Hanako: Honor and Blade, a passion project from Indie Developer, +Mpact Games, is going free to play starting December 10th!
+MPACT Games consists of a small team who have worked together for 14 years. Having launched their passion project game, driven by emotions for lost loved ones. Hanako: Honor and Blade launched back in September of 2021. Since then, it has been decided that the best course forward in their action-packed, fast-paced samurai multiplayer game is to lower the barrier to entry entirely to allow gamers to play the game for free!
On December 10th, Hanako: Honor and Blade goes free to play on Steam. Team Lead, Matt Canei, was excited to share “When we launched Hanako back in September, we knew we had a lot of challenges to grow a multiplayer game with essentially no budget, and a tiny five person team doing this in our free time. After a slow start, we decided to remove the barrier to entry to the game entirely, and allow people to try it at-will for free. We feel we’ve made a AAA-quality indie game and it deserves far more than we’re able to with such limited resources. So we’re going forward with free-to-play with a lot more to come…”
Debuting with the games switch to a free to play model, is the game’s first post-launch update, adding 25 new items, including the rainbow/neon Unicorn bundle, as well as a few new community-feedback driven improvements:
- Hit detection improvements.
- New “rip out” animations for basic melee attacks.
- New ability/combo counter and hit effects system to make hits more impactful.
- Dozens of bug fixes, crash fixes and other smaller improvements.
+MPACT Games plans to immediately begin public testing of ‘Samurai Royale’ mode, which is the developer’s take on battle royale, after the game goes free to play on December 10th. This could be a fascinating addition to the fast-paced melee game, introducing a new map for the mode too. Other additions to the development roadmap include challenge/unlock mechanics and more, depending on how the game grows.
The game’s dedication is to remember those lost to cancer and Team Lead Matt Canei had this to say. “We created Hanako: Honor & Blade to help us cope with the loss of loved ones through cathartic samurai multiplayer combat representing life and destruction,” said Matt Canei, Team Lead at +Mpact Games. “I know my mother would be proud, and I want to thank our community for sharing the journey with us. I wish all of you strength in your battles—in the game and in life.”
Hanako: Honor & Blade puts players in immersive online battles, in a beautiful recreation of Feudal Japan. In games of up-to 24 players, play as one of four distinct warrior classes including the capable swordsman, powerful spearman, eagle-eyed archer, or nimble ninja. Each class has different build/skill options and features directionally driven combat, abilities, and spirit-based skills to get an extra edge. Playing as one of two clans, seek to defeat opponents through multiple game modes and maps. Each game level presenting unique obstacles and mechanics that will require strategy and teamwork to defeat enemies.
Hanako: Honor and Blade Key Features
- Epic online battles set in Feudal Japan with up to 24 players
- A symbolic struggle between the forces of life and death
- Five game modes with unique features, including Team Deathmatch Battle, Capture the Scroll, Village Siege, Castle Raid, and new Duel mode
- Directional-driven combat that encourages strategy and precision
- Four distinct warrior classes with different skill options for multiple playstyles
- Dynamic environment changes
- Unique character customization options (50+ items available for purchase)
- Immersive audio and orchestral soundtrack
+MPACT
“Hanako: Honor & Blade is developed and self-published by +Mpact Games. The game is available on PC via Steam, A Founder’s Pack that grants all purchasable items now and in the future will remain available for $24.99. To stay up to date on the game, please join the Discord at discord.playhanako.com and follow us at @PlayHanako, facebook.com/playhanako, and twitch.tv/hanakogame.”
