Bloodline Champions was an impeccably well balanced, team orientated arena brawler that featured a unique cast of characters, skill based fighting and enough depth to keep even the most hardcore of players invested. Nowadays, mostly due to publisher greed and some unfortunate timing, it has become a ghost town of poorly executed microtransactions and power creep.

However, not all is lost as Stunlock Studios (the folks behind the original Bloodline Champions) are now making a spiritual successor by the name of Battlerite. Here's the trailer, and if you've ever played BLC prepare to be excited beyond measure:

As you can see, the developers have oh-so-subtly copied their designs from Bloodline Champions in to Battlerite, this time around without all of the pesky balance-shattering elements. Most importantly, they have confirmed that the Ranid Assassin, my favorite champion and nominee for most annoying character in the world, will be present in Battlerite! He might be a frog instead of a sneaky looking voodoo-Leprechaun but I think I'll find it in my heart to forgive them for that.

The Ranid Frogsassin

I've talked a lot about Bloodline Champions, but what exactly is Battlerite? It is a team focused arena brawler where two teams of players go head to head in short and intense matches that are decided by pure skill. There are no random elements, no lucky crits to finish off enemies, or 1% dodges to turn around games. Its just you, your wide array of abilities, and the way you use them in tandem with your friends that will decide matches.

Each character is completely unique and brings with it their own style of play, meaning that even after playing for 50+ hours as I did you will still discover new ways to master your favorites. I mostly played as the Ranid Assassin, whose battle style involves constant mobility, invisibility and high bursts of damage, with the main downside being his extremely low amount of health and general durability issue.

Combine that sort of character design and balance with matches that house 6 players (3v3), and you've got yourself a game that is rather simple to pick up and play but infinitely complex and almost impossible to master. What this means is that even if you play the same characters day in, day out the game won't become boring or repetitive as there is always some new permutation to account for.

Battle of Mount Araz - the only arena announced so far

There is currently no release date available for Battlerite, but you can sign up for the beta which should be coming in the near future. 

If you're a fan of skill based multiplayer games I fully, fully recommend you keep an eye on Battlerite because Bloodline Champions, back in its heyday, was that good and if Battlerite ends up being an evolution of the concept then only the sky is the limit.