Chess 2: The Sequel • Eurogamer.net

Chess 2: The Sequel gets a release date on Steam

The Ouya version is coming back following Microsoft row.

Chess 2: The Sequel, the arguably improved version of the classic game, is coming to PC via Steam on 19th August.

Designed by master game designer David Sirlin - best known as the man who rebalanced the Street Fighter crew for Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo HD Remix - Chess 2 rearranges the ancient board game's essential components in a way that makes it less reliant on rote memorisation. It now features six different types of armies with their own unique bonuses. For example, the Empowered's bishops, knights, and rooks gain each other's movement powers when adjacent to one another, while the Reaper class is described as a "haunted army with teleportation and immortality."

Additionally, you can now win by getting the king across the midline. There's even economic-based combat where you can contest a loss by spending a certain number of limited resources called stones. Players each decide how many stones they'd like to spend, then reveal their hand at the same time. So it's basically battle by silent auction.

Microsoft court order has removed Chess 2: The Sequel's servers

"I'm pretty outraged at Microsoft and the federal government."

After several hundred years Chess finally received a sequel with Chess 2: The Sequel, an asymmetrical variant of the classic game with six armies and a host of new rules in place. Sure it sounds crazy, but that didn't stop our Chris Donlan from being rather smitten by it. The updated version of the classic game premiered in January on Ouya and is slated for an upcoming Steam and iPad release. Only there's now one problem: the game's servers have been shut down following a court order by Microsoft.

Developer Ludeme Games addressed the issue on Twitter where it stated, "Microsoft issued a federal court order and seized the domain used for Chess 2."

The Chess 2 developer then railed, "I'm pretty outraged at Microsoft and the federal government for taking down Chess 2. How is this their right?"

Chess 2: The Sequel checks in next week on Ouya

It's about time.

After hundreds of years Chess' highly anticipated sequel is on the horizon with Chess 2: The Sequel launching exclusively on Ouya on 21st January.

So what does the sequel add to the maybe-not-so-timeless-after-all classic? Quite a lot as a matter of fact, as it's been retooled by David Sirlin, the man responsible for the rebalanced cast of Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo HD Remix.

To start with, there's an all new way to win in Chess 2. Dubbed the "midline invasion," you can now win if you get your king across the midpoint. This new ulterior motive should put a huge new wrinkle in the a game of tried and true strategies.