Hyper Scape Adds Team Deathmatch Mode Starting Today

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Hyper Scape is no longer just a free-to-play battle royale. Starting today, the game now features a limited-time team deathmatch beta mode, pitting two teams of six against one another in a confined section of the Neo Arcadia map. As you’d expect, team deathmatch means players can respawn after being eliminated, and the first team to 40 eliminations, or the highest score at the end of 10 minutes, will emerge victorious. To learn a bit more about how the new mode mixes up the core gameplay and why the development team created it, we spoke to Game Director Thomas Simon and Game Designer Chris Pope.

What inspired the team to implement TDM into Hyper Scape? Was this part of the plan before launch?

We have also heard our community asking for modes that are smaller in scope and quicker to jump in and play. Team Deathmatch has been built to deliver this combat-focused experience, as well as offer newer players a faster-to-play, easier-to-learn onboarding experience.

Can you give us some details about the mode, and insight into how you decided on the team size, map size, and win conditions?

Chris Pope: We knew that we wanted this mode to be smaller and focused on nonstop combat, and we quickly landed on 6v6 as it represented a sweet spot between big chaotic fights, yet is small enough that you can coordinate with the team at large and make all players feel they can contribute. Finally, we tuned the victory conditions to try to provide a solid 7-10 minutes per match without growing old or feeling repetitive. We will be paying close attention to team deathmatch’s reception by the community, and will continue to tune it with their feedback.

You keep your loadout and progression when you die. What was the reasoning behind that?

By having a real progression of loadout through the match, but keeping progression through death, TDM removes the sting of death while keeping the fun of looting. We also really like the time as a resource dynamic where players have to choose between fighting with the first items they get or trying to build the perfect loadout to be more efficient.

How do you anticipate gameplay changing when teams are bigger, the map is smaller, and there are respawns?

CP: While everything in Hyper Scape is fast-paced and free-flowing due to the nature of our weapons, hacks, and navigation abilities, our original Crown Rush mode is also a more unforgiving experience where a single mistake can result in elimination. Where Crown Rush rewards more tactical precision and survival, team deathmatch rewards pure minute-to-minute combat and fast-paced navigation. In the end, we hope players will play both modes, using team deathmatch to get better at combat and then bringing those honed skills into Crown Rush.

Have you seen new gameplay strategies employed in team deathmatch?

CP: One of the things we are excited about with team deathmatch is that while speed and combat are key to victory, strategy still plays an engaging role. Will you spend time chasing the ideal loadout and fusion upgrades, or adapt to what’s available to you in the very first seconds of the match and start fragging? Will you secure an area of the map and defend key territory, or roam in search of action? Even within our own team, we have yet to find a perfect strategy; there is lots of space to experiment and have fun in team deathmatch.

Obviously, the mode is in beta and will be changing, but do you see it becoming permanent? Do you have any plans to add a ranking system? TS: Team deathmatch becoming a permanent game mode depends on its success with the community, but I’d say that’s what we are indeed hoping for as we believe there’s room for a focused, small team experience next to the battle royale game modes. On that note, a small piece of info that I think should speak to a large part of our community: A faster health regeneration speed is planned for TDM in the near future. Adapting the Ranking system to TDM is not planned yet, however, but if the mode is very successful and confirms its permanent status, anything’s possible.