Chess meets fighting games in Checkmate Showdown, a brand new co-developed title by indie studios ManaVoid Entertainment and BadRez Games. The game was officially announced today during the OTK Games Expo, where viewers were treated to an explosive Announcement Trailer. The teams also took the opportunity to launch a new Kickstarter campaign to help bring the game to the next level.
Inspired by the rising popularity of chessboxing, competitive chess streaming and the new golden age of fighting games, Checkmate Showdown is an online multiplayer competitive game mixing the strategical elegance of chess with the fast-paced execution of fighting games.Through its innovative dual-leveled gameplay, it will truly challenge players to a competition of mind and spirit.
Developed by a team of passionate fighting game players, Checkmate Showdown will feature the standard elements all fighting game enthusiasts expect with a robust combo system and a tight-knit combat approach that rewards skill over button mashing.
The game is currently slated for a PC release, with consoles (PS4/5, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch) to be considered depending on Kickstarter or publishing funding.
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Key features:
- True Test of Strategy & Skill: Checkmate Showdown will require the player to master a broad set of skills to become the best. Learn strategies for the board and elaborate combos for the fights to make your way to the top.
- Tactical Fighting Decision-Making: As each chess piece corresponds to a fighting game archetype, the choice of attacking with one or the other will be crucial. Strategize on the board but stay flexible as you’ll never know which type of fighter might come your way!
- Strong competition system: Checkmate Showdown is made by a team of hardcore fighting game enthusiasts who understand the importance of competition in fighting games. The game aims to feature the most up-to-date matchmaking technology and balancing to allow for friendly (or not!) competition.
- Community at Heart: Based in the center of Montreal, the development team thrives from its proximity to the local fighting game community. The game is made by fighting game enthusiasts for fighting game enthusiasts.
About ManaVoid Entertainment
Founded in 2014, ManaVoid creates video games that mix genres, themes and popular mechanics in order to create innovative and unique experiences. After launching Rainbow Billy: The Curse of the Leviathan to critical acclaim (84 Metacritic) in 2021, the team is also currently working on a roguelike city-builder titled Roots of Yggdrasil alongside Checkmate Showdown.
About BadRez Games
Founded by Mathias Theys and Jon Cote, BadRez Games is born from their shared love of fighting games but also from the realization that the genre has mechanically not evolved at the same pace as other genres. Checkmate Showdown follows this direction and aims to offer a more strategically complex competitive game than other fighting games while delivering a sensational fighting game experience!