Battlerite is an exceptional game. From the moment I played it, I knew Stunlock Studios were onto something special. As it happens, the rest of the world seemed to agree and the game has, in a very short space of time, exploded in popularity. Even with Stunlock Studios incredibly busy on their October update, I wanted to have a brief chat with the team. Fortunately for us, Martin Lövgren was on hand to answer our questions. 

Ten Ton Hammer: The launch of Battlerite’s early access has been a huge success. Did this take the studio by surprise?

Martin: We definitely were surprised by the sales numbers and overwhelmed by all the good reviews. I felt quite confident before the release but I didn’t expect it to take off this quickly, it’s just amazing.

Ten Ton Hammer: Why do you think Battlerite has resonated so well with gamers at this moment in time?

Martin: Competitive games have become very popular and acceptable during the last few years and this has made it a lot easier for Battlerite to make its mark. It’s almost like our first title, Bloodline Champions was before it’s time and this time around people are ready for it. I believe the short matches, quick entrance and the arcade feel to the game can appeal any type of gamer.

This guy above is anticipated to be the next Champion. 

Ten Ton Hammer: Due to Battlerite’s success, have you had to quickly adapt your roadmap when it comes to the development and roll-out of Battlerite?

Martin: We were prepared to be flexible when Battlerite was released, so our roadmap was ready for anything. We think it’s very important to be able to listen to the community and adapt to its requests. This is something we struggled with on our previous games, due to publisher constrains.

Ten Ton Hammer: Has your approach to monetizing the game changed? With Early Access providing all future Champions for free, is your existing model sufficient?

Martin: We are still evaluating the all monetization details for the free-to-play launch. But hey, it’s definitely a good deal buying the game in the Early Access phase!

Ten Ton Hammer: What’s the main priority for the studio right now, especially considering the level of polish already in the game?

Martin: Listen to requests from the community, improve our development pipelines, creating new content and continue work within areas of marketing/sponsors/partners. And yes, new bad-ass Champions incoming!

Ten Ton Hammer: October is already looking busy for Battlerite with the introduction of two new Champions. Are you able to shed any light on either of these?

Martin: Very soon; a sneak-peak is in the making!

Ten Ton Hammer: Many of the Champions in Battlerite share similarities with those in Bloodline Champions. Can we expect to see all the Champions in its predecessor, return in some form? (please say Grimrog will!)

New Champion

Is Harbinger next?

One of the newest Champions to be revealed next?

Martin: Grimrog for the win! But seriously, we try to see what we think is currently most suitable for the game. More old-school champions will come, but we can’t promise you will see all of them. Expect new faces as well.

Ten Ton Hammer: Many MOBAs attempt to release one new Hero (or Champion) every month. Although Battlerite is technically a Battle Arena, is this something Stunlock Studios are attempting to replicate?

Martin: We don’t want to have a strict schedule when new Champions get released; not yet at least. Right now Champions are something highly requested by the community and something we believe adds a great deal to the game. We think quality before quantity is important and we will give the Champions the time they need in development.

Ten Ton Hammer: When it comes to balancing Battlerite, what’s your current approach? Many players seemingly feel the likes of Poloma and Pearl are far too strong. Is balance one of those thing that will always be in flux?

Martin: Absolutely. Balance is very important in a game like Battlerite. Since everything is so heavily skill-based, balance is crucial for a pleasant gaming experience. We'll be taking a deeper look into stats as well as community feedback. Opinions do differ a lot, especially in the beginning when there’s still a lot to learn. For example: Iva was considered really strong to begin with, but now we see less and less complaints about her.

Ten Ton Hammer: Finally, having an objective is really important for players and the climb in ranks is quite steep at the moment (I’d need 66 consecutive wins to reach Rank 13). What are your plans going forward for a competitive ladder?

Martin: We are currently working on a major ranking improvement that is planned to be released later, during Early Access. It’s still in the design process, so unfortunately I can’t give any more information at the moment. Our goal however is to make a more understandable and appealing system. We will do our best to improve Battlerite and make it the best game possible during Early Access. 

Battlerite is available on Steam now, via Early Access. Ten Ton Hammer would also like to thank Stunlock Studios and Martin Lövgren for taking the time out of their very busy schedules to chat to us.