Party Animals - a physics-based multiplayer brawler that's quietly one of the most-anticipated games out there - finally has a release date.
During tonight's Summer Games Fest, developer Recreate confirmed that the Party Animals release date has been set for September 20. That's three years after the game's demo - which dropped in 2020 - smashed its way to becoming one of the biggest games on Steam, with more than 130,000 concurrent players - not far off the likes of Rocket League or V Rising, and higher than Dark Souls 3 and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
That demo also helped Party Animals become the third most-wishlisted game on Steam, sitting behind only Starfield and Hollow Knight: Silksong.
A chaotic, laughter-filled trailer confirms that release date, as well as a release date on PC, Xbox Series X, and Xbox One. It also shows off some gameplay; if you're at all familiar with indie hit Gang Beasts, there's a good chance that Party Animals will appeal, although the characters here are a little more cute and cuddly than you might be familiar with. Party Animals functions as a chaotic but super-cute brawler, where you're competing over a series of minigames in a physics-based competition. There's the likes of free-for-alls and objective-based competitions, so it's not all brawling. If you like competing against other players on the couch or online in quickfire comedic games, then keep an eye on Party Animals.
It's been a long few years since that initial demo. Party Animals was originally set to launch in 2021 after its appearance at Xbox's E3 showcase that year, but Recreate says it underestimated the amount of time it would take to get the game ready for launch. There's some good news attached to that long wait, however - new maps, modes, and multiplayer servers which should ensure plenty of new stuff to check out.
For details on Party Animals and all the other news from this evening's show, check out our Summer Games Fest 2023 live coverage.
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