New Pac-Man Game Announced After Another Disappears

Pac-Man 99 went offline on October 8th, but it seems that a new Pac-Man battle royale game has arisen to take its place. Titled Pac-Man Mega Tunnel Battle: Chomp Champs, the game is set to arrive early next year. While Pac-Man 99 was exclusive to Nintendo Switch, Chomp Champs will be available on basically every current platform: Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. The game will be online only, so players looking for a single-player Pac-Man experience will have to stick with options like Pac-Man Museum+. 

A trailer for Pac-Man Mega Tunnel Battle: Chomp Champs can be found below. 

Pac-Man Mega Tunnel Battle: Chomp Champs Details

In Pac-Man Mega Tunnel Battle: Chomp Champs, 64 players will compete to be the last Pac standing. Players start out in their own maze, where they do the traditional Pac-Man thing, then tunnel over to the mazes of their opponents where they eat everything in sight, and even go after other Pac-Men! As players earn tokens, they'll be able to customize their character with different cosmetics, like hats or glasses. When the game releases, players will have access to a potentially larger pool of players than in Pac-Man 99, as Chomp Champs will support cross-play across all versions. 

The main elimination mode will pit players against opponents of any rank. In addition to that mode, Pac-Man Mega Tunnel Battle: Chomp Champs will offer a ranked mode and leaderboards. The game will include a friend list, which will allow players to invite friends to private matches. They can also track each other's progress, and even spectate. For players that are already missing Pac-Man 99, the game seems like the perfect game to fill the void. 

Pac-Man 99

For those unfamiliar with Pac-Man 99, the game was a free-to-play download available to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers. The game is one of several battle royale options that have been made available through the service, including Tetris 99 and Super Mario Bros. 35. Nintendo tends to make these games available for a limited time, and Super Mario Bros. 35 was delisted from the Nintendo Switch eShop days before the debut of Pac-Man 99. Last month similarly saw a "replacement" for Pac-Man 99 with the debut of F-Zero 99. Taking classic retro games and adding battle royale elements to them has become something of a successful formula for Nintendo over the last few years, but it's a bit depressing seeing them delisted over time. Hopefully Pac-Man Mega Tunnel Battle: Chomp Champs will last a good long time, and give Pac-Man fans a compelling new game to enjoy. 

Are you planning to pick-up Pac-Man Mega Tunnel Battle: Chomp Champs when it releases next year? Do you already miss playing Pac-Man 99? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!