Epic announces Battle Breakers, a tactical role-playing game inspired by '80s cartoons

Epic Games revealed at GDC today that it is working on a free-to-play "frenetic tactical role-playing game," inspired by Saturday morning cartoons of the 1980s, called Battle Breakers. The new game will feature hundreds of recruitable heroes including ninjas, knights, robots, and dinosaurs, and cross-platform play between mobile devices and PCs. 

The name of the game, very basically, is to put together teams of heroes to battle invading monsters from outer space in turn-based combat. You'll wield the power of tsunamis, earthquakes, and firestorms in your war against the invaders, and build and upgrade the ancient Sky Tower fortress "to strengthen your citizens and reinforce your defenses." 

"Master the elements and defeat your enemies with strategy, smash crystals to unlock hidden treasures, and power up your hero squads to take back the Kingdom, one break at a time!" the studio said. 

A release date hasn't been announced, but Epic is now taking pre-registrations at Google Play for Android users, and at epicgames.com for the iOS and PC versions. Along with keeping you up to speed on the state of the game's development, pre-registering will also score you the powerful Dark Beastman character, a Viking-type fellow with a thing for purple and Motorhead-inspired codpieces. And now, some screens.

Andy Chalk

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.