Two months after Battletoads’ big launch, the dust is finally starting to settle and our heroes are adapting nicely to life in this gaming generation!

Since their brand new adventure released on August 20, the development team at Dlala Studios and Rare have been keeping a close eye on responses to the game. It's been wonderful to see the positive reception from so many players and journalists, celebrating how the game stays true to form in its multi-genre, couch co-op nature, all wrapped up in that Saturday morning cartoon styling.

The team have loved seeing so many people enjoy the nostalgia trip and share the experience with others, and had an absolute blast watching creators share experiences with their communities too. And to those who've completed the game on 'Battletoads' difficulty and even picked up the full 1000 gamerscore – congrats!

We also wanted to share some stats with you (taken on October 12th) since passing the milestone of over a million unique players leaping in to try the game, with the cool, impulsive Rash pipping his partners to the post as the most frequently selected ’Toad.

As part of the trio’s mission to save the galaxy they’ve collectively died 80,037,506 times, more than half of which were turbo bike crashes. Some things never change! On the flip side, team players have managed to step in and revive their fellow ’Toads 2,880,267 times, sweep up an enormous 8,677,560 collectibles along the way and tear through enemy forces so ferociously that first level boss Porkshank alone has taken a total of 1,562,508 beatings. Players aren’t being slouches about it either – the fastest full game speedrun recorded so far (Tadpole difficulty, 100%) clocked in at an astonishing 1h 38m 51s, set by Fuzzyness as part of the Battletoads Speedrun Challenge[news.xbox.com]!

If you’re partial to a Sea of Thieves session between Battletoads brawls, you should toadally take advantage of the Fightin’ Frogs Ship Set that’s still unlockable for free by players of both games – just complete Act I of Battletoads (using the same profile that holds your Sea of Thieves progress) and you’ll earn this mean, green livery to display proudly on the seas!

Want even more Battletoads goodness? Be sure to check out The Lost Adventure comic series[www.comixology.com] from Titan Comics to discover what led to the events of the new game – the first free issue arrived on October 21! If you’d like some audio accompaniment with that, David Housden’s pounding modern Battletoads soundtrack can be enjoyed on various streaming and download services right now thanks to the recent release of the full 32-track album[open.spotify.com].

Don’t forget, newcomers to the Battletoads series can also relive some of Zitz, Rash and Pimple’s classic ’90s adventures in the Rare Replay[www.microsoft.com] collection on Xbox One.

Once again, we can’t thank everyone enough for their kind words on the Battletoads’ return and for taking the time to check it out on Steam. We look forward to seeing even more reactions as players old and new continue to get swept up in the wild world of Battletoads!

Today's release brings a whole host of fixes and improvements to Battletoads! For the full list of what's in the update, please see below for the patch notes:


TOP UPDATES

• Balance changes to certain enemies and improvements to how the Invincibility Trigger can be used
• es-ES and es-MX languages are now correctly displayed
• Quality of life improvements implemented to address issues found across all platforms

FULL UPDATES
GAMEPLAY IMPROVEMENTS

• The ability to trigger Invincibility is now switched on by default on Toad difficulty
• Invincibility can be triggered after 5 deaths rather than 8 on Toad difficulty
• The time in which Invincibility can be triggered has been raised to 20 seconds in Toad difficulty
• The length in which Invincibility stays active has been raised to 30 seconds in Toad difficulty
• Increased the size of Axeley's hurt box in A Hard Axe To Follow, making it easier to hit them
• Decreased the damage dealt from Maximum's projectile in So That’s How This Works
• Decreased the damage dealt from Lumberjack Ranged's projectile in Stumped
• Added extra time to Lumberjack Ranged's attack cooldown behaviour in Stumped
• Updated the wording on the Game Completion screen to “Total Best Time”, to better explain how times are tracked on the player’s Save Game

FIXED ISSUES

GAMEPLAY

• Guardian boss can no longer soft-lock if cannister is hit back at them too early in Time For Plan B
• Fixed issue where a soft-lock could occur if the player successfully completes and fails Bratty's stage at the same time in A Rock and A Hard Place
• Stopped enemies from being able to leave playable space unless they are defeated in Show’s Over
• Fixed an issue with puzzle colliders to avoid moveable boxes from getting stuck in Reaching The Peak
• If player gets outside of playable space they will be teleported back into middle of the play space in A Hard Axe To Follow
• Porkshank no longer gets stuck on the spot if a Toad tags out in Feed The Fantasy
• Fixed camera issue to make it follow the correct target character in We Go High
• Fixed collider on certain platforms to stop the playable character falling through in We Go High
• Once the game has been completed, the Main Menu now shows "Continue" (which replays first level) rather than "New Game"
• Removed a number of edge cases which cause the spikes to fall down at the end too early in Bigger Than It Looks
• UI no longer shown during in-game cutscenes on Spaceship levels
• Moveable boxes no longer move when they are not fully on platform in Reaching the Peak
• Added the ability to use the invincibility trigger to Show’s Over and Dissed Topians
• Riding close to holes in the walls no longer plays a near miss SFX in To The Queen
• Topian laugh SFX will no longer loop during the outro cutscene in Nightmare Riders
• PIA will no longer have a delayed static idle between their attack phases
• Dead Toads no longer spawn during outro cutscene in Feed The Fantasy

LOCALISATION

• es-ES and es-MX languages are now correctly displayed
• Fixed incorrect translations of words and phrases in certain languages

PC SPECIFIC

• Game will now use Windows display language instead of region for language choice
• Game complete screen will now scale correctly at non 16:9 ratios
• Fixed issues with ending cameras and aspect ratios in The Last Stand
• Fixed animation flickers at start of final trial in Trials of Pummel Horse
• Only process mouse interactions on the Main Menu if primarily using keyboard input
• Fixed overlapping text issues in certain Settings tabs
• Platforming levels now display correct control inputs on Pause Screen
• In-Game Cutscenes on Spaceship levels should now be smoother on varying frame rates

DOWNLOAD SIZES

ESTIMATED DOWNLOAD SIZES:

Steam: 4.00GB

26 years after their last game hit the arcades, the wait is finally over: Zitz, Rash and Pimple are leaping back into action today, August 20, worldwide on Steam! Just like in the original Battletoads games, they’re embarking on an outer-space adventure packed full of gameplay that takes in everything from brawling action to precision platforming, space battles and more.

There’s no need to take on these challenges alone – not when up to three players can team up for some drop-in couch co-op. That’s exactly what some of the Battletoads team did in our Gameplay Showcase earlier this week, and if you missed it, you can watch them in action here:

In the weeks leading up to our launch extravaganza we’ve been providing players with plenty of ways to get more Battletoads in their lives. Our art contest[www.facebook.com] to win a hand-drawn animation cel used in the game is already underway, and we also added a Battletoads EP[open.spotify.com] to streaming and download services so you can rock out to the game’s soundtrack whenever you please.

Keen to support the amphibians’ arrival, the Sea of Thieves team recently unveiled the in-game Fightin’ Frogs Ship Set – it’s due to go on sale in the Sea of Thieves Pirate Emporium later this year, but you can plunder it for yourself right now, free of charge, by completing the first act of Battletoads! Check out the video for more specifics on how to snag the set.

Now that the game’s available to play, it doesn’t mean we’re out of surprises. Not only is there an official Battletoads Xbox One controller design incoming from Xbox Design Lab[xboxdesignlab.xbox.com], we’re happy to unveil a whole new range of Battletoads merchandise over at the official Rare store[www.raregames.store], with new product types featuring the redesigned logo, the cast of wild new characters that the ’Toads will be butting heads with during the game’s cartoon-style story, and much more.

Speaking of stories, we know Battletoads fans will have been wondering what the iconic trio have been up to between games. To answer that, we’ve teamed up with our friends at Titan Comics to create a three-part comic series that chronicles a ‘lost adventure’, helping to bridge the gap between our heroes’ last starring role in Battletoads Arcade and the present day. All three issues will be made available to read for free over at comiXology[www.comixology.com] – so make sure you’re following Rare on Twitter, Facebook[www.facebook.com] or Instagram[www.instagram.com] so you don’t miss out when the first instalment lands!

We teased another upcoming collaboration with iam8bit last week, and today’s the day we pull back the curtain on two new premium Battletoads items. Firstly, there’s the Smash Hits vinyl soundtrack[www.iam8bit.com], comprising two LPs featuring music from the 8-bit original as well as the latest instalment in the series. Secondly, there’s the Legacy Cartridge Collection[www.iam8bit.com] – physical editions of the original game, newly amped up with deluxe packaging and two ’Toad-themed color variants. Both items are limited runs and are live for pre-order now on iam8bit[www.iam8bit.com]’s website!

We’re incredibly excited to launch this brand new Battletoads for a new generation of gamers, but what about Zitz, Rash and Pimple themselves? To find out, we sent Larry Hryb, Xbox Live’s Major Nelson, halfway across the galaxy to an intergalactic premiere where he got the chance to meet the ’Toads in person. Check out that lively interview here:

Whether you’re a Battletoads veteran from the ’90s or this is your first time experiencing the multi-genre mayhem of the series, we hope you enjoy the new game as much as Dlala Studios and Rare have enjoyed bringing Zitz, Rash and Pimple brawling, leaping and quipping headlong into 2020. We couldn’t be happier to say it: yes, we have Battletoads, and so do you. Be sure to dive into the action by checking it out right here on Steam. The Battletoads are back!

On August 20, players will be able to dive into an all-new Battletoads[www.xbox.com] adventure when the game launches with Xbox Game Pass and on Xbox One, Windows 10 and Steam. Zitz, Rash and Pimple will be brawling, shooting and quipping their way through multi-genre gameplay that challenges them to overcome everything from street fights to space battles, all enjoyable with up to three players thanks to drop-in couch co-op.

Tying all of those varied moments together are, of course, the enemy encounters that put the battle in Battletoads. If you’re eager to get to grips with the distinct play style of each member of the trio and the morph attacks you’ll be unleashing as you smash your way to victory, we recommend checking out our recent ‘Brawling Battletoads’ video:

Alongside the riotous fisticuffs and cartoon-style comedy there’ll also be plenty of fun achievements to earn, one or two of which demand skills worthy of the ’Toads themselves! We’re excited to unveil a pre-launch list today here on Xbox Wire – there are a few secret achievements we’re keeping a lid on for now, but here’s the amphibian’s share of what’s in store:

To get an idea of what kinds of tricks, traps and turbo bike terrors stand between you and 1000 delicious gamerscore, stay tuned to Rare on Twitter, Facebook[www.facebook.com] and Instagram[www.instagram.com] as we’ll have more gameplay to share ahead of the game’s launch on August 20. Until then, check out the Battletoads Microsoft Store page[www.microsoft.com] or wishlist the game on Steam, and get ready to take cover – the Battletoads are back!

The clock is ticking down, the engines of turbo bikes are being revved around the world… it can only mean Battletoads[www.xbox.com] is almost here! After uncovering the tale behind their comeback at Dlala Studios, today we turn our attention to the ’Toads themselves, the story that drives their latest adventure, and what it means to craft a game that’s also an irreverent cartoon comedy.


So who – or what – are the Battletoads? Zitz, Rash and Pimple are outer-space amphibians who are (depending on your point of view) either chaotic mercenaries for hire or famous heroes fighting to defend the galaxy. Historically, the targets of their aggression have been the forces of the Dark Queen – a self-styled empress with dreams of galactic conquest and a bad habit of hurling insults as she orders her animal armies into battle.

Almost three decades on from the Battletoads’ debut outing, new developers Dlala were determined to expand on the series’ traditional irreverence by packing in a full-fledged narrative and plenty of character-driven humor. So let’s introduce the award-winning writers and let them explain how they dragged three ’Toads kicking and screaming into the era of modern animation…


Having decided that the Battletoads would grapple with not only hulking alien thugs but their own egos during their latest adventure, the next step was casting voice actors able to portray flawed, likeable heroes while simultaneously making sure all the gags hit home.

Step forward the confirmed Battletoads voice cast: the team’s fast-fighting leader Zitz is voiced by Ryan Ridley (Rick & Morty, Community), while excitable and unpredictable Rash is handled by Eric Bauza (Looney Tunes, Star Wars Resistance) and unexpectedly philosophical bruiser Pimple is portrayed by Echo Kellum (Arrow, Girlfriend’s Day). The Dark Queen herself is voiced by Siobhan Hewlett (The Show, Brakes). Meanwhile, the game’s writing crew have used their high-caliber comedy credits to give our heroes rich, revitalized personalities, bringing them bang up to date for their 2020 revival.

Of course, there’s still plenty to learn about the story of Battletoads, including more about the mysterious Topians who seem to be pulling the strings – and players will be able to enjoy the twists and turns for themselves when the game launches August 20. Until then, check out the Battletoads Microsoft Store page[www.microsoft.com] or wishlist the game on Steam, dive into our heroes’ original adventures in the Rare Replay collection with Xbox Game Pass, and stay tuned to Rare on Twitter, Facebook[www.facebook.com] and Instagram[www.instagram.com] for breaking news and insider insights. Get ready to take cover – the Battletoads are back!

They say time flies when you’re having fun. Well, we’ve been so focused on building upon the success of Sea of Thieves[www.xbox.com], not to mention unveiling our next project Everwild[www.xbox.com], it’s hard to believe that we’re already reached another significant Rare milestone: this August marks our 35th anniversary! Believe it or not, Rare has been making games and memories since the distant days of 1985.

As part of the celebrations, we’ve added a brand new batch of T-shirts featuring favorite games from the ’80s, ’90s and ’00s to our official online store[www.raregames.store] (with 35% off across the board until August 9), designed a Rare anniversary Xbox One controller that’s available from Xbox Design Lab[xboxdesignlab.xbox.com], and been amazed by the array of fantastic new items being launched by some of our partners – from classic vinyl soundtracks[www.fangamer.com] to collector’s edition sculptures[www.first4figures.com].

Meanwhile, Sea of Thieves is running a special 35th anniversary event[www.seaofthieves.com] to earn in-game rewards, while stunning Rare heritage ship liveries enjoy deep discounts in the Pirate Emporium. There’s a lot going on for our anniversary month – visit Rare’s website[www.rare.co.uk] for the full rundown!

As another way to mark the occasion, we’ve brought together a celebratory selection of Rare music tracks spanning the decades (and some newly arranged treats) that you can stream right now for free. The millions of fans who’ve been introduced to Rare through Sea of Thieves may not be familiar with our history, which consists of more than 100 games including Battletoads, Banjo-Kazooie, Perfect Dark and Viva Piñata. So whether you’re a long-term aficionado or just catching up, we hope you enjoy finding some favorites in this hand-picked collection[open.spotify.com], ordered from past to present! You can enjoy it right now on Spotify, Apple Music and many other streaming services – just search for the 35th Anniversary Collection by Rare All-Stars and let your ears do the rest. It’s a bobby-dazzler!

Alongside Rare’s heritage hits, Toadally Rad[open.spotify.com] – an EP of tracks taken from the soundtrack to the new Battletoads game – is also available for your listening pleasure ahead of the game’s release on August 20. These awesome arrangements come courtesy of the team at Dlala Studios, who are helming the Toads’ latest outing. To meet the Dlala crew, learn more about how the partnership with Rare came to be and sneak a peek at some more Battletoads gameplay and animated cutscenes, check out the first in a series of behind-the-scenes featurettes on our YouTube channel now.

The art of Battletoads is styled after cartoons of the 1990s, and if that thought fills you with Saturday morning nostalgia, now’s your chance to own a piece of the animation process for yourself as we launch a competition[www.facebook.com] to win an authentic cel of the hand-drawn artwork used in the game. All you have to do to enter is create a piece of Battletoads fan art and submit it to us here at Rare on Twitter, Facebook[www.facebook.com] or Instagram[www.instagram.com], tagged with #BattletoadsContest. See our social channels for full details!

If you’re not yet familiar with Zitz, Rash and Pimple, you can dive into two of their earlier adventures as part of Rare Replay, which is available as part of Xbox Game Pass[www.xbox.com] and features 30 full games plucked from Rare’s vast history. If you’re already hyped for their return, Game Pass subscribers can pre-install Battletoads right now, or you can wishlist the game on Steam ahead of its August 20 launch.

Soundtracks, collectibles, giveaways, the imminent return of Battletoads… however you choose to celebrate the 35th anniversary with us, we want to take this opportunity to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who’s joined us on the Rare journey, making games for players old and new. Cheers!

It’s been quite a while – 26 years, in fact – but at long last, the Battletoads are ready to morph, leap and smash their way back into the limelight for an all-new adventure helmed by Dlala Studios and supported by series creator Rare, a partnership first teased during E3 2018’s Xbox showcase.

The ’Toads have kept in shape by making cameos in titles like Killer Instinct and Shovel Knight while reliving past glories via Rare Replay, but this marks the first time since the ’90s that they’re returning as undisputed stars of their own game.

Whether this is your first time encountering the warty warriors or you consider yourself a Battletoads veteran, you won’t have long to wait until the trio burst back onto the scene. We’re announcing today that Battletoads will be available on August 20 for Xbox Game Pass members to download and play on Xbox One and Windows 10, and will also be available to buy on Xbox One, Windows 10 and Steam the same day.

If you’re unfamiliar with the genre-busting gameplay of the Battletoads series, here are the essentials: Zitz, Rash and Pimple are three brawling bruisers from outer space who can morph parts of their bodies to dish out extra destruction. The targets of said destruction, more often than not, are the Dark Queen and her abominable allies, in action that takes place across a variety of beat-’em-up, platforming and racing stages.

The tenacity and split-second reflexes required to beat the original Battletoads has given it a fearsome reputation among fans. Dlala’s new approach focuses on maintaining this mayhem while ensuring you have enough options to play at your own pace. That includes bringing in some buddies for couch co-op, which allows up to three players to drop in and out at will, along with difficulty settings designed to suit everyone from Tadpole to Battletoad. Just like before, you’ll be faced with hugely varied challenges as you play, including new vehicle sections and even some puzzle-solving this time around!

Battletoads’ irreverent sense of humor pays homage to the stylish, self-aware cartoons of the late ’90s, with the new game opting for a distinctive hand-animated style to capture the exaggerated morph attacks and comic timing of the ’Toads. A cartoon also needs gags, which is why the game’s wild story – penned by award-winning writers – unfolds in a number of fully animated sequences featuring professional voice talent.

We’ll have much more to share about the game between now and then, including gameplay deep dives, first glimpses of new collectible merchandise and exclusive giveaways. We’ll also be peeking behind the scenes at Dlala for a look at the creative process that brought this new Battletoads to life. Until then, check out the Xbox store page or wishlist the game on Steam, dive into our heroes’ original adventures in the Rare Replay collection with Xbox Game Pass, and get ready to take cover – the Battletoads are back!