By this point, Sumo Leamington and Secret Mode Games‘ Stampede: Racing Royale has made quite an impact. After all, it’s not every day that there is a battle royale kart racer that races onto the tracks promising consistent, quality content all for the price for nothing, but that is exactly what the team behind this game is doing.
“The game is free to play, and our monetization only applies to cosmetics and the Season Pass,” said Paul Hollywood, Development Director of Stampede: Racing Royale. “However, anytime players race, no matter the outcome, they are going to earn soft currency, which can be used to buy things at the shop, and the Season Pass can be earned that way as well.”
A level playing ground for all is not something to take for granted, and that’s exactly what players will be getting with Stampede: Racing Royale, no matter when they decide to join the fun. And the voices of the players matter, as it helps to shape the development of the game in these early stages, and beyond launch as well.
“Part of our philosophy is to bring the community in really early to start getting feedback, and the previous Steam playtests have done just that. It can get brutally honest, but also, anything that is fantastic is recognized straight away. We have already improved the game with feedback from the community, and we want to keep doing that,” added Hollywood.
With each run consisting of three different events that is randomized, players can look forward to competitions that test their racing skills, environmental awareness, and their ability to react to sudden changes. With pickups to contend with and randomized obstacles, trying to survive each round can be a tough challenge if there is an aim to be the last one standing out of 60 racers. The presence of skill-based matchmaking will also keep things competitive.
That said, Stampede: Racing Royale is an accessible experience; just knowing how to accelerate and brake will make completing races easy. Of course, for those who are into advanced techniques, mastering drifting and taking advantage of the slipstream can make all the difference.
It is all brought to life in vibrant color and style, where players are encouraged to show off their personalities by changing costumes and detailing their karts. More options are already in the works to augment the selection when Early Access begins on November 2, and players can even expect more varied karts that can appeal to different kinds of racing styles.
For players who are eager to get behind the wheel, the Stampede: Racing Royale Steam Playtests are set to begin soon once more. Time to get the engine running and put the pedal to the metal.
