After a year-long stay in Steam Early Access, Battlerite, the MOBA-esque arena brawler our own Chris Thursten called "the best teamfight you've ever had," has officially launched and is now free-to-play.
"It’s been one hell of a year since we entered Steam Early Access," said Peter Ilves, game director at developer Sunlock Studios, "and we can finally deliver on our promise to launch Battlerite as a free-to-play game, making it easily accessible to all PvP arena brawler fans to enjoy."
In addition to the trailer above, Sunlock dropped a big patch to christen Battlerite's launch. The patch includes Thorn, the newest champion, as well as 200 items and cosmetics like skins and poses.
Sunlock also outlined how Battlerite's free-to-play model will work. Each week, six different champions will be available to free players, and individual champions can be permanently unlocked via in-game and real-world currency. To unlock all current and future champions, you can purchase the $30 Champion's Pack. The $50 Ultimate Fan Pack, meanwhile, also includes a 10 percent experience boost, a smattering of mounts and other cosmetics, as well as five gold chests (read: loot boxes).
Battlerite's official launch comes just two weeks after the release of its 'battlegrounds' mode, which plays much more like a traditional MOBA, complete with objectives to defend and crystals to destroy. However, as Sunlock confirmed in a statement, the core arena modes haven't gone anywhere.
