Rumbleverse: Season 2's new island ups the map size by more than half

Rumbleverse originally kicked off with dozens of fighters gathering in an abandoned metropolis to kick each other's butts until only one person was left standing. While Grapital City is still a large borough capable of holding an all-out fracas, the team at Iron Galaxy has decided that it's time to expand the borders of battle. For Season 2, that plan involves a trip to a tropical island.

The island of Low Key Key is located just beyond the waters bordering Grapital City and will house Rumbleverse's big Season 2 expansion. According to the Iron Galaxy team, Low Key Key will expand the playable world by about two-thirds. The city's eastern coast has been converted into a river crossing, which will lead directly to the island. Bridges have been constructed and there are springs that will propel players to Low Key Key, but be careful, because falling into the river still means an instant KO.

Low Key Key's various sights include some noteworthy landmarksm, such as the island's welcome center, the Lavadome arena, and Rivera Botanica. Just as the main Grapital City map has its suburbs, Low Key Key is filled with upscale homes with classic architecture and fancy pools. Next to the resort area is the marina, filled with shops and a giant ice cream shop in the center. The ice cream shop is surrounded by a moat, which makes it a harrowing place to drop, but it's filled with vending machines, as well as elevated viewpoints to scout out the land.

The hotel near the marina is located right next to the Lavadome, Low Key Key's biggest point of interest. Designed atop a dormant volcano, the arena houses Low Key Key's hot springs. Step into the springs in order to receive a stamina buff. Inside the arena, the bottom level is covered with hardened lava and springs to help reach the upper levels. Those upper levels will be where players find food vendors to help replenish their health. The Lavadome roof is the highest point on the island, but don't expect to drop many elbows from there. The island is designed in such a way that there's no straight trajectory from an elevated point to a melee below in the way that Grapital City fighters have gotten used to seeing.

Rumbleverse will also introduce some new ways to fight in Season 2. Among the new mechanics being introduced is the pole swing. This is just what it sounds like. Some might have been surprised to see Rumbleverse borrowing some ideas from Kingdom Hearts, of all places, but to stay on that theme, the pole swing is similar to a mechanic that Sora uses later in that series. Simply dash into a pole to begin swinging around in circles, where an opponent is ideally waiting to take a kick in the face. This can be hard to stop, but Lead Designer Adam Heart noted in a press briefing that the best way to stop the momentum of a pole swing is simply to chuck an object at the swinger. For those looking to traverse quickly, pole swinging can be a valuable tool, as it can be used to break a long fall.

If you do take a spill and need some healing, there are new food items to go along with the usual chicken. Macho's Nachos replenish a smaller amount of health for the player in exchange for quick consumption. Ther's more incentive to keep food stored, thanks to a new perk called Insatiable. When in an Insatiable state, the player is perpetually hungry and their next food item's healing effect will be boosted by 50 percent.

Of course, expect to see new special moves debuting with Rumbleverse Season 2. Here are just a few that Shacknews got to check out:

• Rush: Mess with the bull and get the horns with this set of moves. This is a high priority melee charge that can take down even enemies wielding weapons. However, the Bull Rush, Titan Rush, and Behemoth Rush are primarily used for traversal and allow players to move faster than a standard dash. This is what players will want to use when they're trying to escape relentless pursuers.
• Edge: Rest in peace to the great Razor Ramon, the Edge family is a variation of WWE Hall of Fame superstar Scott Hall's signature crucifix slam. The Cutting Edge, Pointed Edge, and Jagged Edge allow players to pick up an opponent on their shoulders and walk around with them before depositing them on their backs. This is a powerful drop, but carrying around a human being will consume a lot of stamina. Heart specifically cites the Edge's potential in team battles with the drop setting up possible combos.

The new special moves will be accompanied by new weapons. The Oil Drum is an upgraded Construction Barrel, while Potted Plants can now be used as throwable items. If you want to bring out your inner Mexican mother, check out the three tiers of Chancleta weapons. These are single flip flops that can be chucked at foes. They'll home in on enemies when thrown, while a basic strike will stagger on contact. New Starfish will keep the island theme going and act as shurikens with the higher-end Poison Starfish able to inflict poison. More intersetingly, Starfish can be used for traversal, allowing players to barrel forward and travel through the air faster. Lastly, there's the new Bucket item, which can be used as a throwable item. Once it breaks, it will release a random item.

Look for Season 2 to introduce a new Battle Pass, which will offer new accessories and cosmetics. Players will even find coordinated squad outfits and emotes, which should be fun when playing with friends. Given that Season 2 is set to eventually debut Trios and Quad modes, groups of friends may be interested in color coordinating.

Rumbleverse: Season 2 is expected to go live on Tuesday, November 15. Heart and the rest of the Iron Galaxy team hope to brief the game's community on these and other new features coming to the game with an upcoming stream on the Rumbleverse Twitch channel.

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?