The multiplayer melee battle experience Hanako: Honor & Blade is all set to go free-to-play starting this Friday, December 10. This is a bit surprising considering that the game was only released this September. Then again, it should be good news to those who don’t want to spend $14.99 on a game.
In a statement, Team Lead Matt Canei shared that when they first launched the game, they knew they had to face a lot of challenges to grow it. He added that despite a slow start, the whole team made a decision to remove the barrier to play the game and let people try it for free.
Canei went on to say that one of the reasons why they created the game was to help them cope with the loss of loved ones. He said that he knows his mother would be proud and thanked everyone in the community.
Going free-to-play isn’t the only thing happening on December 10. Developer +MPACT Games is also releasing the first post-launch update. It’s set to add 25 new items like the rainbow/neon Unicorn bundle. There’s also the different community-feedback driven improvements:
- Hit detection improvements.
- New “rip out” animations for basic melee attacks.
- New ability/combo counter and hit effects system to make hits more impactful.
- Dozens of bug fixes, crash fixes, and other smaller improvements.
As if that’s not enough, players can also look forward to the public testing of Samurai Royale mode. This is the game’s take on the popular battle royale genre. It comes with a new map, challenge/unlock mechanics, and even other roadmap items.
Hanako: Honor & Blade is a multiplayer online game where players are taken to Feudal Japan. Each match allows a maximum of 24 players choosing different classes like the swordsman, spearman, archer, or ninja. Each class comes with different builds/skills and features directionally driven combat, abilities, as well as spirit-based skills. Key features of the game are:
- A symbolic struggle between the forces of life and death.
- Five game modes with unique features:
- Team deathmatch Battle
- Capture the Scroll
- Village Siege
- Castle Raid
- Duel mode
- Dynamic environment changes.
- Unique character customization options (50+ items available for purchase).
- Immersive audio and orchestral soundtrack.
Get the Hanako: Honor & Blade on Steam here.
