Steel Circus Early Access begins with new desert-based arena

The Steel Circus Early Access begins today as publisher Oasis Games and developer Iron Mountain Interactive open the doors to this futuristic arena sports game. Rocket League and Mario Strikers are two references for the developers, but it's clear that Speedball 2 also plays a big part in the design of the game.

Steel Circus offers fast-paced and vicious 3v3 matches with no rules – you have to score by all means possible, even if it means shooting and tackling your opponent. You have six champions to pick during Early Access, with two arenas available. The first one is set in a futuristic city while the second is based in a desert region.

Steel Circus is the kind of game that is easy to play but hard to master. Each champion comes with its own set of stats and two different abilities, making players consider each one carefully according to their roles and playstyles. Some champions are fast but weak, while others are strong but slow to move in the arena.  A perfectly balanced team is mandatory, especially considering that a team can't replay one champion – you have to pick the ones that remain available.

While Steel Circus still has a long way to go to reach the heights of classic Speedball 2, it's a fun game with tons of potential. You'll have to get to grips with the passing system before you can fully enjoy it, because this is a mechanic that requires accuracy and timing to pass or shoot.

As the Steel Circus Early Access begins on Steam, initial reviews seem quite favorable to its mix of sports and brawling. Being free-to-play, Steel Circus just needs a decent player base to become one of the virtual futuristic sports of choice.

The initial plan is for Steel Circus to move out of Early Access and into the official release in 2020. You can read our Steel Circus early alpha impressions here.