Why it matters: Steam's current best-selling game is a $15 multiplayer first-person shooter made by three people with graphics that look like Roblox. Despite the simple presentation, gamers are lauding BattleBit Remastered for its smooth gameplay and wealth of content in contrast to recent shooters from major publishers.
Only two weeks after its Early Access debut, BattleBit Remastered is shaping up to be Steam's next Valheim-level success. Players have enthusiastically contrasted the online military shooter's success with the disastrous launch of Battlefield 2042 a couple of years ago.
One of the most well-liked aspects of BattleBit that sets it apart from other major shooters is the impressive amount of content it offers for just $15, even at the onset of what the developers estimate to be a two-year Early Access phase. The game launched with 17 maps, eight game modes, 39 weapons, 200 prestige ranks, numerous vehicles, proximity-based voice chat, and a wealth of additional content. The only planned microtransaction is a $20 weapon skin pack.
This monetization model gives the game a refreshing, back-to-basics feel for players who might be weary of the additional costs associated with games like Battlefield, Call of Duty, Overwatch, or Fortnite. While BattleBit isn't free-to-play, many players appreciate the reassurance that a one-time $15 charge provides access to all of its content.
BattleBit's most noticeable feature is its intentionally low-detail graphics. This may have allowed the small development team to concentrate on refining gameplay, optimizing performance, and rapidly generating content. Despite supporting a maximum of 254 players per server in 127 vs. 127 matches, the game seems to maintain high framerates across a wide range of hardware. The recommended system specs list a fourth-gen Intel Core i5 and a GeForce GTX 600 series graphics card – components that are over a decade old. The developers also added a new map and new weapons a few days after the launch.
Many posts in the game's Steam community have poked fun at Battlefield 2042 – the latest entry in the franchise that inspired BattleBit. Upon its release, Battlefield fans berated EA's blockbuster for its lack of many basic features, making it one of the lowest-rated titles in Steam's history. Recent user reviews suggest the game has significantly improved over the past year, but a complete recovery could still be far off. In the meantime, BattleBit seems poised to fill the vacuum.