Robocraft

Robocraft is a competitive multiplayer shooter in which players build their own robots and pit them against each other. Crates earned after each match contain parts that can be used in future builds.

Robocraft is a free-to-play competitive third-person shooter, in which customized robots battle in an arena. Individual pieces of opposing robots can be shot off, which affects their ability to fight back or to pilot their robot effectively.

  • Movement is enabled on the robot by adding any combination of movement pieces: Wheels, Hover Blades, Thrusters, Wings, Helium Tanks, Mech Legs, and more.
  • Firepower is added to one's robot by adding weapons: rapid-fire Lasers, splash-damage Plasma Launchers, long-range precision Rail Guns, melee Tesla Blades, spread-fire Ion Distorters, Lock-On Missile Launchers, and more, including variations of many of the aforementioned weapons with different trade-offs.
  • Modules are functional pieces that allow unique abilities like a short-range teleport Blink Module, an invisibility Ghost Module, a deployable defensive Disc Shield Module, and more.
  • Each robot has a limit to the maximum amount of cubes and other functional parts that can be placed on it (measured as "CPU pFLOPS"). The limit is 2000 CPU.
  • The basis of a robot design is made out of health cubes and light cubes, and each of those come in different shapes to adjust the look of a robot as desired. Light cubes are the same size as health cubes, but they take up 3 CPU and have more health per cube at one fifth of the weight, allowing for smaller, lighter robot designs. Each cube placed, no matter which type, will apply a health boost of a small percentage to all parts on a robot, but light cubes apply a smaller boost percentage.
  • Speed boost is applied by adding thrusters or propellers to bots, which raises the maximum speed in the direction that thrust is applied. There is no hard speed cap, and adding thrusters up to the CPU limit will continually increase the speed of a robot based on the movement parts' base speed.
  • Damage boost is applied for every CPU not spent. In a non-linear curve, there is 100% damage boost at 0 CPU and 0% damage boost at 2000 CPU. A robot can be made to deal more damage essentially at the cost of speed or health.
  • Players can earn or buy loot crates that drop new parts or bundles of currency of different rarities, ranging from Common to Legendary. These crates are awarded at the end of a match, with the quality of a crate depending on the player's position on the scoreboard, and are also given out as a daily login bonus, with the quality of the crate going up by one tier for each consecutive daily login.
  • Cosmetics will be found only in crates, and they can be added to a bot without compromising its design with a reserved set of Cosmetic CPU.
  • XP is used to level up the player's account. Each level-up awards an additional crate.
  • If a player wants to acquire a particular part, currently-owned parts can be "recycled" into a currency called Robits, and parts can be purchased a la carte with this currency.
  • Players utilizing the game's clan functionality will receive a Robit payout at the end of the month, determined by the amount of XP its contributing members earned during that month, in what are called "clan seasons".

Game Modes

Note that while there are several modes in Robocraft, Team Deathmatch and Battle (or League) Arena are the only multiplayer modes that will always be available. Elimination and The Pit may still show up as Brawl game types but are otherwise unavailable outside of .

  • Play vs. AI - The player is placed into a game of Team Deathmatch where all allies and enemies are AI-controlled.
  • Team Deathmatch - Two teams of 5 try to score as many kills of the opposing team as possible until a score limit is reached or time runs out.
  • Battle Arena - Available in ranked and unranked modes in which two teams of 5 attempt to capture and hold 3 mining locations to build up energy for their reactor. When one team controls all three points, the enemy's reactor shield is removed and energy can be stolen from the reactor by shooting crystals. At the 5- and 10-minute marks, if there is a score disparity, a Protonite Core crystal will appear at a central location of the map. If the losing team manages to destroy this core in time, their team acquires the difference in score between the two teams. When one team's reactor is charged to 100%, the orbiting "Annihilator" ship of the winning team destroys the enemy reactor.
  • Brawl - A game type that rotates every few weeks with custom rules and variations on either Team Deathmatch, Battle Arena, Elimination, or The Pit. Certain parts may be restricted and certain numerical values may be changed from how they normally behave.
  • Custom Game - Players can organize their own private game of Battle Arena, Team Deathmatch, or Elimination, with up to 5 players on each team. Custom games of The Pit are still free-for-alls. Future plans for this mode include sliders and adjustments for many of the game's variables, like health multipliers, damage multipliers, the match timer, or whether or not health regeneration is enabled.
  • Elimination - Two teams of 10 try to eliminate the other team in combat with no respawns.
  • The Pit - A 10-player free-for-all mode in which every player attempts to score as many kills for themselves as possible. Partial points are awarded for contributing to someone else's kill.
  • Battle Arena (legacy version, no longer available) - Taking cues from the MOBA genre, the goal is for two teams of 8 players to try to destroy the opposing team's reactor core. A regenerative shield around a team's reactor core will be active as long as a team controls at least one of three towers on the map, with more benefits awarded as more towers are controlled. Players' robots will "overclock" the more towers they control, the more they heal allies, and the more they damage enemy players. Unlike a MOBA, there are no "creeps" or AI-controlled units of any kind.

Update History

  • On November 2014, EasyAntiCheat (EAC) was added to the game to counteract various different cheats like instant reloading. On December 9, 2014, Tank Tracks and Tesla Blades were added, alongside several new features.
  • On February 18, 2015, the "Dawn of the Megabots" update was released. Queues for new modes "Megaboss" and "Challenge Mode" were added around the addition of megabots, extremely large robots for high level players. Rotor blades were added to allow players to build helicopter-like robots.
  • On April 30, 2015, the "Respawned and Overclocked" update was released. This added a new core battle mode to the game (later called Battle Arena) in which tower objectives were added to the maps containing crystals that each team would have to shoot. This update introduced concepts such as healing and overclocking to the game for the first time.
  • On June 24, 2015, the controversial update "Team Orders" was released. Armor restrictions and requirements were placed on players in order to matchmake into a particular tier. The titular additions from this update were the new map pings at the player's disposal: "On My Way", "Danger", and "Go Here". Features like surrender votes, penalties for leaving a match early, and improved post-battle stats were also introduced.
  • On July 28, 2015, "Robocraft: Unleashed" was released. After a heated response from the community, most build restrictions from the Team Orders update were removed.
  • On August 27, 2015, "Legends of the Pit" was released, which introduced the free-for-all deathmatch mode, The Pit.
  • On September 24, 2015, the update "Share, Drive, Fight" was released. This marked the release of the Community Robot Factory, which allowed players to rent other players' robots or buy them for real money. This was also the first time players could test out their robots against AI players, though their behavior patterns were very basic.
  • On October 22, 2015, the "League of Mechs" update was released. This update added mech legs as a new movement type as well as a ranked "league" version of the Battle Arena game mode.
  • On December 17, 2015, the update "Full Spectrum Combat" was released. This was the first update to implement "The Vision" proposed by Freejam on their forums (most notably, "Realising the Vision: Chapter 7"). This updated included an update to the Unity 5 game engine, the ability to paint cubes, and the collapse of all armor cubes to one type. However, a variety of new armor cube shapes were introduced. In addition, up to 25 garage slots are now free for all users. Hotly debated on the forums was the removal of the Pilot seat, a notable design feature since the early days of Robocraft that previously provided a single weak point that robots needed to be designed around in order to protect it.
  • On March 3, 2016, "Maximum Loadout" was released. This update introduced the ability to use multiple weapon types on a single robot. In addition to this, the maximum pFLOP was increased to 1750 at Level 150. Firing weapons drains the power of your bot, which then regenerates over time, though it is possible to get a power module which reduces this cooldown from 10 seconds to 8. In addition to this, two new modules have been added to the game. The DSM, or Disc Shield Module, deploys a stationary shield, which can be fired through only by the team of the player that deployed it and has a long cooldown. In addition to this, the BLM, or Blink Module, allows robots to warp forward a relatively long distance at the expense of massive power consumption and a short cooldown. A controversial change in this update was the removal of megabots. Freejam and a significant portion of the community saw megabots as a "failed experiment" that either actively hindered the quality of the game in modes like Team Deathmatch (now called Elimination) or resulted in very uneven queue times when placed in their own mode like Megaboss.
  • On April 13, 2016, the update "Ghosts in the Machine" added the Ion Distorter, a futuristic shotgun, and the Ghost Module, which allows invisibility at the expense of your power meter.
  • On April 28, 2016, a controversial update named "Epic Loot" switched currency and got rid of the tech tree, allowing players to buy any parts without needing to level up. The currency RP (free, earned currency) and GC (real-money currency that could be purchased in packs) were removed and replaced with a singular free currency called Robits. Players' banked RP, and all RP prices in the shop, were divided by 63 in this conversion in order to make prices more readable. This update also removed cube depots and introduced crates as one of the only two sources of parts in-game, the only other way being to recycle weapons or other items into Robits, which can then be used to forge parts. In the wake of this release, though likely unrelated, Steam incorporated "recent user reviews" to show what a game has been like lately in light of recent updates. Approximately one month after the Epic Loot update, the recent (30-day) review score on Steam reflected a 33% rating of "Mostly Negative" while the game as a whole, including all lifetime user reviews on Steam, had a "Mostly Positive" 76% review score. Users often cite a longer grind as a result of the switch to loot crates as the reason for their dislike of the update.
  • On June 2, 2016, the "Battle For Earth" update added a new traditional Team Deathmatch mode, where two teams try to earn the most kills, on a brand new map that takes place on Earth and is used only in this mode. The previous Team Deathmatch mode was renamed to Elimination and functioned the same as it always had, in which every player gets one life with no respawns to try to eliminate the enemy team. Also new to this update was the addition of player avatars. A major game update was released on June 30 adding a smaller variation of the aeroflak gun as well as rebalancing the game's power meter such that robots with more CPU get more power with which to use their weapons and modules. This power rebalance was meant to address the problem of experienced players with high-end weapons taking advantage of low-CPU matches against new players, whose robots tend to be more fragile.
  • On July 14, 2016, the "Enter the Shredzone" update added two new high-CPU parts: the minigun-esque Chain Shredder and the area of effect disabling EMP Module. This update marks the first time that game had a basic tutorial system, introducing the player to the basics of building a robot, moving it around, and engaging in combat. Also new in this update is an expanded single player mode. The previous iteration of single player mode would put a player on a map with robots that didn't attempt very much to actually fire back at the player but rather just move around to provide moving targets. For the first time in this update, pulling robot designs from the community, the player was placed into a Team Deathmatch game where all allies and enemies were AI-controlled for the player to practice against. On August 4, the "Strut Your Stuff" update added struts, high-HP support pieces, as well as more advanced information readouts in the build mode and general balance updates to some weapons.
  • On September 6, 2016, the "Roboclans Alpha" update was released. Apart from the usual balance changes, as the name implies, this update provides preliminary clan functionality, where players can join and create clans with their own lists of players and clan logos. There were also robust changes to the game's chat system, showing chat history, providing as many channels as the player likes, and giving users commands for advanced control. Platoons, the existing system for players to ensure that they're on the same team once a match has been made, have been renamed to "parties", representing future changes coming to the system. This update paves the way for future updates to clans, parties, and other social features. The existing tutorial was also expanded on slightly in this update, making movement controls clearer to new players and showing the first bits of in-game story as a backdrop to the game's multiplayer conflicts. On September 30, sprinter legs, less-armored but faster-moving versions of mech legs, were added.
  • On October 6, 2016, the "Clan Party" update was released. Front and center in the changes for this update were changes to the party system, which was given a more modern widget in the corner of the screen for managing one's party and showing whether or not other players have readied up. Previously, 2 of the 5 party slots were only available to the party leader if they had a premium membership. This update marks the first time that all party slots are available to free players. Changes to premium memberships were also made. For $50, or the regional equivalent, lifetime premium membership has been made available. Also, to address concerns of players saying that the game's grind is too long (ever since the Epic Loot update), players with premium memberships get three times as many Robits for recycling unwanted parts and blocks than free players do. Bundles of crates and time-limited premium are still available in the shop. For players launching the game through Steam, Steam trading cards were also added. On October 20, the "Cash of Clans" supplementary update was released, including the game's first clan season that pays out Robit rewards at the end of a month.
  • On November 17, 2016, the "Fast and Formidable" update was released. Maximum speed was increased for all movement parts, but they are now more affected by weight, where heavier bots will move slower than lighter bots. Also, while the game previously tied the maximum allowed CPU to the player's account level, now all players have access to a full 2000 CPU, up from the previous 1750, but with the trade-off of larger bots having less weapon energy. This was done in part to provide more depth and diversity to building but also to improve matchmaking; up to this point in the game's history, bots with more CPU would nearly always have native advantages against bots with less CPU. On December 8, a localization update was released to add support for 10 additional languages. On January 12, propellers were added as a high-speed movement part intended to propel heavier aircraft.
  • On February 16, 2017, Robocraft received a Matchmaking Update. ELO was implemented for the first time to ensure better matchmaking since tiers were removed. Two separate rankings were implemented: one for Normal Mode (Battle Arena), which is visible to all players, and one for Basic Mode (Team Deathmatch and Brawl), which is hidden. This ensures that Normal Mode is the go-to mode for competitive players pursuing higher ranks and that players in less competitive modes are still matched against players of similar skill for more interesting matches.
  • On March 2, 2017, Robocraft was promoted from alpha to beta. New in this update was a replacement for Normal Mode, reduced to 5v5 instead of 8v8, with different objective types than the legacy Battle Arena mode. Maps were overhauled and redesigned, clearly echoing the design of the previous maps but with more focus on symmetry and providing adequate (but not total) coverage from long-range or aerial threats. Because the new maps are smaller than the old ones, they also received a graphical update, allegedly at no additional cost to system requirements. On March 30, the names "Normal Mode" and "Basic Mode" were removed in favor of their previous names, "Battle Arena" and "Team Deathmatch", and an unranked Battle Arena queue was added alongside League Arena, with League Arena providing additional XP and crates as an incentive. On May 4, radar parts were removed in favor of a passive spotting system, and the Windowmaker module was added so that players can spot the enemy team through walls on a cooldown.
  • On May 11, 2017, the first iteration of custom game functionality was released. This marks the first time that players can choose their opponents and vary team sizes to be less than 5v5 if they desire. On May 18, some improvements were added to custom game functionality, and piles of Robits became available in crates in different amounts and rarities.
  • On June 1, 2017, Robocraft got a "Wheely Big Update". Wheels were completely overhauled to resolve long-standing physics and control issues that prevented them from staying competitive with newer movement types; they were also resized so that there was a more gradual progression from small to large wheels as their rarity increased. Also new in this update, alongside many balance changes, was a new, smaller version of the Lock-On Missile Launcher called "LOML Stinger". The larger LOML has been renamed to "LOML Viper". On June 15, custom games received a few additional options, and nanos (healing guns) were reworked; instead of shooting beams like they used to, it shoots healing projectiles with a soft lock-on.
  • On June 30, 2017, the "Return of the Mega" update was released. Mega bots were made available once again, but to avoid the problems with placing them in game modes before, they've been restricted to custom games only. A mega bot is now defined as any bot between 2001 and 10000 CPU. New custom game options were also added, and balance changes were implemented. On July 13, the first of several significant changes to the building system was rolled out. The highest-tiered "TX" cubes of old were brought back as "light cubes" for 3 CPU, 3x the HP of normal cubes (renamed "health cubes"), and one fifth of the weight. The idea is that it will allow players to build smaller and lighter at max CPU, in preparation of changes coming to the energy system. Blocks also now boost the health of all parts on a player's bot, meaning that the more cubes you put on your bot, the longer your weapons and other parts will take to get shot off.
  • On July 27, 2017, Robocraft got an "Aerofoil Update". Since the primary game mode now relies on stopping on control points to capture them, planes were at a disadvantage, since they need to constantly keep moving. The new wings, or aerofoils, were retrofitted into VTOL-style (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) parts so that they can come to a stop and hover, making planes easier to control. Also introduced in this update, similar to the health boost system in the previous update, is a speed boost. Adding movement parts and thrusters to a robot will increase its speed boost, which raises the maximum speed that it can reach. For the first time in the game's history, this patch made it so that there are no longer any hard speed caps except for how many thrusters and movement parts can fit into a robot's CPU limits. On August 10, the final boost system, damage boost, was implemented alongside new robot copy features. The lower the robot's CPU, the more damage boost percentage they get, up to 100% boost. Robots are able to be copied as many times as desired, but the copied bot cannot be edited unless the user has the available parts in their inventory to forge the robot in its entirety. This update also implemented a new larger variant of the rail gun called the Impaler.
  • On August 24, 2017, Robocraft released from Early Access with "1.0". In addition to some balance changes, cosmetics were given "Cosmetic CPU" so that they can be added to a bot without affecting the boost systems. All cosmetics were changed to have 0 mass and 0 HP so that they don't risk affecting gameplay. On September 21, there was an update that added the Gyro Mortar, an arcing splash damage weapon, as well as a few extra options around camera control methods.
  • On November 16, 2017, the Body Builder update was released. In addition to the usual balance changes and bug fixes, pre-made bodies can be selected as a basis for making new robots quickly if the player doesn't wish to build a robot from scratch. All health cubes were also made completely free so that players can experiment and build more freely. The game finally received a long-awaited Undo button in the build mode to undo mistakes.

Robocraft is currently available for Windows, Mac OS-X, and Linux.

System Requirements

  • OS: Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7/8/8.1/10, Mac OS X 10.7+, or Ubuntu 10.10+
  • Processor: Intel dual core or better with SSE2 support or equivilent AMD family
  • Memory: 4 GB RAM
  • Graphics: Shader Model 3.0 Compatible GPU
  • Network: Broadband Internet connection
  • Hard Drive: 1 GB available space
  • Resolution: Minimum resolution 1024x768