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Killer Queen Black getting physical versions this summer

Based on the popular arcade game, Killer Queen Black is now set to hit retailer shelves alongside its digital counterparts to up its crossplay potential.

Ozzie Mejia

May 28, 2019 11:25 AM

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Killer Queen Black is rapidly approaching its release date and now it appears that it will expand beyond its digital-only release. On Tuesday, physical media distributor Nighthawk Interactive added the arcade adaptation to its lineup, announcing that Killer Queen Black would also grace retailer shelves upon its release.

For the unfamiliar, Killer Queen Black comes from developers Liquid Bit and BumbleBear Games and is based on the Killer Queen arcade game. It stays close to the original in terms of pitting two teams against each other and tasking them with gathering fruit (Economic Victory), defeating the other team's queen (Military Victory), or riding the snail at the bottom of the screen to the goal (Snail Victory). The home version of the game will reduce the 5v5 action to 4v4 and shift the visuals to a more 16-bit aesthetic.

Killer Queen Black was originally announced for Nintendo Switch back during last year's E3, but it has since announced that it would branch out to PC and Xbox One. Furthermore, the game will release with full crossplay, meaning all three versions of the game will be able to play with one another. The physical versions of the game will likewise be able to connect with those who own the digital versions.

The original Killer Queen remains a cult hit as a rare example of a recent indie game designed squarely for arcade cabinet play. First spotted back at IndieCade 2013, Killer Queen has since traveled to conventions like Evo and has even built its own esports scene.

Those looking to get their first taste of Killer Queen will be able to pick up Killer Queen Black this summer. A full release date has not been issued, but the Nintendo Switch version will release to Amazon, Best Buy, and GameStop with tentative August 20 dates attached. The physical Xbox One version is set to release later in the fall.

Ozzie Mejia

Senior Editor

Ozzie has been playing video games since picking up his first NES controller at age 5. He has been into games ever since, only briefly stepping away during his college years. But he was pulled back in after spending years in QA circles for both THQ and Activision, mostly spending time helping to push forward the Guitar Hero series at its peak. Ozzie has become a big fan of platformers, puzzle games, shooters, and RPGs, just to name a few genres, but he’s also a huge sucker for anything with a good, compelling narrative behind it. Because what are video games if you can't enjoy a good story with a fresh Cherry Coke?