Russian developers from Stage23 and Inpleron LTD have initiated open testing of an online shooter that blends high-intensity action with a unique battle royale format. The project is described as the world’s first Bullet Hell Royale, merging the relentless purges of bullet hell dynamics with a top-down perspective that keeps players constantly aware of the battlefield around them. The result is a fresh take on competitive play where precision, reflexes, and strategic positioning collide in a saturated firefight environment.
The setting situates competitors in an alternate 1980s universe, a stylized backdrop that fuels the atmosphere with retro-futuristic vibes and neon-heavy visuals. Players spawn into a sprawling map alongside 26 other contenders, all aiming to outlast each other. Victory hinges not only on accuracy and timing but also on ongoing character growth, equipment upgrades, and savvy choices that influence survivability as the circle tightens and the tempo of combat accelerates.
There is a roster of five playable characters, each endowed with distinctive abilities and a branching progression system. These design choices promise a wide array of viable builds, encouraging players to experiment with different combos that suit their playstyle. The developers emphasize depth of customization, ensuring that encounters feel varied and rewarding across multiple matchups and stages of progression.
The game has already launched its first season, introducing a battle pass that provides cosmetic enhancements for heroes and weapons, including skins, emotes, and a range of other visual upgrades. This season-long structure is designed to reward consistent participation and strategic investment in customizations that signal a player’s progress and dedication within the game’s evolving meta.
Dominance is offered as a free-to-play title on Steam, making the title accessible to a broad audience in North America and beyond. The experience is complemented by a modernized, first-person mod for The Witcher 3 next-gen edition, which showcases the community’s appetite for cross-pollination of game experiences and the ongoing interest in experimenting with different visual and gameplay perspectives. This mod highlights how creative communities push boundaries and extend the life of existing titles while exploring new modes of interaction and engagement.
In the broader context of online shooters, the project reflects trends toward hybrid genres that combine rapid-fire action with roguelike or battle-royale pacing, inviting players to master both the micro-skills of gunplay and the macro-strategy of build optimization. The developers emphasize ongoing content updates, balance patches, and community-driven feedback as essential elements that will shape the game’s trajectory. Players can anticipate evolving character trees, additional skins, and new environmental challenges as the title expands through future seasons and experiments with different play modes. While the concept remains rooted in competitive play, the experience strives to deliver a more forgiving yet deeply rewarding learning curve for newcomers and veterans alike, encouraging experimentation and adaptation as the meta shifts over time. [VG Times]