The action game Naraka Bladepoint was able to set a new peak of player numbers on Steam, although a journalist believes that the large skill gap deters Western players.
Which game is it about? Naraka Bladepoint (PC, Xbox, PS5) is a battle royale released in August 2021 that focuses on action-packed combat and parkour movement. You can climb towers, mountains, or houses and swing through the air with a grappling hook.
In addition to ranged weapons like bows, Naraka Bladepoint primarily focuses on melee combat with swords or staffs. Additionally, there are various potions that can heal you or provide boosts.
Gameplay-wise, Naraka Bladepoint is characterized by the mix of melee attacks and fast movement, and it is visually set in an Asian fantasy setting.
Why has Naraka Bladepoint suddenly gained so many players? Naraka Bladepoint was released on July 13, 2023, for the PS5 and simultaneously transitioned to free-to-play. The game can now be played for free. Previously, players had to pay between €19.99 and €50 for the battle royale, depending on the version.
With the F2P transition on July 13, the player numbers on Steam also skyrocketed. Naraka Bladepoint was able to set a new peak with 192,000 simultaneous active players. The old record was 186,707 players and dates back to December 2021. In June 2023, Naraka had an average of 39,403 players, with a peak of 133,315.
Journalist believes the skill gap is too high for Western players
Who says Europeans are too bad for the game? Jake Lucky is a US gaming journalist who reports about games and streamers on Twitter. On July 12, Jake Lucky spoke in a post about Naraka Bladepoint and said he was curious about how the game would perform in Western countries after transitioning to F2P.
He speculated that the skill gap might be one of the reasons why the game has never been as successful in Western countries, including Europe, as it is in Asia. There, Naraka Bladepoint is “huge” (via Twitter).
Why Jake Lucky believes that the skill gap is only a problem for Western players, he did not explain in detail. However, in the comments, there were both players who shared his assessment and players who saw the problem more in too many bots in public lobbies.
Why is the skill gap a problem? The skill gap refers to the difference in abilities among individual players. The greater the skill gap, the greater the difference between players and their skills.
In Naraka Bladepoint, for example, extremely skilled players meet complete newcomers. This can cause frustration in a battle royale, as there is no respawn. This means that if you lose a confrontation in Naraka Bladepoint, you’re out and have to look for a new match.
Former MeinMMO author Marko Jevtic was discouraged by this situation. He described the combat system as “genius,” but found it frustrating in combination with the “battle royale” game mode.
Although he masters games like Sekiro and Elden Ring effortlessly, he repeatedly encountered players in Naraka Bladepoint who “easily demolished” him and had tricks that he did not understand while watching or were not taught by the game.
You can read Marko Jevtic’s complete report on MeinMMO:
Naraka: Bladepoint could be the best battle royale on Steam if it weren’t so frustrating
