Masterfully silly brawler Gang Beasts gets surprise update with driveable cranes and Hitchcockian bird attacks

A new stage, costumes and avian terrors

Gang Beasts is one of the games I think of when I recall the golden days of video game expos, before Covid rolled up and nuked the business model. It casts you as one of several jellybaby pugilists, fighting for dominance over such locations as Ferris wheels and the tops of speeding vans. All of the characters are 1) seemingly drunk, and 2) subject to real-time physics. Your abilities consist of 1) punching, headbutting or kicking people, perhaps knocking them out for a few seconds, and 2) grabbing people and things and either hoisting them skyward like a wrestler, or hoisting yourself skyward like a toddler climbing onto Mummy's head. The only way of defeating people is to hurl them off-map.

Most rounds of Gang Beasts go like this: an absolutely brainless opening scrum before the participants peel off into separate duels. At least one person will throw themselves off a ledge whilst trying to throw somebody else. People will struggle to see what they're doing because they're sobbing with laughter. And then, the finale: two or more players dangling from a precipice, grimly refusing to let go of each other, until somebody manages to headbutt the player holding onto the building.

I love Gang Beasts. I loved it at expos and I love playing it at home with my family. So I'm tickled punk to learn that the Steam version has received a chonky new update, adding a driveable construction crane level and flocks of vicious, cuddly birds. Here's a trailer.

As detailed in the announcement blog, Update 1.25 adds a new Crane level that "includes the first implementation of our new driveables system, with players being able to jump into the Crane cockpit to take the controls." Weaponising construction equipment? How very Gang Beasts. But watch out, because Crane also harbours some new and angry wildlife. Survive for long enough, and avian hoodlums will swoop down, seize you in their talons and try to fly off with you. The obvious question: if all the players link arms, can the birds pick up everybody at once?

The update also adds a few bird-themed costumes - unfortunately, it doesn't look like they give you the power of flight. This is the first proper Gang Beasts update in years, I think, though there have been smaller patches for bugs and whatnot. Are you still playing? In the course of writing this up, I've learned that there might genuinely be some kind of serious Gang Beasts competitive scene. Leave it to gamers to ruin the fun.