Indie studio MediaVerse Labs has released RUDIS: Blood for Freedom, a combat game set in ancient Rome. Players take on the role of gladiators fighting for their freedom in the Colosseum. The game's campaign will be live until November 18, 2026. The game features location-based combat, where hits land exactly where the steel connects, and wounds open and bleed accordingly.
Each fighter uses historical equipment and techniques, such as the thraex with a small shield and the murmillo behind a tall scutum. The game also features a variety of gladiators, each with their own unique moveset and equipment. The game's story campaign takes players across the provincial arenas of the Empire, including Capua, Lugdunum, and Carthage, before the great games in Rome.
Bonus bouts against wolves, a bear, and condemned men lead to a final confrontation with the Praetorian Guard. The game also features a Lanista mode, where players can run their own gladiator school and choose fighters for each arena. The game has been rebuilt from scratch using Unreal Engine 5, and features original music, sound effects, and voice acting in English and Spanish.
Backer rewards start at £9 for a Steam key, with higher tiers offering additional rewards such as having one's name painted as a fan graffito in an arena's entrance tunnel or becoming the host of one arena.