Bow-wow Battle
| Bow-wow Battle | |
|---|---|
 Header of the Steam page | |
| Developer | M.Katsu |
| Engine | Godot 4 |
| Platform | Windows |
| Release |
|
| Genre | Fighting |
| Modes | Single player, multiplayer |
Bow-wow Battle (Japanese: ワンワンバトル, Hepburn: Wanwan Batoru) is an upcoming Japanese fighting video game developed by indie game developer M.Katsu. An early access version was released on Steam on May 1, 2026.
Gameplay
[edit]Bow-wow Battle is a fighting game where the player plays as a dog and battles by barking into the microphone to push a tug of war-like gauge, which is based on the loudness and frequency of the barking.[1][2]
There are multiple modes, including an online multiplayer mode, a story mode called "Dog Road" where the player fights eight different dogs, such as a puppy in a park and a legendary dog, and becomes the "Dog Path Champion". There is also a survival mode called "Crab Survival", in which the player blows away the crabs attacking with five types of items being dropped to help the player.[3][4][5] The game also features an in-game currency called WP (Wan Points) gained from winning battles and completing daily challenges, which is automatically generated each day. The in-game currency can be used to buy dog breeds.[6] He also added a feature, currently in beta, where the player can control a cursor by barking at the microphone with one bark to "confirm", two barks to move the cursor, and three barks to cancel.[7][2]
The developer plans to add dog breeds, including pugs, huskies, and dobermanns, as well as adding a ranking system consisting of six levels ranging from "puppy" to "god dog".[5][1]
Development and release
[edit]It was developed by indie game developer M.Katsu. The developer said that the idea of the game came after seeing two dogs barking at each other in a park. He coded the game on Godot 4. The tug of war system of the game was based on another game he is making as a hobby, where the player presses a button to push the gauge. He incorporates the mechanics but changes the button pressing to barking. He said that he does not have experience with game development and learned programming on his own. He also said that he relies on AI tools for complex coding during development. The illustrations were also generated by AI. He also said that he was having a hard time coding the speech recognition for the barking.[7]
The game was announced on April 7, 2026.[4] The game was released on early access on Steam for Windows on May 1, 2026.[1] The developer plans to fully release the game around late 2026 to early 2027.[5]
Reception
[edit]By April 12, 2026, 10,000 wishlisted the game. An X post of the gaming news website 4Gamer.net had 13 million impressions after a week of release of the early access.[7]
Hirotaka Yamaguchi of Otakuma Keizai Shimbun praised the uniqueness of the game, adding that it is "visually appealing".[6]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c にじさんじの加賀美ハヤトさんが『ワンワンバトル』を大声とデスボイスで無双。5月2日の三枝明那さんの配信を皮切りに、にじさんじで大流行の“吠えゲー” [Nijisanji's Kagami Hayato dominates "Bow-wow Battle" with his loud voice and death growl. The "barking game" trend, which began with Saegusa Akina's stream on May 2nd, is a huge hit within Nijisanji.]. Denfaminico Gamer (in Japanese). May 19, 2026. Retrieved May 21, 2026.
- ^ a b 『ワンワンバトル』マイクに向けて「ワン！」と吠える、犬なりきり対戦ゲーム。世界中のプレイヤーとリアルタイムで競える【5月1日発売】 ["Bow-wow Battle" is a dog role-playing game where you bark "Woof!" into the microphone. Compete against players worldwide in real time. [Released May 1st]]. Famitsu (in Japanese). April 7, 2026. Archived from the original on May 21, 2026. Retrieved May 21, 2026.
- ^ 犬になりきってマイクに向かって「ワンワン」吠えろ！ 声で対戦する『ワンワンバトル』が配信 [Become a dog and bark "Woof woof" into the microphone! 'Bow-wow Battle,' a voice battle game, is now available!]. Dengeki Online (in Japanese). May 1, 2026. Retrieved May 21, 2026.
- ^ a b 犬になりきり，吠えて勝つ。マイクに向かって本気で吠え合う対戦ゲーム「ワンワンバトル」公開 [Become a dog and win by barking! "Bow-wow Battle," a competitive game where you bark at a microphone with all your might, has been released.]. 4Gamer.net (in Japanese). April 7, 2026. Archived from the original on May 21, 2026. Retrieved May 21, 2026.
- ^ a b c マイクに向かって吠え合う“犬なりきり”対戦ゲーム「ワンワンバトル」，Steamで配信開始 ["Bow-wow Battle," a dog role-playing game where players bark into a microphone, is now available on Steam.]. 4Gamer.net (in Japanese). May 1, 2026. Retrieved May 21, 2026.
- ^ a b Yamaguchi, Hirotaka (May 3, 2026). "マイクに向かって「ワン！」で対戦 異色すぎる1v1ゲーム「ワンワンバトル」Steamで早期アクセス開始" [A unique 1v1 game called "Bow-wow Battle" where the you battle by shouting "Woof!" into the microphone, is now available in Early Access on Steam.]. Otakuma Keizai Shimbun (in Japanese). Archived from the original on May 21, 2026. Retrieved May 21, 2026.
- ^ a b c ［インタビュー］マイクで吠えて勝負する対戦ゲーム「ワンワンバトル」，着想は近所の公園で見た犬の喧嘩ーー開発者M.Katsu氏に聞く [[Interview] "Bow-wow Battle," a competitive game where players compete by barking into a microphone, was inspired by a dog fight seen in a nearby park -- We spoke with developer M. Katsu.]. 4Gamer.net (in Japanese). May 13, 2026. Retrieved May 21, 2026.