Indus, the much-hyped made-in-India battle royale developed by Pune-based SuperGaming, unveiled its latest addition to the yet-to-be-released game — a new playable character. Inspired by Rajasthan's iconic kathputli, the traditional wooden puppets used by theatre artists and storytellers over centuries, the new character has a rather cool moniker — Mech Balika.
Staying true to the Indus lore, which is steeped in deep origin stories, Mech Balika's story could easily remind one of an edgy Pinocchio. Here's the official description: "She's a robot designed to entertain and dance to the will of her creators. Until she chose not to. She broke those chains of control and has taken the fight to Indus."
The reveal trailer doesn't showcase much of her powers, however, her ominous-looking blades could come in handy during close-combat encounters.
Indus, which won the Most Popular Game Award at the India Game Developer Conference (IGDC) earlier this year, is yet to get an official release date. SuperGaming usually chooses Indian holidays to announce new revelations to Indus. Staying true to the trends, it could be speculated that the Indus closed beta could be released on January 26 in the coming year. iOS users might also get a chance to pre-register starting Republic Day 2024. Given how tight-lipped the studio has been so far, it is highly advised to consider this information with a pinch of salt.
Staying true to its holiday-special revelations, on Diwali this year, Indus introduced another new playable tank character, named Pokhran.
According to the in-game narrative, Pokhran is described as a nuclear automaton created by Homi J Bhabha, the historical figure recognised for his pivotal role in India's pursuit of nuclear independence. Bhabha, often referred to as the 'Father of the Indian Nuclear Programme,' played a crucial role in the country's nuclear research, leading to advancements in both energy production and the historic nuclear detonation in 1974.
SuperGaming released an unveiling video of the new character on its social media platforms. By the looks of it, Pokhran could very well turn out to be a tank character to help players power through waves of enemies.
The Indus battle royale is designed for multiple platforms, including mobile, PC, and consoles. Pre-registrations are currently available on Google Play for Android users.