Zero Microtransactions and 4-Player Zelda-Style Dungeons: Scramble Knights Online Joins Xbox Game Pass Today
Late October continues to deliver fresh indie surprises for Microsoft subscribers. Just days after the whimsical puzzle-platformer Dodo Duckie waddled onto the service on October 22, Scramble Knights Online officially launches Day One into Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass today, October 26, 2026. Developed and self-published by California indie studio Funktronic Labs, this multiplayer action-RPG arrives via Game Preview on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and Xbox Cloud Gaming (alongside its Steam Early Access debut priced at $12.99 USD).
Featuring full Xbox Play Anywhere support and seamless cross-play between Xbox consoles and PC players right out of the gate, the release rounds out a busy month alongside the 7 new games confirmed for Xbox Game Pass in late October. Even better for returning adventurers: if you spent time grinding through the recent public demo, all of your character progression and collected loot carry straight over into today's launch build.
Classic Zelda Heritage Meets 4-Player Co-Op Dungeon Crawling
Originally prototyped as a 32-player arena brawler before being rebuilt from the ground up into a cooperative "MMO-lite" action-RPG, Scramble Knights Online invites knights-in-training to explore the connected fantasy archipelago of Terracott. With its vibrant tilt-shift diorama visuals, top-down camera, classic heart containers, and green gems hidden in the grass, the adventure pays direct homage to The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past on Super Nintendo blended with the chaotic teamwork of Four Swords.
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Whether venturing out solo or grouping up in online squads of up to 4 players, quests take you across lush coastal regions like Greenfield Falls, sandy beaches, and multi-room dungeons packed with environmental puzzles and hidden secrets. Real-time combat revolves around dodge rolls, shield parries, bow shots, and charged spear or sword strikes against swarms of Giga Slymes, Daze Bandits, boulder-tossing Kurabs, and towering dungeon bosses such as the Void Knight.
Running out of hearts mid-fight does not relegate you to a static spectator screen either. Thanks to the game's signature Chicken Mode, fallen knights temporarily transform into chickens that can trot alongside surviving teammates until a revive window opens up.
Town Square Social Hub, Gear Forging, and Zero Microtransactions
Between dungeon expeditions, the entire progression loop revolves around the Town Square, a persistent communal village hub where players gather online. Around the central chicken fountain, knights can chat, fish by the docks, check the notice board with the Quest Maiden, and group up under the Embark archway before heading back into the wilds.
Every monster drop and resource gathered in the field (wood, leather, cloth, slime juice, and royal artifacts) feeds directly into the village workshops. By visiting the Crafting Table, the Blacksmith, and the Upgrade Knight, you can forge new weapon schemas and reinforce your armor tiers. For players seeking competitive thrills, an optional faction PvP system (such as pledging to the Red Faction) lets consenting squads clash over resources in the field without ever forcing PvP on purely cooperative groups.
Just as importantly, Funktronic Labs has committed to a refreshingly clean monetization model for its Early Access and Game Preview journey:
- Zero Microtransactions and Zero Pay-to-Win: The game contains no premium currency shops, loot boxes, or paid progression shortcuts. Every piece of gear is earned through dungeon runs and village crafting.
- Full 1-Star Starting Tier at Launch: Today's build includes the complete 1-Star starting region (offering roughly 5 hours of foundational quests) alongside repeatable faction PvP, with plans to expand across 4 star tiers and around 40 hours of content by version 1.0.
- A Cozy Companion to Dodo Duckie: Today's arrival pairs nicely with Dodo Duckie (by developer BornMonkie and publisher Solo Game), which joined Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, and PC Game Pass on October 22 and lets players use a magical cap to shift perspectives between 2D side-scrolling and 3D platforming to rescue kidnapped chicken friends from aliens.
My Perspective
As someone who grew up obsessing over top-down Zelda adventures, seeing Scramble Knights Online land Day One on Xbox Game Pass is the smartest move Funktronic Labs could have made. Four-player co-op dungeon crawlers thrive when there is zero friction to getting your whole friend group into the same lobby. Combine full Xbox-to-PC cross-play, demo save carry-over, and a strict no-microtransaction policy with a charming Town Square where everyone shows off their freshly forged armor, and you have an easy recommendation for your next co-op night.
Based on the outskirts of New York City, Chaya 'Chayane' spent five years studying software engineering in Montreal before returning to her home state. A Full-Stack developer and Deep Learning AI architecture researcher, she explores neural networks and algorithmic optimization while engineering data pipelines for Retrocharting and Gamescharting alongside Grimtag. A gamer for over 20 years and an avid collector of Nintendo history and The Legend of Zelda, she explored World of Warcraft's Azeroth before bringing her deep technical background to video game analysis.
