Rollerdrome dev video takes a look at its retro-futuristic combat skateparks

Pop a flip, land a headshot

Rollerdrome is set to drop into the rink soon. Today, Roll7 and Private Division showed off the level design of this new blend of skating and shooting.

Initially revealed during Sony’s State of Play in June, Rollerdrome is a retro-futuristic game that mixes combat arenas and shooting with roller skates and sick tricks. As the player drops into arenas with both guns and skates on-hand, they’ll need to navigate around and take out enemies in increasingly creative ways.

In the video, Roll7’s studio creative director John Ribbins and Rollerdrome senior 3D level designer Jacob Mills discuss how this is a bit of a departure. Roll7 is known for its OlliOlli games, including this year’s excellent OlliOlli World.

Those games are linear. They involve moving down a track, hitting tricks along the way. But Rollerdrome is a bit different.

Combat arenas in Rollerdrome are open and free to pick apart at the player’s discretion. So the team had to create a bit of flow to the arenas, teaching ideas along the way. They bring up evolving objectives, like going from eliminating an enemy to eliminating one while wallriding, as a way to do this.

Xtreme combat

It’s a sick concept, and one I’m excited to see from Roll7. OlliOlli World seemed like the team really hitting a new stride with its skateboarding, but Rollerdrome is the team moving into both a 3D space and adding some combat too.

The visual throwback game will also get a special introductory price. On Steam and for PlayStation Plus members, Rollerdrome will have a price offer of $19.79. Then, after the offer’s over, the game will bump up to $29.99 on Steam and the PlayStation Store. Rollerdrome will also be included in the PlayStation Plus Premium game trials at launch.

Rollerdrome rolls out for PC, PlayStation 4, and Ps5 on August 16.