smashmuck-champions
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The gentlemen of Smashmuck talk champion design
Smashmuck Champions has a pretty diverse roster of characters, and it took a crazy group of mad scientists to assemble such a motley crew. It has everything from a robotic pop diva to an alien riding a velociraptor. Everything from the appearance to the gameplay of each character is fairly wild and unique, and it's clear that the design team goes out of its way to create avatars that are "not just another frost archer." I sat down with the design team for the game, including Kiz Studios art director Allen White, lead designer Ben Rodgers, and lead developer Jacob Schieck. In-between the jokes (these are some funny guys), we had a pretty deep discussion about the wacky designs and what the team looks for when making a character.
Smashmuck Champions has a new champ, arena, controller support
If you're a Smashmuck Champions player, today's a good day because Kiz Studios has released a "mega-update with new champs, a new spooky arena, and -- answering the calls of fans -- controller support." A company press release has the details which include Kovax Nobo, a champ designed live by fans at PAX Prime. Oh, and there's also the Tesla Turret skill-swap, too. We've embedded two preview videos after the break. One focuses on Kovax while the other is a general patch update. [Source: Kiz Studios press release]
Smashmuck Champions now on Steam Early Access
If you were intrigued by our hands-on with new MOBA Smashmuck Champions at PAX Prime last week, we've got good news. The title is now available via Steam's early access program, according to a Kiz press release. The "program helps to further Kiz's commitment to open development, bringing the fans and players into the creation process to tweak, refine, and suggest new ideas that are incorporated into the game," the company says. Smashmuck Champions is free-to-play. You can view an announcement video after the break. [Source: Kiz press release]
PAX Prime 2013: I played Smashmuck Champions and it was golden
There were some pretty great games at this year's PAX Prime, but if there's one new game I played that I couldn't wait to go home and install, it was Smashmuck Champions. Currently in open beta, the game features a MOBA-like control scheme combined with faster-paced arena action. The guys at the booth joked about how they hated the term MOBA, but there are few games that fit the term "multiplayer online battle arena" better than Smashmuck. Allen White, art director for the game, led me through the matches. He was a pretty big help, answering all of my questions while I stomped all over the other con-goers. Unlike the typical MOBA, Smashmuck has a low barrier of entry, a lot of game modes, and an easy learning curve, and it's just plain lots of fun. You're doing yourself a disservice by not installing the game right now.
PAX 2013: Hands-on with Smashmuck Champions
MOBAs are all the rage these days, with dozens of the things cropping up like weeds in my neglected back yard. As a result, it can be hard for me to pay attention to all of them, and with new ones being announced on what seems like a monthly basis, it's hard to figure out which ones are worth keeping an eye on and which ones can be safely relegated to the realm of ignorance, so as a result I tend to just shrug and say, "Oh, another MOBA," and carry on with my life. But then came Smashmuck Champions. The bizarrely named game was probably my surprise hit of this year's PAX East convention, largely because I had absolutely no expectations when I walked up to the booth. "Another MOBA," I figured, "that's going to play the exact same as every other one (and that I'm going to suck at, also just like every other one)." Yawn. Man, was I wrong (about the first bit, anyway). Kiz Studios, the studio behind this new entry into the multiplayer online battle arena... well, arena, has taken the tower-attacking, top-mid-bottom-ganking, minion-farming genre made famous by games such as DotA and League of Legends and turned it on its head. Sure, the general MOBA feel is still there, but it's definitely not like any MOBA I've seen before. But as we all know, "different" doesn't necessarily equate to "good," so why don't you click past the cut and find out whether Smashmuck Champions is worth your time?
New MOBA SmashMuck Champions fights its way into closed beta this month
Watch out, MOBA fans: A new challenger has appeared! Indie game developer Kiz Studios announced in a press release today that its upcoming MOBA title, SmashMuck Champions, is set to enter closed beta this month. Of course, if you're anything like us, you're probably wondering what the heck a SmashMuck Champions is. According to the game's official site, the title is "a free-to-play action/strategy game featuring online multiplayer combat" in which players "build and train their own SmashMuck teams... to do battle in the toughest sport on Planet Muck." Gameplay-wise, the game seems to be your standard MOBA with a few not-so-standard twists. The addition of persistent champion gear plus interesting new mechanics such as stat-boosting training routines aim to put a new spin on the old formula. But hey, you don't have to take our word for it. The game will be entering closed beta testing on May 27th, so if you're a MOBA fan looking for a new thrill, just head on over to the game's official site and sign up for yourself. Oh, and while you're at it, don't forget to check out the game's latest official trailer after the cut. [Source: Kiz Studios press release] %Gallery-155368%
