Once a rising star in Steam‘s Early Access scene, Hi-Rez Studio‘s quirky fantasy hero shooter battle royale Realm Royale saw its initial flame sputter out leading to a shutdown in early 2020. However, publisher Heroic Leap Games remarkably revived the property months later – rebranding it as the open alpha Realm Royale Reforged.
While rebuilding Realm Royale from the ground up, Heroic Leap rolled out consistent patches addressing stability while dropping new content to avoid the original‘s pitfall of stagnation. These substantial version updates aimed to polish presentation and mechanics while experimenting with fresh ideas, cementing Reforged’s identity.
Now having hit its stride establishing Realm Royale’s signature explosive hybrid gunplay and spell-slinging engagements, Heroic Leap pushes the envelope further with their biggest and boldest patch yet – Patch 6. This power-packed update realizes long-requested features and delivers incredibly ambitious additions that has even jaded former fans registering to drop back into the enchanted battlegrounds of Everfrost.
Let’s dive right in and break down exactly why Patch 6 has me more excited for Realm Royale’s future than ever before!
An Entirely New Realm – Time-Shattered Island
Easily the crown jewel headlining Patch 6 is the magnificent new 40-player map dubbed ‘Time Shattered Island’ replacing Realm Royale‘s existing one. Veteran players can look forward to reworked versions of classic areas like the Spirit Tree and Lockwood Lumberyard with a fresh coat of paint.
However, the majority of Time-Shattered comprises of completely original locales like the subterranean Caverns of Icewind and the mysterious ruins of Sanctuary where players can uncover fragments of Realm‘s rich lore not seen before. Having explored every inch in my 20 hours since the patch dropped, I can confidently say the environmental art and imaginative layout never fails to impress!
My favorite hot drop spot so far has to be Cloud Keep – an ornate celestial fortress hovering among the backdrop of stars. It hosts intense room-to-room skirmishes through vividly decorated halls before emerging atop an open-air tower nest overlook where the entire island unfolds beneath your feet for sniper duels. Moments like these truly sell Realm Royale’s unique flavor.
However, the most gameplay-defining feature TIME-Shattered introduces are absolutely the sporadically scattered teleporters linking key points of interest. These apparatuses fundamentally reshape engagement strategies, now allowing for unprecedented flanks and re-positions mid-fight. Skilled sharpshooters can even pull off stylish assassination plays sniping a target on one end of the map before instantly teleporting next to hapless teammates.
We also can’t gloss over the new dynamic event system programmed to trigger a rotating suite of conditions keeping each match unpredictable. Round kickstarters range from sudden reveals of future circle locations or loot pinata zeppelins to more chaotic shakes like Everyone Skydives Again forcing rapid improvisations reminiscent of Apex Legends. It all contributes to matches feeling markedly more dynamic and full of “wow, that just happened!” moments streamers will undoubtedly eat up.
Now no map would be complete without hidden details for the diehard fans. Time-Shattered overflows with subtle environmental storytelling alluding to significant wars or figures influencing Realm’s history for attentive travelers to piece together. I even spotted what looks like the crest used by one of the original knightly classes teased before being axed pre-launch.
While Texture streaming issues currently causes occasional unsightly blurring that should smooth over in subsequent hotfixes, Time-Shattered Island is without a doubt Realm Reforged’s new crown jewel that decisively sets it apart aesthetically and gameplay-wise from its contemporaries.
Competitive Revamp – A Proving Ground For Legends
Patch 6 also debuts a separate competitive playlist strictly reserved for the Realm’s elite forces with no bots and strict skill tracking. Competitive completely does away with the casual mode’s looser matchmaking in favor of similarly-skilled foes, closer mirroring tier-based ranked systems established by the likes of Overwatch or Valorant.
This ensures evenly matched skill tests come the climatic final circles rather than lopsided stomps – a frustrating norm I commonly encountered queuing solo in casual playlists. Competitive will undoubtedly better cater to talented squads chasing leaderboard glory through the divisions advancing from Bronze up through Mythril. Placement matches starting accounts around your appropriate level cuts down on smurfing issues dragging down ranked integrity seen elsewhere.
The tradeoff however are undeniably longer wait times attributed to drawing from a substantially smaller pool of eligible players. Personally I’ve experienced an average of 8 minute queues as a Gold II DPS main. Rank disparity restrictions can also hinder playing with casual friends. Still, I firmly believe the competitive realm provides fairer evaluations of gunplay mastery absent gear gaps or statistical mismatches.
Competitive Mode may not be for everyone, but should finally offer the hardcore Realm Royale community the exclusive platform they’ve demanded to fully immerse themselves separate from those looking to casually wind down after school or work against less seasoned foes. For viewers, it enables easier tracking of rising talents climbing the ladders amidst similarly figured competition.
Ancient Weapons Shake Up Combat Dynamics
Joining the ever-expanding armory comes a new “Ancient Weapons” class boasting legendary artifacts packing unique game-changing effects, often at the cost of limited ammo invoking risk vs. reward dilemmas.
The standout thus far for me has easily been the Ancient Longsword granting a huge 50% movespeed bonus on hit to enable absolute chase-down potential against fleeing injured targets. However, said buff only lasts a brief 5 seconds with an 8 second cooldown period where I found myself extraordinarily vulnerable. This essentially mandates landing an elim within that window or quickly finding cover to avoid getting gunned down in the open fields without an escape option if I misplay a dive.
Statistical analyses from top players project sustained aggression with Ancient Weapons allow extremely snowball-prone carries but likely reserved for the upper echelons able to fully optimize strengths due to steep mastery requirements. Their constrained ammo counts definitely limits perpetual usage viability for average players.
Below are confirmed changes to base weapon attributes influenced by the new Ancient rarity tier as per Patch 6 notes:
| Weapon | Before Patch | After Patch | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Longsword | N/A | 50% Movespeed on hit; 20s cooldown | N/A |
| Shotgun | 200 dmg per shell at Epic | +25 dmg at Ancient; 25 ammo | 12.5% buff |
| Sniper | 23 dmg body/90 dmg head at Legendary | 33 dmg body/110 dmg head at Ancient | 43%/22% buff |
While numbers are subject to tuning next patch, the insersion of Ancient Weapons seem very likely to shake up combat dynamics, diversifying approaches beyond pure gun exchanges. Towering titans like seasoned Warrior mains now potentially have game-swinging playmaking potential previously lacking. However, the high mechanical execution requirement gatekeeps power budgets limited exclusively to capable pilots.
I personally love this sort of high risk/high reward design that expands strategic options when leveraged correctly. It may warp meta priorities should some combinations grow too ubiquitously dominant. But ideally, it puts greater emphasis on reacting to opponents’ chosen win conditions dictated by Ancient Weapon selections – perhaps an area future talents can differentiate mastery upon similar to hero counters.
Dazzling Cosmetics Incoming in the Battle Pass
What collectathon nowadays would be complete without cosmetics to unlock? Patch 6 introduces the first Battle Pass for Realm Royale granting rewards as players rank up tiers through match XP or purchasing level skips. Alongside expected fixings like character skins, highlight items include mounted animal companions with four elaborately decorated variants each now accompanying your champion into battle.
The current season’s menagerie features ostentatious species like the Gilded Griffin with perfectly gleaming metallic wings or the imposing Legionnaire War Horse draped in Knightly Blue & Gold barding worthy of royalty. Their dedication to detail and craftsmanship doesn’t go unnoticed even if they convey no gameplay edge. I overheard amazed reactions from even female gamer friends typically accustomed to skimpier offerings.
While the jury is still out regarding pricing model opinions, the Patch 6 Battle Pass hosts plenty to unlock through normal progression catering to both free and paying players. And if data mines into upcoming assets stand true, fans can expect even wilder Cosplay-esque costume skins down the pipeline sure to break the internet!
While still labeled as an Early Access or Open Alpha project, Realm Royale Reforged continues showing tremendous strides towards delivering on the untapped promise of its initial trailer years ago. Patch 6 stands tall as a declaration that Heroic Leap’s revamped vision is here to stay as more than just a short-lived nostalgia grab.
The phenomenal Time-Shattered Island alone symbolizes their commitment to pushing boundaries beyond basic circles of prior battle royale templates layered with a fresh coat of paint. Between white-knuckle teleporter showdowns and chaotic random events, Realm Royale’s moment-to-moment engagement dynamics now firmly stand apart as a truly novel experience marrying FPS fundamentals with MOBA-esque ability expressions.
Hardcore shooter fans now have a home with the overdue addition of Competitive Mode where mechanical prowess rules supreme absent statistical discrepancies, but still relishes the outplaying potential of well-executed spell rotations. Cosplaying enthusiasts can soon dress up their fantasy avatar however they desire as well once upcoming skins drop.
Make no mistake – occasional FPS drop hitching and ability bugs souring intense firefights still rear their ugly heads. But the swelling community goodwill and reinvigorated content creator interest delivered by the shockwaves of Patch 6 provides cause for optimism given Heroic Leap’s proven responsiveness thus far in Reforged’s brief revival period compared to the original’s downfall mired in update inertia.
As a day one Realm Royale fan still proudly wearing the Founder‘s Flair by my name, I yield wholehearted praise towards Heroic Leap’s recent strides pushing boundaries taking meaningful risks while retaining core appeal. If Patch 6 marks but the tip of innovations yet to manifest, then wavering gamers questioning giving Realm Royale a second chance can do so assured Reforged is firing on all cylinders towards a promising 2023 and beyond!
What exciting elements of Patch 6 has you most thrilled to drop into Realm Royale once more? Let me know in the comments section below and perhaps we’ll cross paths in the fog-ridden battlegrounds of Time-Shattered Island!