Interview: Hyungsuk Kang tells us what to expect from Battle Crush ahead of the global beta test

First announced in March this year, NCSoft's action brawler Battle Crush will kick off its global beta test today, which will run for eight days, concluding on October 30th. Ahead of players getting their hands on it, we spoke to Hyungsuk Kang, the game's lead producer, about what we can expect in the test and beyond.

Hello, I'm Hyungsuk Kang, lead producer of BATTLE CRUSH. I am responsible for overseeing all aspects of BATTLE CRUSH – from the overall game development to the publishing.

BATTLE CRUSH is a dynamic multiplayer brawl action game featuring a roster of uniquely crafted characters inspired by myth-based figures, providing an immersive player-versus-player (PVP) experience.

I would say that it’s the collapsing terrain that sets us apart from the others. The collapsing terrain serves a dual purpose beyond merely restricting the play area: it consistently encourages players to engage strategically on the cliff edges. When confronting an opponent near the cliff, you should activate the ring-out move. Or, if you find yourself near the cliff edges, mastering mid-air jumps becomes essential in your gameplay. Surprisingly, having your character's back against the cliff doesn't constrain your movement; in fact, it opens opportunities for more agile maneuvering through expert use of mid-air jumps. This terrain mechanic adds a dynamic layer of depth to the gameplay experience.

While we call it a "collapsing terrain," the defining feature that truly sets our game apart is its innovative combat core, characterized by unrestricted spatial movement. Although we chose to label it as a "collapsing terrain" for simplicity, the heart of the experience lies in this unique combat core.

Cross-play is already a widely adopted feature in the gaming industry, but the decision to implement it in BATTLE CRUSH was driven by a two-fold strategy. Firstly, we aimed to create a more diverse and extensive user matching pool, providing an enriched gaming experience. Secondly, we observed that the combat core we designed to bring action-packed battles to mobile platforms seamlessly aligns with the use of console controllers, making it a natural fit for cross-play functionality.

In the realm of player-versus-player (PvP) games, the scale of the matching pool is intrinsically connected to the level of enjoyment. We believe that a larger matching pool directly contributes to a more engaging experience. Furthermore, introducing diverse users from various platforms adds an extra layer of fun and richness to the game, boosting its overall appeal.

Our dev team’s exceptional optimization effort for each platform was also the vital driver that made cross-play possible for BATTLE CRUSH.

We had no significant difficulties with mobile and console controller support because we had already verified them in advance. However, tailoring the keyboard and mouse control to ensure an appropriate level of balance was the most challenging task. Personally, including previous projects I’ve worked on, I've dedicated myself for the past 10 years to finding the optimal balance between the keyboard-mouse control and the console controller, but it certainly is anything but straightforward.

In this context, our aim was to infuse the core gameplay and philosophy of Super Smash Bros. into the project, applying today’s game style. We expanded upon the unpredictability of a 4-player brawl by incorporating elements that draw inspiration from the Battle Royale genre, while also incorporating the top-view camera style reminiscent of MOBA games, enabling up to 30 players to play together.

The upcoming beta test is set to span 8 days, from October 23rd to October 30th. During this global beta test, the game will be accessible on both PC and Android mobile devices.

I want to highlight that we are actively evaluating the possibility of future expansion into additional platforms. Therefore, we strongly encourage you to participate in the beta on PC or mobile, even if your preferred platform is not currently supported in this initial testing phase.

Following the game's launch, we have exciting plans in the pipeline. We're gearing up for the introduction of ranked gameplay and seasons with a diverse range of concepts, perfectly aligned with the PvP gaming genre. With each new season, you can expect captivating visuals, enticing characters, and many game modes designed to amplify the enjoyment of BATTLE CRUSH.

As previously mentioned, we're actively exploring opportunities for expansion into additional platforms. We encourage you to stay tuned and look forward to what's in store for the future!