Bombergrounds is a fluffy F2P mix of Bomberman and Battle Royale

I'm pretty sure that adding the label “Battle Royale” to your game nowadays isn't going to do it any favors. But here we are, with the upcoming Bombergrounds: Battle Royale promising to breathe new life into the genre.

The developers at Gigantic Duck Games are working on this game, with a PC and Mac beta planned for August 2019. It promises massive battles with up to 50 players using bombs and power-ups for total chaos. The inspiration is obvious: the Bomberman games from Hudson Soft.

It's a cutesy overload as fluffy animals are battling with whatever means they have. Cats, pandas, bunnies and surely a lot more critters will be a part of Bombergrounds: Battle Royale. It reminds me of another Battle Royale game, one that is accurately called Super Animal Royale.

Bombergrounds allows for solo and group modes, where you can play with up to five friends. While the initial focus is the Battle Royale mode – the title gives it away, anyway – the developers hint at other game modes after launch. The release is planned for Q1 2020 and it will be free-to-play, with planned support for Android and iOS devices further along.

Speaking of free-to-play, we are promised a “completely honest” version where everyone can play. Cosmetics will be available for purchase, but nothing of those pay-to-win items. Battle Passes are planned, a feature that no current online game seems to do without.

Watch the official gameplay below to get a good idea on what to expected. Can you already feel those Bomberman vibes, with all the bombs and chain explosions going on? I can see some of the matches not lasting longer than a few minutes, so it should be a good game for a quick session.

The official website is where you can sign up for the upcoming beta.