New Game on Steam Takes The Legend of Zelda’s Presentation and Gives It a Fun BR Twist

The Legend of Zelda has long had an influence on the gaming industry in a number of ways, from inspiring in world and narrative structure to dungeon and exploration mechanics. As a result, a vast number of imitations have surfaced over the years, many of which have found success simply due to their implementation of Zelda‘s core design philosophy. Games like Zelda sometimes imitate it, borrowing from both its presentation and its design—like Funktronic Labs’ upcoming Steam battle royale game Scramble Knights Royale.

Steam’s Scramble Knights Royale doesn’t just look like Zelda, though, as it blends elements of Nintendo’s beloved franchise with those of a classic battle royale game like Fortnite. As is the case with the genre, players are dropped into a shared map and fight to be the last one standing, with a shrinking safe area and plenty of loot gathering. As the outer ring shrinks, players are forced closer together until those who remain duke it out for the win. However, the key difference with Scramble Knights Royale on Steam is its PvPvE gameplay loop, which not only pits players against one another, but also tasks them with exploring a Zelda-inspired world filled with puzzles, dungeons, towns, and NPCs, friendly and unfriendly alike.

Scramble Knights Royale on Steam Looks and Plays Like Zelda With PvP

As a battle royale game, what’s most interesting about Scramble Knights Royale is that it takes the PvP-oriented gameplay the genre is known for and tosses a PvE experience akin to Zelda into the mix. On the surface, it appears to mimic the art style and presentation of the Zelda: Link’s Awakening remake and Echoes of Wisdom. On a deeper, more mechanical level, though, it plays more like if The Legend of Zelda and a game like Fortnite or Apex Legends decided to join forces and create the ultimate hybrid—only instead of guns, players have swords and shields.

Scramble Knights Royale’s Features at a Glance

• ADVENTURE-STYLE BATTLE ROYALE: 32-player matches where players explore, complete quests, and fight other knights to be the last one standing.
• ZELDA-INSPIRED WORLD: Archipelago with puzzles, dungeons, towns, treasures, and NPC elements reminiscent of classic adventure games.
• DYNAMIC MATCH START: Matches begin with players jumping from a boat and riding a turtle to shore.
• RPG-STYLE PROGRESSION: Find loot, weapons, armor, and accessories; upgrade gear at a blacksmith to build unique power setups each match.
• STRATEGIC COMBAT: Multiple weapon moves to master and combat encounters that reward skill and build strategy.
• CUSTOMIZATION AND SEASONS: Earn gear, outfits, and accessories tied to seasonal progression to customize your knight.
• HOMESTEAD FEATURE: A personal home base you can decorate and expand outside of matches.
• MULTIPLAYER MODE: Solo free-for-all now, with duo queues planned later; supports online cooperative split-screen play.
• FUN DEATH MECHANIC: If eliminated early, you can spectate the rest of the game as a chicken.

The battle royale isn’t known for mixing PvP gameplay with PvE in the way that Scramble Knights Royale does, although it’s not the first game to try. Even so, Scramble Knights Royale stands out for that reason, as its PvE elements aren’t just a side activity. Exploration, dungeon crawling, puzzle solving, and NPC interactions are a core part of the flow of each match, giving players plenty of ways to prepare before engaging in PvP encounters. Rather than being a mad dash for weapons and equipment, as many battle royale games are, Funktronic Labs seems to have created something that feels more like a condensed adventure with a competitive edge.

On the battle royale side, Scramble Knights Royale throws 32 players into a single free-for-all match (duos arriving at a later date) with an ever-shrinking safe area they are encouraged to stay mindful of. That’s about as far as its PvP loop goes, though, with the rest playing out more like a Zelda game with a time limit. As players explore the archipelago, they may encounter other players attempting to halt or slow their progress, but their primary focus is Scramble Knights Royale‘s PvE-oriented gameplay, which sees them battling enemy NPCs, completing quests, and delving into dungeons for weapons, armor, and accessories that can improve their chances of surviving a PvP clash. But should players be eliminated early, they can speculate the rest of the game as a chicken, which is about as Zelda as it gets.

Scramble Knights Royale Even Has a Cozy Homestead Feature

Scramble Knights Royale does yet another thing not common for battle royale games with its homestead feature. While the feature isn’t listed on the game’s Steam page, it is included in the list of additional features on Scramble Knights Royale‘s Xbox page, describing it as “Your home away from battle, decorate it with items as you progress and relax with your friends!” Unfortunately, there isn’t any footage or information about the homestead feature at the moment, but a feature like that will, at the very least, offer players a cozy way to calm their nerves between matches and build something personal they can come home to.

Scramble Knights Royale Launches on Steam in 2026

If this much wasn’t already clear, Scramble Knights Royale looks like it could offer a genuinely interesting twist on the battle royale formula, especially for players who want more from a match than a frantic race to outgun everyone else. Currently slated to launch on Steam in 2026, Funktronic Labs’ 32-player battle royale is launching in an already crowded market, where the genre has been either doubling down on speed or chasing live-service longevity. What makes Scramble Knights Royale a project worth watching, however, is that it is moving in the opposite direction, slowing matches down and encouraging players to invest time in exploration, preparation, and progression before the end of a match ever takes place.

That design choice could end up being its biggest strength or its biggest risk. By the time Scramble Knights Royale arrives, players will be even more accustomed to instant drops, constant combat, and minimal downtime. If its adventure-first structure lands, it could appeal to a very specific audience that has never quite clicked with classic battle royales. If it doesn’t, the game may struggle to communicate why taking your time is worth it in a genre built around urgency.

Scramble Knights Royale launches on Steam in 2026.