One of the largest features still missing from Origins is Battle Ball! Macklebee is here to talk a little bit about why and discuss what's going to happen next.

So, where is it?

During the launch, we showcased trailers and gameplay of Battle Ball. Those videos were all recorded months in advance of launch using the original Habbo server as it was in 2005. We had a ton of fun playing, here's a picture of one of our earliest games. We had anticipated Battleball being ready for launch, but it didn't quite make it.

Problems with the implementation?

Code written for Habbo in 2005 is much different than code written for Habbo in 2024. Almost none of the code that exists today existed 19 years ago. There are many areas of the old code base that we've been able to repurpose to bring back the feel of Habbo 2005, but Battle Ball is not one of those areas.

Throughout Habbo's lifetime, there have been multiple implementations of the "Game" framework that enables games like Battle Ball and SnowStorm to function in the hotel. Broadly speaking, there have been three implementations:

- Version 1: Used only for Battle Ball's initial release.
- Version 2a: Used for Battle Ball: Rebound and SnowStorm within Game Lobbies.
- Version 2b: Used for Battle Ball: Rebound and SnowStorm to start matches all over the hotel without the need for a lobby.

Version 2b is still in use today and is how SnowStorm currently functions inside of Habbo. Origins shares Habbo's code base, so it is also currently powered by the 2b framework. We've spent a few weeks trying to accommodate the quirks of the original game's implementation, but it has been delaying our launch and introducing a number of hacks to the code base that were required to support it.

The choice to pivot - Battleball: Rebound

Habbo ran Battle Ball: Rebound right up until the Shockwave Client was dropped in favor of the Flash Client. This means it was built with support for the version 2b framework and is therefore much easier to introduce to Origins. In fact, we finished the implementation in just a couple of days—it is currently undergoing internal testing.

Adding support for Battle Ball: Rebound into the client also paves the way for us to easily add SnowStorm and even Trax (as Battle Ball: Rebound shares the Sound Systems used by Trax!). Long term, we believe this is the correct decision for Origins.

The Launch

Battle Ball: Rebound is right around the corner. The launch is imminent, and we're super excited to finally let you all play. We've got an awesome launch competition lined up that I hope you're all as excited for as I am.

It's been a long time coming, but the Red Devil is finally ready for your challenge.

Macklebee