Playground and Duos mode revealed for Rumbleverse launch, out August 11

Hey PlayStation Nation! The launch of Rumbleverse — the free-to-play, 40-person brawler — is nearly here! On August 11 the Battle Barge will officially open its slipway to all Rumblers as a free download on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. Get ready; this is the start of your exciting career as a Rumbler!  

You’re invited to Grapital City, where everyone lives for the fight and dreams of becoming a champion. Create your unique fighter and prepare to be shot out of a cannon, where you and 39 other contestants are launched into the streets of Grapital City to rumble. Dash through streets and scale buildings in search of upgrades, found on every corner and rooftop in the city. Then pick a fight, flex your moves, knock out your opponents, and be the last Rumbler standing.

So, what’s new for launch?

Introducing Duos Mode

We really enjoyed watching you all strive to be a Solo Mode champion during our playtest sessions. The fun really begins on August 11th, when Duos Mode goes live. Fight side by side with a friend, share loot, protect each other, and win together! 

Duos Mode takes all the moment-to-moment gameplay you know and love from our Solo Brawler Royale experience and twists it into something brand new.  Every situation takes on a new set of strategic questions for you and your partner to answer. Want to risk landing on a hotspot like the Trophy Heights Water Tower to get all that loot?  If one of you gets thrown off, the other will be left without backup, raising the stakes. Want to move and loot together? If you stay too close, you’ll be collecting and sharing one player’s worth of items.  If you separate too much, you may be vulnerable to sneak attacks from aggressive Duos that leave you outnumbered.

In Duos Mode, you start with only eight slots for your stats, and a bit less Max Health than you do when you play alone. Additionally, you won’t have access to the Superstar Comeback system. If your teammate gets eliminated, you will get additional Max Health and Stat Slots awarded to you to help keep you in the fight.  Don’t worry though, as running out of Health in Duos mode won’t KO you right away.

If your teammate runs out of health, they’ll be Downed and in need of Help. To Help your teammate, simply stand near them and press the Interact button (Circle) to cheer them back to their feet. You’ll have 30 seconds to do so, but if your teammate is Downed again, you’ll get progressively less time to help them. Sounds simple?  It is… until enemy teams are hovering over your friend trying to stop you.  Try using the Vicious Blast (hold Triangle) or activating your Superstar Mode to push opponents away from your friend, and then help them up as quickly as you can. As a bonus, if you attempt to help a teammate while Superstar Mode is activated, you’ll help them up twice as fast.

Communication and teamwork are the key to victory. Share items. Go for complimentary builds. Help each other when enemies are attacking. You can knock your teammates down, but you won’t hurt them (unless water is involved). If you want a real thrill, try tossing an enemy into the air and letting your teammate connect a follow-up attack.  Create the team combos of your dreams and get your fans really amped up.

Introducing Playground Mode

Want to explore the city at your own pace and perfect your moves? Looking for a few lessons on how to play before you launch head-first out of a giant cannon?  Check out our free roam experience, Playground Mode. The city will be fully open to explore. Seek out training modules in different neighborhoods to learn gameplay lessons. Spar with the high-tech robots to help you unlock your inner champion. Explore on your own or with a friend. Enjoy Grapital City at your own speed. 

You can join a Playground server alone or with a friend.  If you bring a friend, you won’t be paired as a team.  This will allow you to fight each other or create your own fun in a multitude of ways.  If you are eliminated while you are in Playground, you can press the Option button to respawn nearby.

Press Option to open the map screen and see the locations and topic names for all the lessons scattered around the city, as well as the locations of the Equip Up zones. You can also toggle Combat Mode on or off using the map screen.  If you toggle Combat Mode off, you can still interact with our robot training dummies, but other players will not be able to bother you.  When you arrive at a lesson location, you can use the training monitors to pop-up lessons. There are 8 topic locations with a huge variety of lessons to read.  Learn at your own pace; there is no need to read everything in one visit.

Seek out an Equip Up zone if you want to mess around with any of the items that the Rumble has to offer. Here, you can find every special move in the game, as well as every weapon and every consumable.  And all of them will respawn! Try out everything to your heart’s content. Or just bring a friend and do foot races across the wide open city. Play it your way! 

Season One begins on August 18  

You’ll have one week to warm up, stretch out, and practice your favorite super moves for the main event. Season One kicks off on August 18! The Season One Battle Pass is packed with 100 rewards you’ll unlock by earning Fame and progressing your Rumbler’s career. Rewards include accessories and accessory sets to customize your look, Title Cards, emotes, and more. Be sure to customize your Title Card on the Career page. Opponents you eliminate will get a glimpse of all the training you’ve put in.

You’ll be able to purchase the Battle Pass from the shop for 1,000 Brawla Bills, Rumbleverse’s in-game currency. To sweeten the deal, completing the Battle Pass will earn you 1,500 Brawla Bills. It looks like someone skipped math class for leg day, folks. 

We’re not just launching a game — we’re beginning a journey. Stay tuned for a steady stream of updates, special events, and new ways to rumble.  The wait is almost over. The Rumble calls you. Will you answer?