Spellbreakis a fast-paced multiplayer arena game with an emphasis on magic and manic movement. With the next chapter of the game on the horizon, coming April 8th, the developers at Proletariat sat with Game Rant to demo the new modes and features. The upcoming update includes a new game mode, a refresh to the game’s talent system, and new cosmetic options. The hour-long demo showed off the new game mode, Dominion, as the developers played a few rounds ofSpellbreakwith Game Rant.
Having released back in June of 2020,Spellbreakdebuted as a battle royale game with magical flair and fast movement reminiscent of classic third-person shooters likeUnreal Tournament. The game began expanding its narrative and gameplay optionslast year with the release of its first chapter,Spellstorm. Now, the team at Proletariat is expanding that vision soon with the next update forSpellbreak.
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Testing Out Spellbreak’s New Dominion Mode
The recent demo ofSpellbreak’s next major update focused around the new game mode being introduced, Dominion. Instead of the battle royale format familiar to fans of games likeFortniteorApex Legends, Dominion is an objective-based mode more along the lines ofOverwatchorRainbow Six Siege. Players are tasked with capturing and defending objective points in frenetic 5x5 battles. This mode is the highlight ofSpellbreak’sfirst major update since last October, and it makes some massive changes to the formula that players are used to in the battle royale mode.
First thing that players will likely enjoy about Dominion is the ability to continue the match after getting smited by an enemy player. Instead of being ousted from the game after one death in the fashion of battle royales, players are granted a chance to regroup and select new upgrades and gear before dropping back into the fight. This will likely be great for new players looking to sharpen their skills inSpellbreakwithout having to join a new game to keep playing after a defeat. The 5x5 nature of the mode allows for even more flexibility with the elemental cross-ups that made theduo mode a fan-favorite inSpellbreak, meaning communication and mixing elemental powers are key to success and survival in the new Dominion mode.
Spellbreak Chapter 2
Instead of players dropping into matches with not much beyond their trusty spell gauntlet in the battle royale modes, players begin each match by choosing their offhand spell gauntlet and a choice of runes from a random list. Meeting with the Merchant before each match begins allows for players to begin each game with an idea of the elemental mixups they may want to prioritize in that match, and being able to choose new abilities on a respawn will allow for on-the-fly changeups for players each time they respawn. The update will also refresh the alreadywell-rounded system of talents inSpellbreak. Players will have a higher cap on talent points, meaning they have more flexibility in choosing what passive abilities to take with them into each fight.
Overall the update felt fresh, not only toSpellbreakitself but to the competitive arena shooter climate as well. Little touches like stylizing the objectives as Sun, Moon, and Star over the simpler A, B, C present in most objective-based modes are nice, especially set against the much larger changes to the formula. The matches felt unique, tense, and very fast-paced. The new mode has all the promise to be a bigboon for newer players inSpellbreak, allowing for more experimentation as they traverse the learning curve.
As with most seasonal releases, the new update will include new cosmetic options. The update also adds Leagues toSpellbreak, allowing for new players to feel a sense of progression as they play and giving veteran mages a chance to show off their skills.
Spellbreak Chapter 2: The Fracturereleases April 8th for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One
