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Bleeding Edge dev talks creating a melee-focused multiplayer game

From balancing melee combat to customization, Rahni Tucker talks Bleeding Edge, Ninja Theory's Microsoft exclusive.

Sam Chandler

June 12, 2019 11:00 AM

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Bleeding Edge is a new title from the creators of Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice. This will be their first exclusive for Microsoft after their recent acquisition. Shacknews had the opportunity of speaking with Rahni Tucker, Creative Director at Ninja Theory, about Bleeding Edge. Please take a look!

In Bleeding Edge, players pick from one of twelve unique characters, each with a heavy focus on melee combat. While the majority are melee units, there are a few ranged characters as well. Each character has a variety of moves as well as two supers that can be swapped in and out. The game utilizes a lock-on feature with its combat, which is likely to ensure players are actually connecting with one another.

Balancing a fighting game can be challenging and it sounds like Ninja Theory has done work to ensure a frustration-free experience with Bleeding Edge. While the attacking player controls the hit frames, the defending player can use defensive or evade manoeuvres to break the stun-lock. However, there is a stamina bar in-game that limits the amount these moves can be used.

Tucker also spoke to the fact that Bleeding Edge fills a void in the multiplayer landscape. Before Bleeding Edge, the majority of team-based multiplayer games had shooting at its core. After being on the team developing DmC, Tucker realized that there was really no multiplayer title that had a focus on melee combat. Given her fondness of multiplayer games, Tucker brought this idea to the studio and started playing around. The end result is Bleeding Edge.

While there is currently no price point for Bleeding Edge, Tucker did confirm that it would likely have a premium price point and everything in the game is unlocked by playing. Players will be able to customize their character’s hoverboard (the means of getting back to the fight quickly) with decals, meshes, paint jobs, and more.

Bleeding Edge will have an alpha on June 27 and is set to release on Xbox One at a later date and then Windows PC afterwards.

Be sure to check out the GamerHubTV YouTube channel for the latest developer interviews fresh out of E3 2019!

Sam Chandler

Head of Guides

Hailing from the land down under, Sam Chandler brings a bit of the southern hemisphere flair to his work. After bouncing round a few universities, securing a bachelor degree, and entering the video game industry, he's found his new family here at Shacknews as Head of Guides. There's nothing he loves more than crafting a guide that will help someone. If you need help with a guide, or notice something not quite right, you can message him on X: @SamuelChandler