Stunlock Studios acknowledged that it 'could have done better' leading up to the Battlerite Royale announcement.
To help smooth things over, the studio has posted a new "Rewards and Discounts" update explaining in greater detail its reasons for making Battlerite Royale a standalone release, and what kinds of bones it's going to throw to existing Battlerite players.
"When we prototyped Royale, it did not take long until we realized that it had a lot of potential. Later in development, it became obvious that sharing the same balance and philosophy as Arena restricted the possibilities within Royale," Stunlock wrote. "For us, this was the choice between creating a mediocre game mode or creating a game with true potential and the freedom to grow."
"As a game studio, we have a responsibility to our players, but we also have a responsibility to our team to allow ourselves to evolve and to explore new ideas. This way we grow stronger and we can craft new worlds and experiences in the ever-changing gaming landscape."
Stunlock maintained that making Battlerite Royale a standalone release was the right decision, but acknowledged that there are "things we could have done better" leading up to it. A detailed FAQ will be released at the beginning of September, but ahead of that the studio broke down what the new game will cost and what existing Battlerite players will get for jumping in.
Players who meet both conditions—own one of the packs, account level over 20—will receive both mounts. Additionally, all cosmetics that are unlocked in Battlerite Arena will be shared with your Royale account.
"Growing the Battlerite world means not only additional improvements to Arena, it also means growing the game on new markets and creating new titles within the world. It’s important to know that any success in the world of Battlerite is also a success for the Arena, and allows us to pull resources into all our projects," Stunlock wrote. "As always, your support and feedback is crucial for us as we continue to shape our games."
Battlerite Arena is expected to launch into Steam Early Access by the end of September. Closed beta signups are being taken at battlerite.com.
Thanks PC GAMER