Icons: Combat Arena was an indie fighting game that combined an Overwatch aesthetic with the gameplay that crossed between Super Smash Bros. Melee and Project M. Created by WaveDash Games, it featured a talented group of developers who wanted to bring a refined product to the platform fighting genre.
But it had struggles all throughout its life; the trailer for the game had a lukewarm reception, with many people criticizing the rough animations and how the characters seemed too blatantly copied from Melee. When the game dropped in July 2018, it was featured at events such as Super Smash Con, but it failed to take off; a combination of trying to appeal to a niche market and not providing a unique, exciting enough product to draw that niche in. By October 2018, most of the staff had been laid off at WaveDash Games, and by November 2018, the game’s servers were shut down.
In October 2019, however, Icons was given a proper send off with Icons: Legacy Edition, which provides an update for a lag-free offline mode among other things.
What Is Icons: Legacy Edition?
Icons: Legacy Edition is the definitive version of Icons: Combat Arena, and will be the last version of the game barring small updates to fix bugs.
In a post-mortem with DualShockers, WaveDash Games founder Christopher Kovalik revealed that, in the aftermath of WaveDash Games failing, he founded a new company called Vortex and purchased WaveDash Games in an attempt to salvage Icons and provide fans of the game with the promised definitive edition.
Icons: Legacy Edition features a lag-free offline mode, online PvP, as well as all the bells and whistles such as costumes, taunts, and victory poses, among other cosmetic benefits. The game will feature all the characters unlocked from the start, which eliminates the paywall that drew criticism when Icons was released back in July 2018.
Is Icons: Legacy Edition Worth Getting?
This update of Icons is the most polished version of the game, but it won’t fix anything for you if the gameplay or lack of originality was your biggest gripe. The entire game being available for $4.99 is a pretty big steal (although the original was free-to-play) so if you happened to enjoy the original game, it could be worth getting. But unless you’re a diehard platform fighter fan who’s yearning for every possible experience, there isn’t much here that you can’t find elsewhere.
Icons: Legacy Edition can be found on Steam.