Bankrupt Game Studio Reborn, Offering New Game Free for 24 Hours

Former developers from Ronimo Games, the studio behind Awesomenauts, have formed a new company called Rangatang after their original studio went bankrupt in 2023. Their upcoming game, Nubs!: Arena, will launch on May 15 and will be free to keep for anyone who downloads it within the first 24 hours of release.

Nubs!: Arena is a multiplayer arena brawler that allows up to 4 players to compete locally or up to 20 players in online battles. Players begin with basic weapons but can find better equipment throughout the battlefield or take weapons from defeated opponents. Success depends on quick reflexes and collecting roguelite power-ups while avoiding environmental hazards like spikes and lava.

The game has an interesting revival mechanic – when players die, they become floating stars with a chance to return to the fight if they survive long enough in this form. Matches consist of 5 fast-paced rounds, with victory going to whoever collects the most stars.

According to Rangatang co-founder Olivier Thijssen, the current version of Nubs is significantly different from what was being developed at Ronimo before bankruptcy. In a 2024 interview with GamesIndustry, Thijssen explained that the original project was “a super complex half-finished game with a lot of wires sticking out everywhere.” With Rangatang’s smaller team, they had to cut features that would have required “25 or 30 people” to complete.

To help finish the project, Rangatang partnered with Glowfish Interactive, the studio known for developing Trifox. This collaboration has been crucial in bringing the game to completion.

A Steam update from March explains how this partnership “breathed new life into the project,” allowing the team to “refine upon their original vision” while salvaging many assets from their previous work. Rather than starting over, they reworked existing designs, environments, and game mechanics to preserve “the heart of their original game” in the new Nubs!: Arena.

Gamers interested in trying Nubs!: Arena can wishlist it now on Steam before its May 15 release date. Remember, you’ll need to download it within the first 24 hours after launch to get it for free permanently.