Blades of Glory is a fully accessible, arena-based multiplayer fighting game that offers both competitive Player vs. Player (PvP) and cooperative Player vs. Environment (PvE) gameplay. It is a free-to-play experience designed with a rich set of features to support non-visual play, including detailed audio cues and text-to-speech integration.
The core of the game is its deep melee combat system. Players must carefully manage their positioning, as facing your target is crucial for landing attacks. The system includes normal swings, powerful charged attacks with unique effects depending on the weapon type (such as a 360-degree swing for swords or a stun effect for maces), and a shield bash for knockback. Defensively, you can raise a shield to block incoming damage or attempt to parry with your weapon, which can stun your opponent if successful. The game also features tactical items for ranged attacks and the ability to switch between two equipped weapons to vary your strategy.
Before entering combat, players create their ideal warrior in the Customize Equipment menu. Here you can choose your weapons, shield, armor, and a special ability across three saveable loadout templates. A weight system adds a strategic layer, requiring the total weight of your weapons not to exceed your armor's carrying capacity.
Blades of Glory features several distinct game modes:
- Arena Mode: A free-for-all PvP mode where your goal is to defeat other players and survive. When a player is defeated, they drop their weapon, which can be picked up by others.
- Legends Mode: A cooperative PvE mode where you team up with other players to fight waves of powerful monsters and bosses. The challenges are varied, including standard waves, swarms, timed survival waves, and unique guardian waves.
- Duels Mode: A one-on-one PvP mode where you are matched against another player in a best-of-three-rounds battle to determine the winner.
A unique feature is the "Eras" system, where the game's theme, the enemies in Legends mode, and the equipment available in the free in-game shop (the Forge) change every 30 days. This keeps the experience fresh and constantly provides new gear to unlock. The game also includes robust accessibility settings, allowing players to enable text-to-speech, toggle audio cues like range beacons, adjust individual sound volumes, and fully remap keyboard and controller inputs.