Twitch streamer Alexandra Botez has revealed her own video game studio and a chess-themed battle royale she spent three years working on.
Alexandra Botez and her sister Andrea, have been massive names in the chess streaming scene for years, right up there alongside GMHikaru and GothamChess.
While the duo have dabbled into other areas such as poker and DJing, Alexandra is now taking things to another level with her new battle royale, which she described as “if Fortnite and chess had a baby.”
The game, which Botez revealed on October 14, features 40 players on a giant chessboard, and anyone wanting to give it a try can sign up for playtests right now on Steam.
Alexandra Botez reveals ‘Chess Arena’ battle royale game
In a YouTube video going over the game, Botez revealed she had been working in it in secret for a few years, calling it “one of the most meaningful projects I’ve been part of.”
In Chess Arena, developed by Botez’s studio Millions of Monsters, players must pick characters before jumping into a match, each with their special abilities, such as ultimates and passives.
Unlike regular chess, Chess Arena begins with just one piece, a King, and moves are cooldown-based instead of waiting turns and spawning pieces as they level up.
Like Fortnite and other battle royales, there’s a storm that will eliminate players trapped inside as the match progresses.
Alex says there are a few Easter eggs for fans of chess, including an emote that says “The roooook” – a reference to popular chess creator GothamChess.
She’s also working on adding a gremlin version of her sister, Andrea, to the game.
This is only the latest in a growing line of influencers who have started their own gaming studios, but hopefully, this project will last longer than others.
Shroud’s very own tactical shooter, Spectre Divide, only lasted a mere six months before it, and eventually its developer, Mountaintop Studios, shut down.
Meanwhile, Dr Disrespect’s Midnight Society closed before it could ever launch its first game, an extraction shooter called Deadrop.
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