  15. "Spellbreak for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
  16. "Spellbreak for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
  17. "Spellbreak for Switch Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
  18. Andriessen, CJ (19 September 2021). "Review: Spellbreak". Destructoid. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  19. Jagneaux, David (19 September 2021). "Spellbreak Review". IGN. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  20. "Spellbreak Review (Switch eShop) | Aces high". Nintendo Life. 19 September 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
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