Hanako: Honor & Blade, Samurai Multiplayer Game of Life and Destruction, Will Launch on Steam September 15
As Milestone Launch Nears, Developer +Mpact Reflects on Passion Project’s 14-Year Journey to Remember Those Lost to Cancer
ATLANTA, GA – July 14, 2021 – +Mpact Games, a small team of developers united to make a very personal game, today announced that Hanako: Honor & Blade, its immersive online multiplayer combat experience set in Feudal Japan, will launch on Steam for PC on September 15, 2021. The game, which completed its successful Early Access program this year, will be available for a price of $14.99. To celebrate the upcoming launch, +Mpact today released a new video showing the latest multiplayer map revealing the transformation of Yamai Castle, previously seen only in its dark, diseased form, as a raid of strong warriors culminates in a cleansing victory that removes its evil aura.
“As we put the final touches on Hanako: Honor & Blade we’re reflecting on the bittersweet journey we’ve shared to honor those we have lost,” said Matt Canei, Team Lead at +Mpact Games. “Seeing the transformation of the Yamai Castle map to celebrate a cleansing victory brings home the emotional impact of what our team has accomplished using our own resources.”
Hanako: Honor and Blade is a passion project that has been in development for over a decade. The game’s art and backstory of the game serve as a symbolic tribute to the late mother of team lead, Matt Canei, an industry veteran currently at ILMxLAB. The lore represents an everlasting struggle of life and death, as embodied by the game’s two warrior clans. The Hanako clan represents health and goodness in the spirit of Matt’s mother, and the Yamai clan symbolize the opposition to life inherent in cancer and other diseases. The natural balance of the opposing forces metaphorically represents real-life tragedies while seeking to honor those lost.
Hanako: Honor & Blade takes players online for immersive battles in a beautiful recreation of Feudal Japan between up to 24 players. Players can help decide the future of a nation by playing as one of four distinct warrior classes including the capable swordsman, powerful spearman, eagle-eyed archer, or nimble ninja. Each class has different build/skill options and features directionally driven combat, abilities, and spirit-based skills to get an extra edge. Players will play as one of two clans and seek to defeat opponents through multiple game modes and maps, with each game level presenting unique obstacles and mechanics that will require strategy and teamwork to defeat enemies
Game Key Features
- Epic online battles set in Feudal Japan with up to 24 players
- A symbolic struggle between the forces of life and death
- Four game modes with unique features, including team deathmatch Battle, Capture the Scroll, Village Siege, and Castle Raid
- Directional-driven combat that encourages strategy and precision
- Four distinct warrior classes with different skill options for multiple playstyles
- Dynamic environment changes
Hanako: Honor & Blade, scheduled for release on PC via Steam on September 15, 2021, is developed and self-published by +Mpact Games. To stay up to date on development progress, please join the Discord at discord.playhanako.com and follow us at @PlayHanako, facebook.com/playhanako, and twitch.tv/hanakogame.
About +Mpact Games
Hanako: Honor & Blade started as an award-winning college project back in 2007 with team co-founders, Matt Canei, Connor McCarthy, and Ajani Thomas. The project originated with Matt’s teenage vow to honor his mother, Janie, following her tragic passing after a five-year battle with breast cancer. Janie was a brilliantly positive and loving mother who raised Matt to always follow his dreams, and Hanako is a passion project that symbolizes the battle between life and destruction, with two samurai clan representing light and darkness. All three co-founders are now experienced developers, with Matt currently at ILMxLAB, and the game has continually evolved as their skills have advanced. Its upcoming full release on Steam on September 15, 2021, 14 years after it was conceived, make it one of the longest independent game launches in history. For more information, visit hanakogame.com.
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