Fast paced naval tactical combat awaits those who are brave enough to jump into the water’s of Maelstrom, Gunpowder Games new fantasy free on Steam open beta release.
After being in early access since April 2018, Maelstrom has seen a plethora of changes with thousands of players participating during the period. During this time the developers added many new features, polished others, and integrated feedback from players. In the process Maelstrom is also making the switch from a premium to a free-to-play title.
No disruption of service is expected during the free-to-play transition. Existing players can continue playing the game by allowing Steam to update and patch the game. Players who supported the game during the March 2018 Kickstarter and those who purchased the game during early access will receive a reward package filled with exclusive items that will be granted automatically upon logging into the game.
The game itself features naval combat with magic and monsters all set in a fantasy world. Presented in third person, action and strategy are deployed by players who captain a warship of orcs, dwarves, or humans. As players set sail on the turbulent Abyssal Ocean they will engage others online in battle royale based on multiplayer, solo, or with friends in free for all matches.
Warships are customizable with handpicked captain, crew, and equipment that offer a wide range of special advantages. Each ship has its own unique features and play style. The look of each can be customized using the new cosmetics system the features, ship skins, cannon tracers, wind trailers, lifeboat, and titles.
When engaging battle players will need to watch the angle of their canons and keep their strongest armor facing the enemy. At the same time they will need to avoid the various dangerous sea monsters such as the leviathans lurking in the Dead Waters.
Each battle begins on the outskirts of an ocean filled with fog banks, currents, maelstroms, and monsters. Sinking NPC ships or other warships allows players to collect treasure and powerups that grant significant combat bonuses until the end of the battle. All players receive rewards based on the gold collected during the battle, bounties claimed by sinking other ships, and survival time.
After battle players will want to see what new upgrades they can purchase with gold. Maybe a new crew or even a captain. Crews can be upgraded allowing them to become more powerful with new skills. Captains provide a unique signature special ability that can quickly change the game at a moment’s notice.
In addition Maelstrom features a medal system that rewards players for thrilling gameplay moments. The new matchmaking system enforces fair matches with players of similar strength and orneriness. Daily bonus rewards and epic quests are available in the new quest system giving players something to always chase.
As development continues, Maelstrom will continues to receive updates with events and additional content. A development road map located on the Steam store page witch outlines Release II and Release III phases. Release II includes an undead fleet with 3 new ships, captains, and mates along with duels, leaderboards, clans, voice acting, and more. Release III includes an unnamed fleet and holdout game mode.
Maelstrom transitions to a free-to-play title September 19, 2019 and is free on Steam. The latest information about the game can be found on the Gunpowder Games Maelstrom Discord.
Gunpowder Games (@GPG_Maelstrom Twitter) is an game development studio founded by industry veterans who have worked on games including Company of Heroes, Warhammer 40k Dawn of War, Overwatch, League of Legends, Destiny, Metal Gear Solid V and Deadpool.
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