Next year, Mantic Games will release the second edition of its ultra-violent sci-fi sports game DreadBall.

Like the original game, DreadBall 2 is a two-player football-like strategy game played between teams of enhanced athletes.  The new edition features a streamlined and updated rules set, modified based on feedback from the game’s fan base and including content from all six season books.  The various teams have been rebalanced to improve competitive play, and a redeveloped league system allows players to play linked games.

DreadBall 2 will include 1 double-sided gameboard, two teams of miniatures (the Draconis All-Stars Robot Team and the Ninth Moon Tree Sharks Yndij Team), 1 RefBot mini, 52 cards, 13 counters, 18 dice, and 1 roster pad.  MSRP is $79.99.

The project is being supported through a Kickstarter campaign which has already passed its $80,000 funding goal with 16 days remaining.  As of July 22, it had attracted 1,059 backers pledging $96,770 (an average of $91.38 per backer). There is a retailer level for 10 copies of the game and 10 of each unlocked Kickstarter-exclusive miniature.

Mantic also plans to produce a DreadBall Team Guide, with stats and rules for 27 DreadBall teams and a multiplayer DreadBall 2 Ultimate version.

Late last year, Mantic launched an OP program to support league play of Dreadball (see “OP for ‘Kings of War’ and ‘Dreadball’”).