Blades & Battles

Blades & Battles is a side-on staged fantasy beat 'em up by QUByte Interactive. Arthur and Lancelot fight waves of enemies with swords, spells and special attacks. The 2.5D view combines spatially designed locations with the immediate feel of classic arcade brawlers.

The campaign can be played alone or together on one device. Instead of extensive RPG systems, the choice of character, the timing of attacks and how you handle enemy groups determine what happens.

Blades & Battles was released on Sep 29, 2026. The date applies to PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch. The game was developed and published by QUByte Interactive.

Blades & Battles is natively available for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch. The PC version supports Windows and Linux. At Microsoft, Xbox Play Anywhere and Smart Delivery are among the features of the Xbox version.

The Switch version also runs on compatible Switch 2 hardware, but is not a separate native Switch 2 release.

The focus is on short sword combos, special attacks and dodging enemies. The heroes move through side-on fantasy locations and fight groups of foes. Individual powerful enemies demand more than rapid button presses: attacks must be timed deliberately and the respective movement patterns recognized.

On Windows, the PC version requires at least Windows 10 64-bit, an Intel Core i5-8400 or AMD Ryzen 3 3100, 8 GB RAM and a GTX 1060 or Radeon RX 570. It lists 5 GB of free storage. Recommended is Windows 11, 16 GB RAM, a Core i5-9600K or Ryzen 5 3600 and a GTX 1660 or Radeon RX 590.

On Linux, Steam lists Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, at least 8 GB RAM and a GTX 1060 or Radeon RX 570. The processor requirements there are a Core i5-9600K or Ryzen 5 3600.

The story draws on the Arthurian legend before the Round Table has formed. Arthur and Lancelot face Morgana's forces and want to free Merlin from captivity. The well-known legend provides the framework for a direct action campaign with magical enemies and medieval fantasy locations.

Arthur is built for powerful hits. Lancelot relies more on speed and agility. Both fighters have their own weapons, attack chains and special abilities. In co-op the styles complement each other, while in single player the character you choose sets the rhythm of the battles.

The campaign supports two players on the same device. On PC, local co-op can also be played together over the internet via Steam Remote Play Together. For co-op mode, the PC version requires a controller according to Steam.

A separate online co-op, where both participants need their own game licenses, is not among the game modes listed on Steam.

Between regular fights, larger enemies appear that require different responses to their attacks. The mix of ordinary enemy groups and boss fights forms the backbone of the campaign. Besides sword strikes, combat also includes magic and special attacks.

The characters and environments are designed in 3D, while the combat takes place from a side-on 2.5D perspective. A pixel filter gives the visuals a look reminiscent of 1990s arcade action. The game thus combines modern depth with a clearly readable combat view.

Steam lists full controller support, achievements, cloud saves and Remote Play Together. On Xbox, achievements and Xbox Play Anywhere are available, among others. The campaign supports single player and local co-op for two people.

Steam lists nine interface languages, including German, English, French, Japanese, Portuguese and Spanish. Full voice acting is listed there for English only.