Forge "re-launches" with new features, free weekend and 75% off sale

Greenlit MMO-style PvP brawler Forge had a troubled launch - lacking key features and planned polish when it released last December. But even in its basic state, it raised enough money for the developers to keep working on the game. They're now hoping this risky development tactic will pay off with a "re-release" weekend - launching a free DLC update and letting anyone preview the game through a Steam Free Weekend.

"We know we launched way too early, but our funding was finite,” says Dark Vale CEO Dave Domm. “Forge contained key core elements of the game we wanted to ship with, but it was still missing a polished new player experience, rankings, and other key content.

"Fortunately, our awesome community stuck with us and our initial sales funded the entirety of all the features we knew we needed to have in the game to make it feel complete. The result is this new rerelease – Forge is an incredibly polished, PvP experience now and we hope players join us again to celebrate all we've accomplished!"

Here's what's been added for the launch do-over:

• "Swappable armor pieces that add all new levels of character customization

• "New maps filled with hiding spots and awesome environmental effects

• "Rankings let players compete for ultimate glory

• "Customize your character's attacks with 30 unlockable, “focus” attack variants

• "Steam Achievements satisfy competitive perfectionists

• "Completely new tutorial gets new players up to speed quickly

• "Bots and co-op modes let players test and perfect new strategies

• "Server browsing, private servers, and matchmaking let you compete against the best

• "Overhauled UI and menus make the game more navigable than ever"

The DLC also introduces introduces The Ravager: a new, melee-focused, grappling-hook enabled character.

Forge's free weekend is now live, and will run through to Sunday. The game is 75% off until May 1st.