You can’t accuse Hi-Rez of not chasing trends: Not only is it introducing a battle royale mode to SMITE, but it’s actually just launched a standalone free-to-play battle royale game into Steam early access today. It’s called Realm Royale, and the company is calling it the “first 100-person fantasy Battle Royale” title. You might remember it from its previous incarnation as Paladins: Battlegrounds, a mode originally planned for the MOBA-shooter Paladins (and we liked it when we played it then too).
“Players begin each round of Realm Royale by selecting one of five traditional fantasy classes. Each class offers a unique playstyle; Mages can soar above the battlefield and rain down fireballs, while Engineers deploy turrets and shields in hero shooter-style combat. […] Each round unfolds in true battle royale style, with 100 players dropping from a zeppelin into a massive fantasy-inspired map full of goblin villages and mushroom forests. Players loot weapons and abilities from chests as the fog closes in, customizing their character and effectively creating their own personal champion. In another fantasy twist, players are able to summon a mount at any time to quickly cover open ground and get right into the action.”
Executive Producer Rory “Drybear” Newbrough characterizes the game as a “battle royale that feels like the perfect mixture of an open-world PvP MMO and your favorite hero shooter.” And bad news for my husband’s favorite way to play Fortnite: “You can’t win a round of Realm Royale by hiding in a bathtub.”
The game is free-to-play right now on Steam, and if you like it, you’d better hope everyone else does too. We all know what happens to Hi-Rez’s unloved games. Stay tuned, as we’ve already conscripted MOP’s MJ to stream the game tomorrow night!
offering classes, abilities, crafting, and mounts
June 5, 2018 – Choose your class and be the last champion standing in Realm Royale, the new battle royale game from Hi-Rez Studios which enters free-to-play Early Access on Steam today. Players begin each round of Realm Royale by selecting one of five traditional fantasy classes. Each class offers a unique playstyle; Mages can soar above the battlefield and rain down fireballs, while Engineers deploy turrets and shields in hero shooter-style combat.
“Realm Royale’s class-based, ability-driven combat brings a new experience to the battle royale genre,” said Rory “Drybear” Newbrough, Realm Royale Executive Producer. “It’s a battle royale that feels like the perfect mixture of an open-world PvP MMO and your favorite hero shooter.”
Each round unfolds in true battle royale style, with 100 players dropping from a zeppelin into a massive fantasy-inspired map full of goblin villages and mushroom forests. Players loot weapons and abilities from chests as the fog closes in, customizing their character and
effectively creating their own personal champion. In another fantasy twist, players are able to summon a mount at any time to quickly cover open ground and get right into the action.
Realm Royale’s Squad-focused design adds to the excitement as players join each match as part of a four-player team working together to win the Crown Royale. The classes are designed to support one another, with Assassins planting Sensor Drones to scout for their teammates, while Warriors can toss Shielding Potions to protect squishy Hunters.
Forges located throughout the map become focal points for conflict as players craft unique
Legendary Weapons, fight for control or look to stealthily steal weapons, driving action
throughout the match.
“You can’t win a round of Realm Royale by hiding in a bathtub,” Newbrough said. “Gameplay elements like Forges reward players for staying active and taking risks.”
Realm Royale started development as “Paladins: Battlegrounds,” announced in January at the annual Hi-Rez Expo as a new mode for the hit hero shooter Paladins. After seeing positive feedback to the mode’s announcement, Hi-Rez Studios spun off Realm Royale as a standalone game with a larger scope.
