Inside ‘Bleeding Edge’ – a great multiplayer game for those who are sick of Fortnite

Ninja Theory’s first foray into online multiplayer action strives to do something new with the genre – and succeeds in style, says Louis Chilton

Gizmo is created in the game's anime-influenced art style (Ninja Theory)

For the last decade, the world of online gaming has seemed like a gold rush; every so often, somebody gets to yell “bonanza!” Games like Fortnite, League of Legends and Overwatch have managed to slip into the bloodstream of the popular imagination, accumulating tens of millions of players, all competing against each other from the comforts of their own home.

With the coronavirus pandemic forcing everybody indoors for the long haul, it’s no surprise that online gaming numbers have shot up. In a time of social distancing, online gaming is a means of bringing people closer together. All of which is to say that Bleeding Edge, the new multiplayer battle game from developer Ninja Theory, could not have come at a better time.

Since the juggernaut success of Fortnite, online gaming has pivoted its attention towards battle royale-style setups, in which players are pitted against each other, vying to be the last person standing. Bleeding Edge was to be something totally different – something quite unlike anything that has come before.