Tank to the Skies: ‘Treadnauts’ Launches on Consoles!

Batten down the hatches and rev up those engines: Treadnauts has launched on consoles! Fans of Smash Bros. and Gunbound will feel right at home in this unique genre mashup. Whether you’re looking for a fun party game or white-knuckle competition, Treadnauts has it all.

So what is Treadnauts? The simple answer is that it’s a competitive multiplayer game where tanks try to blow each other up to smitheroons. However, that wouldn’t be doing the game enough justice.

Treadnauts boasts a set of highly polished mechanics that cater to players of all types and skill levels. Robust movement tech and highly customizable settings make this more than just another 4-player party game. 

After their Early Access launch back in February, Seattle-based Topstitch Games has been hard at work on updates and fostering their growing community. Here are just some of the new things you can expect with their console launch (on PC as well!):

Tech

The Treadnauts devs are huge Melee fans and it shows in the deceptively simple movement mechanics. The tech is easy enough to pick up, but you’ll spend ample amounts of time working towards that skill ceiling.

Topstitch has included a few new additions to their set of movement mechanics: spring hops and bug hops. Spring hops allow players to get a bit of extra height if they jump immediately after touching the ground.

Bug hops are more of a curious “addition” to the game. In true Melee fashion, a player found a way to give yourself a big air boost by shooting against a surface at the right time. While completely unintended, the devs eventually decided to leave it in.

One of the devs has also released a couple videos detailing some of the more advanced techniques. If you want to git gud, definitely check these out.

Bots

Bots were inevitable, especially for a multiplayer console game. Due to the current lack of online play, they’re quite nearly a necessity for consoles.

Thankfully, the AI feels like more than a tacked-on afterthought. Bots come in three difficulty levels and feel appropriately challenging (these Lvl 3 bots put up a tough fight).

While bots could never replace playing against humans, their presence in Treadnauts is a welcome one. Practice your tech, get a feel for the stages, and use that training to wipe the floor with your friends.

Modifiers

So. You’re a casual.

Well, don’t worry because Topstitch has you covered. If you want to take a break from the high-octane tech-intensive competition, modifiers add incredible amounts of chaotic diversity to the game.

Most modifiers add small twists to the game that might not necessarily create balanced competitive play. Things like jetpacks, grappling hooks, and bouncing bullets are just some of the many modifiers you can toggle.

While Treadnauts launched with a hefty amount of customization, the devs have continued to include unique additions to the game’s casual component. These include:

• Lasers
• Stealth Mode
• Bullet curving
• Split Shots
• Infinite jumps
• Randomized modifier crates (for when you don’t play with preset modifiers)

Modifiers ensure that games never get a chance to get stale. If past patches are any indication, Topstitch will continue to add modifiers and let players get even crazier.

Tank to the Skies!

Aside from the ongoing content additions, the devs have done a top-notch job of engaging with their community. Things like the Gold Room event, the community-inspired GET WRECK’T contest, and their open suggestion forum show Topstitch’s commitment to their playerbase.

While online features will be absent from the initial console release, it remains a high possibility for the future. If you’ve got a PC, Switch, PS4, or Xbone and some friends (highly recommended), don’t miss this game.

You can follow Topstitch Games on their Twitter account and get involved with the community on their Discord server.