[Update]: Battlerite developers are working on a new open world vampire game - V Rising.

As you would assume from the name alone, Battlerite Royale is taking Battlerite's skillshot-focused gameplay away from the relatively small arenas and into the wide-open world filled with new items to loot, abilities to acquire and upgrade, as well as enemies to clobber over the head with said abilities. A fairly simple concept, but there is a great deal of depth to it given that it's all based around Battlerite's excellent combat system.

That said, if you're wondering how all of this translates into gameplay, as well as what the new map looks like, allow me to share with you the recently posted launch trailer. It's not exactly long, but it will give you a pretty good idea of what to expect from Battlerite Royale, so check it out:

I've only played for about an hour so take my opinions with a grain of salt, but so far I've been having a blast with Battlerite Royale. The new map is gorgeous to explore while never being so large you can't find enemies to fight, the addition of items forces constant brawls so each game is relatively short, and the numerous consumable items really shake up the already established Battlerite meta. Naturally there are some annoying issues, most notably when it comes to how stronger ranged heroes are in the very early game, but it's nothing that can't be fixed through a couple of patches.

So if you're a fan of Battlerite, or Battle Royale games in general, you should at least give Battlerite Royale a closer look. As for whether it's actually worth buying while it's this early in Steam Early Access, that will depend entirely on how much you're willing to endure balance problems and bugs in order to play it ahead of everyone else and have a chance to help shape its development.

You can learn more about Battlerite Royale, as well as grab yourself a copy, by heading over to Steam. Have fun!