Raccoon Logic knows a lot is riding on Breakaway Hockey League.
The studio behind Journey to the Savage Planet and Revenge of the Savage Planet surprised players in August when it revealed a 4v4 competitive hockey game coming to PC. With the NHL series having long dominated licensed hockey, and PC players having gone years without a traditional 3D hockey experience, Breakaway has already attracted plenty of attention from players looking for something different.
But getting players to notice a new multiplayer game is only the first step. Raccoon Logic wants Breakaway Hockey League to give players a reason to stick around.
Speaking with Insider Gaming for the latest Developer Spotlight, the team explained that one of its biggest goals is creating a hockey game that players can enjoy immediately while still having enough depth to spend hundreds of hours mastering.
“We really want you to immediately come in and do something really cool,” Game Designer Hugo Agostinho said when talking about the game’s approach to accessible controls and competitive depth. “Whether it’s a hit, a shot, a pass, but still have that skill depth where you can have fun in 30 seconds, but you can play for like a hundred-plus hours.”
That philosophy extends beyond the gameplay itself.
Raccoon Logic is aware of how quickly multiplayer games can attract an audience before seeing that audience disappear. They believe that Steam has effectively become the modern equivalent of the arcades many players grew up with, where people could discover something new, have fun with it for a short period, and then move on.
The goal with Breakaway is to find the audience that stays.
“There’s a difference between loving something and wanting to master it over 100 hours versus, like, this is fun for like 5 to 10 hours,” Agostinho said.
That’s particularly important for a competitive sports game. Raccoon Logic isn’t trying to create a hockey experience that players simply pick up for a few matches before moving on to something else. The studio wants Breakaway’s skill-based gameplay to give players a reason to keep learning and improving.
That also explains their decision to avoid positioning Breakaway as some kind of replacement for EA Sports’ NHL franchise.
The team said they don’t want to enter the market by claiming Breakaway is the “new NHL killer,” arguing that doing so could create expectations the game isn’t ready to meet.
“I want to get out early with something where we’re, you know, super honest about where we’re at and build with the community, and make sure we develop and create that community over time rather than come in as like, ‘We’re the new NHL killer’ and overhype it.” game director Steve Masters said.
Masters added that if they come in and are hyperfocused on the core game that delivers, it’ll be better for everyone in the long run.
On the point of the community-focused approach, Masters says it’s a major part of Raccoon Logic’s plans for Breakaway. The game is being developed with Early Access in mind, allowing the team to get the core experience into players’ hands and use their feedback to shape what comes next.
The studio also confirmed that Breakaway has been in development for less than a year. Development began in January, shortly after the completion of its previous project, as Raccoon Logic deliberately sought a faster development process.
Rather than spending years building every feature before launch, the studio wants to establish the core gameplay, get players involved, and continue expanding the game based on what works.
But that doesn’t mean Raccoon Logic is abandoning its vision. The team emphasized that they have a clear direction for Breakaway, but they’re willing to adjust elements of the experience based on player feedback.
Future plans include additional customization, clubs, team identity features, and other systems, but the developers stressed that those aren’t the priority right now.
“Right now we’re making a good hockey game,” Masters said. “And if you come in and join us right now, you can help us shape that.”
And that’s ultimately the bet behind Breakaway Hockey League. Racoon Logic sn’t trying to launch with every possible feature or make promises about becoming the definitive hockey game overnight. Instead, it wants to establish a strong competitive foundation and build from there.
Breakaway Hockey League is currently available to wishlist on Steam. The first gameplay trailer is coming soon, with an Early Access release planned for a later date.
Mike has been covering the gaming industry since 2012, and has reported on some of the largest events in the industry while also working as an investigative reporter. Outside of…
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