Dropzone Adds #1 Player-Requested Feature; Real-Time Strategy/MOBA Mashup Moving to Free-to-Play

Dropzone, a competitive multiplayer PC game developed by Sparkypants Studios and published by Gameforge, today added much-requested new game modes and announced an upcoming transition to free-to-play. The number one community-requested feature Team 3v3 is an accessible new mode that streamlines gameplay for new players and anyone seeking a more team-based experience. And for seasoned Dropzone veterans, Ranked Draft 1v1 is a new mode built to intensify competition at the highest levels of play. The biggest change arrives the following week on Wednesday, April 12th, when Dropzone transitions from a paid title to a free-to-play experience available to anyone with a Steam account. These new modes are joined by ongoing performance, balancing and game polish improvements, and leading into the free-to-play transition, the Squad Edition and Commander Edition content bundles are available at a substantial discount. Dropzone is a hybrid of Real-Time Strategy (RTS) and Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) action, available now via Steam Early Access.

“Debuting on Steam has been a tremendous experience for the development team, giving us the chance to engage directly with our player community and incorporate their feedback into new modes and features,” said Jason Coleman, President, Sparkypants. “Ever since the game’s initial concept design, Dropzone was built to be a free-to-play game, and we’ve worked with publisher Gameforge over the past year to create a game that’s balanced and accessible for a wide range of gamers.”

Team 3v3 Mode leads today’s major game update, the top feature requested by both new and longstanding players. With friends and on teams, players can control a single unit rather than all three Rigs at once, experiencing the pulse-pounding intensity of Dropzone while wielding the attacks and abilities of just one unit. For advanced players who are multitasking masters, Ranked Draft 1v1 is a new competitive mode where Pilot, Rig and Gear choices will be critical during the drafting phase prior to the start of each match, adding to the game’s meta-strategy. Additional features include a new Party System to join up with friends for back-to-back skirmishes and in-game chat as well as Multi-queuing to streamline matchmaking. To deliver a flexible, customized player experience, Dropzone features a wide variety of modes including competitive 1v1, 2v2 and 3v3 battles, PvP and PvE, custom maps, single player gameplay against AI and a cooperative wave-based Infestation mode.

“We’ve been blown away by the Sparkypants team’s dedication to refining their game with player feedback, and we can’t wait to share it with a huge new audience of RTS and MOBA fans around the world,” said Christopher Sturr, Director – North America Publishing & Marketing, Gameforge. “Dropzone is one of the most polished, feature-rich, content-filled and well-balanced F2P games we’ve seen in Early Access, and the move to free-to-play will bolster the community even further.”

RTS deconstructed, Dropzone’s action is distilled down to accessible 15-minute skirmishes. It’s the first new game IP from the seasoned RTS veterans at developer Sparkypants Studios whose past titles include Rise of Nations, Civilization II, Alpha Centauri. Published by Gameforge, Dropzone combines classic elements of Real-Time Strategy, such as controlling the map, commanding multiple units and juggling shifting objectives, while mixing in the intense online competitive play of MOBAs. With a mix of overarching strategy and split decisions, players will utilize tactical positioning, powerful abilities and in-game leveling in each escalating match.

To celebrate this milestone, a variety of deep discounts are available now and for a limited time only, running Wednesday, April 5 through Tuesday, April 11. This marks the last chance for players to purchase these content-rich bundles at these discounted prices, which include exclusive in-game content, the official soundtrack, digital art book and more. Deals include:

• SQUAD Edition bundle is 50% off — $9.99 down from $19.99
• COMMANDER Edition bundle is 55% off — $17.99 down from $39.99
• COMMANDER DLC upgrade is 30% off — $14.00 down from $20.00

All existing players will have their account migrated to the new free-to-play version of Dropzone, with all progress, rankings, unlocks and upgrades retained.

Learn more about the details of the new updates and changes in The State of Dropzone blog post from Jason Coleman and the Dropzone Team, and watch a video from Coleman below