Funktronic Labs is offering a free playtest for its upcoming battle royale RPG, Scramble Knights Royale, on Steam from January 9 to 11. The game blends top-down RPG elements with competitive PvP gameplay and is set for release later in 2026. This initial test is limited to North American players, with global access planned before launch.
Scramble Knights Royale was revealed at the 2025 Day of the Devs: Game Awards Edition, showcasing its claymation-inspired art style and player-versus-player mechanics inspired by top-down RPGs such as The Legend of Zelda. Unlike typical first-person shooter battle royales, it emphasizes RPG foundations, potentially appealing to those who prefer cooperative or less intense competitive experiences.
In each match, 32 players arrive on an island by boat, starting without armor or weapons. Participants must battle NPC enemies to build power, explore caves filled with traps and tougher foes for superior loot, and visit merchants to spend earned gold on enhanced equipment and magical abilities. Friendly NPCs offer quests, like defeating a set number of non-player enemies, balancing PvE and PvP elements. A shrinking safe zone gradually forces confrontations, culminating in a single survivor.
The playtest serves as Funktronic Labs' first server evaluation, restricted to North America, but the developer promises a broader global test prior to the 2026 launch. Those joining this or future playtests will receive undisclosed in-game rewards upon release. This opportunity allows newcomers to the genre to experiment with its slower, RPG-style combat, which may ease entry compared to fast-paced shooters by letting players gear up against NPCs before facing humans.
