Die by the Blade

About This Game

“No fear, no hesitation, no surprise, no doubt.” – Miyamoto Musashi

Die by the Blade is a 1v1 weapons-focused fighter where the difference between victory and death lies in a single strike of the blade. Choose your weapon and character combination freely to define your moveset, then do battle in neon-soaked back alleys and ancient forests. Take up arms and crush your friends in local or online multiplayer, or test your skills against unknown warriors in online ranked matches.

Do you have what it takes to become a master samurai? Or will you fall like countless others before you?

One-Hit Kills

“The way of the samurai is found in death.” – Yamamoto Tsunetomo

Die by the Blade is a game with no health bars — every strike can mean death.

Victory in these tense, all-or-nothing matches will depend on your ability to read your opponent, parry and avoid their attacks, and exploit their mistakes at a moment’s notice. There is no room for error.

Choose Your Weapon

“Sword and mind must be united.” – Yamada Jirokichi

A true warrior is defined by their mastery of the blade.

Your moveset is determined by your weapon rather than your choice of character. Will you sacrifice your speed for the powerful two-handed nodachi? Or will you overwhelm your enemy with a flurry of strikes from the nimble katana?

Choose your favourite from among a range of diverse characters, or mould them into your ideal warrior through in-depth character and weapon customization features. Each character also features minor stat changes to suit certain playstyles.

Samuraipunk

“Do not follow the footsteps of the ancients; seek what they sought.” – Matsuo Bashō

Die by the Blade is set in a samuraipunk world that fuses traditional Japanese aesthetics with cyberpunk culture.

Fight in the neon-soaked streets of the inner city or among the snowy fields of the Japanese countryside. Don historically inspired armour or kit your character out with a cybernetic mask. Each character and weapon features dozens of components, allowing you to perfectly express your personal style on the battlefield.

Feature List

• Master the one-hit-kill, parrying, and dodging mechanics to withstand a flurry of blows and cut down your opponents in seconds;
• Choose from a range of traditional Japanese blades to define your moveset and playstyle;
• Take on your friends or test your strength against players from around the world with our local and online 1v1 multiplayer;
• Hone your skills in Practice Mode, battle your way through Tournament Mode, or see where you stand in online Ranked matches;
• Explore a samuraipunk world through the game’s arenas: battle in the zen-like calm of a traditional Japanese temple or take the fight to the graffitied streets of the city;
• Make your weapon and warrior your own with in-depth customization features.

Supported using public funding by