Players who made purchases in Rumbleverse will be getting a refund. According to the announcement, this includes purchases of the Rumbleverse Battle Pass as well as Brawlla Bills on all platforms.

As part of the game’s sunsetting, Rumbleverse is getting an update today that shuts down the store and allows players to have full access to all content from the game leading up to it going at the end of February. XP gains will be doubled, and additional accessories and emotes are now available for free.

The announcement comes shortly after a recent rumour stating that the game would be shutting down after less than six months of launching. Interestingly, there were also recent reports of Rumbleverse getting ported to the Nintendo Switch thanks to it being rated for the platform in Taiwan. Considering the new announcement, however, it is likely that those plans have now been cancelled.

Iron Galaxy and Epic Games’ free-to-play battle royale brawler Rumbleverse launched in August last year, coming off the back of plenty of excitement in the lead-up to its launch. It seems, however, that the game hasn’t managed to attract as many players as the people behind it would have been hoping for. As per journalist Tom Henderson, Rumbleverse will be shutting down roughly a month from now, at the end of February, with the game set to be delisted from stores today. Henderson says an announcement regarding the same will also be coming soon.

Earlier this month, a Nintendo Switch version of Rumbleverse was rated in Taiwan, suggesting that the game could be headed to the hybrid platform. It would seem, however, that those plans have been shelved (assuming it is indeed shutting down soon). We’ll be keeping an eye out for more updates on the issue, so stay tuned.

Epic Games' Rumbleverse will be shutting down at the end of February. pic.twitter.com/xsMZWVzA0u

— Tom Henderson (@_Tom_Henderson_) January 30, 2023

Me. I think store delistings start today. So there's probably an announcement coming.

— Tom Henderson (@_Tom_Henderson_) January 30, 2023

While developer Iron Galaxy hasn’t made any official announcement for a Nintendo Switch version of Rumbleverse, the fact that the game is popping up on ratings website is as close to a confirmation as we can get without the studio itself getting directly involved.

Rumbleverse was originally released back in August 2022. It features a hefty amount of customisation options for players, and none of the gameplay options are locked behind pay walls.

Rumbleverse, currently available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, is a free-to-play battle royale that pits 40 players together as they look for moves and upgrades to add to their repertoire in their bid to be the final player standing.

For more details about Rumbleverse, check out our review.

"The art style, the music, sound effects, and progression systems of Rumbleverse couldn’t feel more derivative in 2022, but it’s the somewhat less-traveled road of a melee combat focus that Rumbleverse bets the farm on to deliver the knockout punch it so clearly wants to."

As noted, but cannot be stressed enough, Rumbleverse seems to intentionally replicate the look and feel of its countless counterparts’ ad nauseum. Character models, environmental objects, visual effects, music, sound, even the UI is strikingly similar to the games it’s currently trying to shepherd players from. Depending on the player this may or may not seem like a negative, as the number of times you have personally engaged with this style of game will be directly proportional to how much you feel it’s either fashionable or passé, but at this point I personally couldn’t shake the feeling that Rumbleverse reminds me of somebody showing up to a house party at 4am, long after everybody else has either passed out or gone home.

Hand-to-hand combat in a large Fortnite-style battle royale environment such as this might sound like a nice way to mix things up, and it can feel that way at times. Jumping into the mix and slamming others around while they do the same to you does produce some silly fun. And landing a perfectly-timed drop kick on an opponent that spent the last 5 minutes terrorizing you is undeniably satisfying. but without a way to take advantage of all of that space to attack enemies or accomplish much of anything else, the large battlefield mostly just dissolves into a series of disjointed pockets of mini battles where a few people are all bashing each other around until a victor emerges and moves on to the next micro-scuffle.

That cycle largely repeats itself until the last skirmish between whoever is left and the ultimate winner remains. As would only make sense, the final moments usually consist of the better players, but other than that, there is little making one fight feel different from any other one, what’s more, the ever-tightening circle of the arena – a mainstay characteristic of the battle royale genre – does almost nothing to change the dynamic of the match or inject much urgency into Rumbleverse‘s battles since players are already close to each other by virtue of the hand-to-hand combat. At most, the shrinking arena does eventually force some campers out of their hiding spots, but it still amounts to little more than an afterthought in a game where space and distance are so thoroughly squandered. Some environmental hazards or a way to close distances faster could have bridged that gap, but as it is, it rarely feels like there are more than three or four players to worry about at any given time, making the battle royale format feel unnecessary more often than not.

"Some environmental hazards or a way to close distances faster could have bridged that gap, but as it is, it rarely feels like there are more than three or four players to worry about at any given time, making the battle royale format feel unnecessary more often than not."

The melee combat itself is the game’s strongest element. This should come as no surprise given that it’s pretty clearly the only area Iron Galaxy felt the need to stand out, but for what it’s worth it’s a pretty solid system. Wrestling style grab moves, drop kicks, flashy combos, uppercuts, special moves, and even the occasional chair or plank of wood can make these chaotic scraps decidedly amusing. Adding fuel to the fire are various perks that raise your max stamina, health, and other buffs can make some players more well-positioned than others. Leaping head-first into the fray and hoping you come out on top isn’t inherently any worse of a strategy than skulking in the background and picking off opponents as you see fit. I was surprised to see just how well or poorly I could do with just about any approach I could think of, and that’s what you want to see in a game like this as it seems to have room for a good variety of play styles to all flex their skills in the game’s solo or duo matches.

Camping behind cars or other objects for the majority of the match is easily done though, whereas in other games with projectile weaponry, hiding out somewhere balanced out by a sniper potentially picking you off at any moment. Rumbleverse has no such counterweight. I never found myself in a match where more than a few people did this at a time, but I imagine such tactics are an inevitable speedr bump for the game long-term. A bit more variety would have gone much further for the staying power of the experience, as the literature you find scattered throughout the map that teaches you different takedowns rarely makes the combat feel any different by the end of a match, making each cartoonish cloud of lawless nonsense start to resemble the ones before it more and more as time goes on, despite them never totally losing that last bit of goofy charm.

Rumbleverse has a familiar progression system mixed with challenges that you chip away at during matches. These can range from getting a certain number of KOs to racking up a certain amount of time climbing, all of which are similar to what you’ve seen countless times and frankly aren’t that addicting to work on as a result. Also, despite the game being available for the last several days, weekly challenges are not yet available, nor is whatever the battle pass entails. But what certainly is fully functional is the game’s “Brawlla Bills”; Rumbleverse‘s fictional currency that charges $9.99 for its smallest increment of 1,100 Brawlla Bills, which is slightly more than enough to get you a pigeon mask or a mushroom hat. From there, you can pay $19.99 for 2,500 Brawlla Bills, $49.99 for 6500 and $99.99 for 14,000. These aren’t unprecedented price ranges for the genre, but that doesn’t make them any less ridiculous, and grinding away to earn these things for free is a predictably slow crawl that likely won’t feel worth it to most.

"I can’t walk away from Rumbleverse feeling particularly impressed."

Honestly, I can’t walk away from Rumbleverse feeling particularly impressed. While it manages to replicate the core tenets of its genre to a tee in most areas, and does so in a stable, polished package, it makes a near-fatal mistake in thinking a focus on melee combat is some sort of huge ace in the hole. In fact, it often feels like a mismatch for the genre as the large maps are so often underutilized by the inherent closeness the combat requires. Rumbleverse could have easily been a more standard online brawler that puts 10 fighters in a map a quarter of the size of this for a virtually unchanged experience. As a free to play battle royale game you could certainly do a lot worse, but at the same time, I struggle to imagine who Rumbleverse will hang on to long-term with so few ideas of its own and a combat system that, while charming, is just too shallow to stay fun for more than a short while.

This game was reviewed on PC.

Rollerdrome

OlliOlli World developer Roll7 is known for its chill skating experiences but Rollerdrome goes down a more violent route. Described as a “skating game where you’re not just skating” and a “shooting game where you’re not just shooting,” the story is set in 2030 where esports, social media, flat-screen displays and more have never been invented. Instead, the public gets its entertainment from Rollerdrome, a bloody arena sport where combatants skate and gun each other down. As Kara, players battle snipers, hooligans, armored foes, and even robots to make their mark.

The mechanics are fairly straightforward – shoot enemies to recover health, perform tricks to regenerate ammo. Each arena is a skate park with numerous possibilities, as one skillfully dodges attacks, slows down time for precise shots and chains combos together. Rollerdrome is out on August 16^th for PS4, PS5 and PC. PlayStation Plus subscribers and PC players can get it at a reduced price for the first two weeks.

Two Point Campus

Two Point Studios brings its zany humor and management sim shenanigans into the world of education with Two Point Campus. Create your own university by placing various decorations, fences and vegetation, and then hire staff to teach your students. These aren’t your typical courses though as students will attend Knight School (with full medieval armor and jousting), take on Wizardry for magical duels and potion-crafting, or Spy School to root out any rival spies.

As you know more about the students and their personalities, you can organize different clubs and events to better foster their development. Two Point Campus is out on August 9^th for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC and Nintendo Switch.

Rumbleverse

Following its work on Seasons 2 and 3 of Killer Instinct on Xbox, Iron Galaxy Studios is back with a brand new melee-focused title in Rumbleverse, which releases August 11^th on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Unlike the combo-tastic 3D fighter though, this a free-to-play battle royale where 40 players are dumped into the map and must fight to the end. Close quarters brawls are the name of the game, as you unleash basic and strong attacks, and acquire magazines to learn more powerful special moves and takedowns.

Use weapons like baseball bats, climb anywhere and stay within the circle to ultimately emerge victorious. Along with a Battle Pass, it includes micro-transactions for different cosmetics to customize one’s avatar with. It may not feed the combo-breaker crowd but Rumbleverse looks intriguing, if nothing else.

Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered

Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered, the critically-acclaimed, multi-million selling open-world title, finally comes to PC on August 13th. It features Peter Parker as the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, having battled villains for years and protected Manhattan. Things take a turn though when Mister Negative and his gang start causing an uproar. Who else but Spider-Man to stop them?

As an enhanced version of Insomniac’s 2018 title, the remaster adds new suits, ray tracing and 4K resolution support. Ben Jordan also replaces John Bubniak as the face of Peter Parker. The PC version offers a number of options and features including higher-quality ray tracing, unlocked frame rates, Ultra-wide monitor support, mouse and keyboard controls, and Nvidia DLSS and DLAA support. If Horizon Zero Dawn and God of War (2018) are any indication, then Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered should be another PC hit for Sony.

Thymesia

Though it seems like just another Souls-like, OverBorder Studio’s Thymesia embodies a horror atmosphere with its plague-ridden setting. As a mysterious character named Corvus, players explore the fallen Kingdom of Hermes, battling infected creatures that roam the streets. Corvus is capable of fixing things (hopefully) but must rediscover lost memories to learn the truth. In the meantime, one must fight their way through, wielding plague weapons and using a raven form, complete with executions, to slay foes. Thymesia releases on August 18^th for PC, Xbox Series X/S and PS5.

Madden NFL 23

Another year, another slate of EA Sports titles, kicking off first with Madden NFL 23 on August 19^th for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, and PC. Featuring John Madden as the cover star in honor of his passing last year, features like Face of the Franchise, Ultimate Team, and more return for another run. There are plenty of changes though, like Motivations and Tags that can influence Free Agent negotiations, the new Free Agency Hub, and new Scouting features for a more “efficient” process.

Current-gen versions also get FieldSENSE, which offers new control mechanics and branching animation technology for mid-air knockouts and Skill-Based Passing. It sounds all well and good but will this year’s edition finally carry the franchise forward? We’ll have to wait and find out.

Saints Row

Saints Row marks the first mainline title in the series since 2013’s Saints Row 4. However, instead of following the 3^rd Street Saints and fighting aliens, Volition’s newest open-world epic is a reboot. Set in Santa Ileso, it sees The Boss starting out as a grunt for Marshall Defense Industries. Eventually, they work with Neenah and Kevin, disgruntled members of Los Panteros and The Idols, along with entrepreneur Eli to form their own gang.

Don’t let the whole “start-up company” approach fool you though – Saints Row still features plenty of chaos, from establishing businesses to front for illegal activities like heists to sandbox rampages. Customization is more in-depth than ever, starting with The Boss and extending to your fellow gang members, weapons, cars, and much more. With nine districts to explore, tons of side activities (including old favorites like Insurance Fraud), and drop-in/drop-out co-op, Saints Row looks to be a fun time. It releases on August 23^rd for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC and Google Stadia.

Soul Hackers 2

If you’ve been itching for some more Shin Megami Tensei-style gameplay, then Soul Hackers 2 should fill that void. Releasing on August 26^th worldwide for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, and PC, it’s set in the future where two factions of summoners are at war and civilization as a whole is on the decline. After predicting the end of the world, the mysterious Aion sends two agents – Ringo and Figue – to stop it.

Many elements of the franchise – like fusing demons and summoning them in battle – are still a thing here. But each character relies on COMPs with different effects, exploiting enemy weaknesses for Stacks, and then using these for massively damaging attacks. In between exploring dungeons and upgrading COMPs, players will also hangout with different party members, increasing their Soul Level to unlock new abilities.

Destroy All Humans! 2: Reprobed

Following up on the Destroy All Humans! remake from 2020, Destroy All Humans! 2: Reprobed is a remake of Pandemic Studios’ 2006 sequel. Crypto returns, blasting his way through a myriad of locations like Tunguska, Takoshima, Bay City and Solaris. Weapons like the Meteor Strike for calling down meteors and the Burrow Beast which summons an underground monster to consume enemies, are available. Or you could use the flying saucer’s Quantum Deconstructor and Anti-Gravfield to wreak destruction on entire cities.

Abduct humans to upgrade your skills or hop into local split-screen co-op and play through the entire story with a friend. Destroy All Humans! 2: Reprobed arrives on August 30^th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC.

F1 Manager 2022

A proper management simulation for Formula One has been a long time coming but Frontier Developments’ F1 Manager 2022 could be the one. Based on the 2022 Formula One, Formula 2 and Formula 3 Championships, it offers an extensive Career Mode with long-term goals and seasonal targets. As you build up your team, you’ll manage drivers, staff, finances and car design – emphasizing performance or a more balanced approach.

This is in addition to features like a strategy editor for scheduling pit stops and pace, regulation changes that can suddenly emerge, a realistic presentation, and commentators like David Croft, Martin Brundle, and Karun Chandhok. F1 Manager 2022 is out on August 30^th for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, and PC.

The initial plan was to have the game launch in early access before its full release, but Iron Galaxy has decided to skip early access altogether. “The Rumble is good to go, so we’ve decided that we don’t even need Early Access,” the developer writes.

A 36-second trailer was released announcing the release date. The trailer is essentially a series of Twitch streamers playing the game and reacting to its events. Check it out below.

Rumbleverse is a 40-player battle royale, described by studio Iron Galaxy as a Brawler Royale. Focusing entirely on melee combat, Rumbleverse drops players into Grapital City as they fight it out to become the last player standing.

The game features a lot of customization options for players’ characters with hundreds of unique items.

The core gameplay involves, much like any other battle royale, dropping into the map and looking for loot that can be used to fight opponents. The loot in Rumbleverse, rather than being guns, are actually pro-wrestling moves.