Thunder Spikes Volleyball news & patch notes

After many months of work, the biggest Thunder Spikes update yet is finally here, bringing the brand new Career Mode.

In Career Mode, you'll be able to create your own team, choose its name and logo, and guide it from the lower divisions all the way to the top of the volleyball world.

Some of the main additions include:

• Player growth and development over the years • A stamina system and injury risk management • A transfer market where you can buy and sell players • The chance to discover and sign Champions, players who are already outstanding or have exceptional growth potential • Promotions and relegations: the top 3 teams move up to the next division, while the bottom 3 move down • The ability to purchase larger arenas to increase attendance and revenue • Fan attendance affected by your team's recent results, league position, and overall form • Team finances and budget management • Dozens of new screens, menus, and systems built specifically for Career Mode

A successful team will attract more fans, fill larger arenas, and generate higher revenues, allowing you to invest in even better facilities and players.

These are just the biggest additions. There are also tons of smaller improvements, tweaks, and new features spread throughout the game. Maybe Max will give you a more detailed rundown in the coming days... assuming he's still alive after this release! 😆

We hope you'll enjoy the update, and as always, any feedback is welcome: balancing, bugs, ideas, criticism, or simply your thoughts after playing a few seasons.

Thank you all for your support, and have fun on the court!

🎄 Steam Winter Sale! 🎄

For the first time ever, Thunder Spikes is taking part in the Steam Winter Sale with a 15% discount!

👉 The offer ends on January 6, making this the perfect time to jump into the fast paced arcade action of Thunder Spikes.

Meanwhile, Max, Zago, and Manuel are working hard on the Career Mode, with new content and improvements on the way.

📢 We will keep you updated with more news very soon!

Thank you all for your support ❤️ See you on the court!

Here we are! We published our first update, with some major new features. First of all: Skill Badge mechanics are now full working! Skill Badges give players special hits (Perfect Serve, Power Spike or Power Lob) or special abilities like Master Receive, that can resist head hits and the attack of Power Spikes.

Now, skill badges are already assigned to the strongest players. In the future, in career mode, they will be earned gradually improving players' skills. Skill badges are explained in a dedicated new section in the tutorial screen.

A general rehaul of the receiving system now allows much more precise dives (with also more frequent attempts) and a more precise receiving in general.

Finally, we added temporary sections for all the tutorials, with videos and texts which explain almost all the mechanics of the game (waiting for the interactive part to be implemented in the near future!).

The complete changelog:

v0.6.6

- Gameplay, implemented all the 5 skill badges for players

- Gameplay, new Power Spike and Power Lob hits, enabled by badges

- Gameplay, new Master Receive skill

- Gameplay, new skll badge icons and mouseover hints on player cards

- Gameplay, some new skll badges are shown during game if available (optional)

- Gameplay, players who are not receiving now look back at the receiver

- Gameplay, receiving area and receiving system reworked

- Gameplay, all receivings start with better timing and are used when more effective

- AI, improved serve hit timing for Perfect Serves

- Added video + text for all tutorials (still missing the interactive part, coming later)

- New tutorial sections available: Amateur, Pro and Champion (video and text only)

- Tutorial videos are now in a new format compatible with Steam Deck

- Added a new section in the tutorial for skill badges

- Options > Gameplay, added option to enable/disable badges in game

- Fix, monster block wasn't enabled if the 2nd blocker had the badge

- Fix, unfairly awarded point when ball was colliding billboards after receiving

- Fix, wrong position after cone hit in the tuturial gym scenario

- Fix, audio, ball impacting net could cause a bad burst of sounds

- Fix, UI, focus was on "next" button when clicking "back"

- Fix, options, menus were not scrollable with keyboard or gamepad

Enjoy! The Thunder Bros Team

So, finally, tomorrow is the big day! Our game will be available in Early Access and we made a big update to prepare for the event, thanks to the many feedbacks and bug reports from our growing community.

Here is the changelog of what the release will contain compared to the demo version:

v0.6.5

- Gameplay, new default fast passage for the pipe

- Gameplay, optional slow passage (pressing up-back) for the pipe

- Gameplay, jump set is now lower and faster

- Gameplay, standard set slightly lower

- Gameplay, quick catched balls (from blocks) are lower and faster

- AI, spike is less predictable and spiker may change target

- AI, pipe is started more often if there's a spiker behind

- AI, increased chance of attack on jump set

- UI, added new selector controls in the Single Match screens

- UI, gamepad 'B' or ESC can now be used as "back" in some situations

- UI, added hint to use TAB or LB-RB to change tabs in the options

- Fix, malfunctions using gamepad's analog stick

- Fix, button events launched when closing pause screen

- Fix, mouse could select a flag even if not moving when changing screen

- Fix, arcade, losing at 4th or 6th level may show unlock screen

- Fix, players could serve even if outside of the viewport area

- Ball out of the playing area is detected early

- Added arcade loading screen

- Added confirm message quitting arcade during match

- Added confirm message quitting with Esc from main menu

- Added corean language

- Game paused when Steam overlay is open

- Optimized build size

Enjoy! The Thunder Bros Team

🏐 Thunder Spikes Volleyball is coming to Steam! Experience the excitement of volleyball in a fast-paced 2D game with hand-drawn animations, dynamic matches, and simple yet deep gameplay that keeps you coming back for “just one more set.”

In Thunder Spikes Volleyball, you’ll challenge rivals, unlock all 36 national teams, and play across 18 unique courts, from school gyms and street courts to packed international arenas. Each victory brings new teams, new challenges, and new stages to master.

👉 Game Modes

• Arcade Mode: face national teams one by one, win cups, and unlock new squads and courts.

• Local Multiplayer: battle a friend on the same screen.

• Remote Play Together: challenge your friends online with just one click.

✨ Key Features

• 36 National Teams to unlock and collect

• 18 Distinct Courts with unique atmospheres and styles

• Over 1,500 frame-by-frame hand-drawn animations

• All the moves of real volleyball: spikes, tips, blocks, serves, and spectacular diving saves

• Simple controls (one button + directional keys) with deep tactical options

• A clean 2D visual style with vibrant hand-drawn detail

Every match tells a story: read the defense mid-air, pick the right move, and strike! A single mistake can turn into a miraculous save, a perfectly timed block can change the momentum, and a powerful spike can bring the crowd to its feet.

Whether you’re a volleyball fan or simply love competitive sports games, Thunder Spikes Volleyball delivers adrenaline, precision, and pure fun.

⚡ Get ready to serve, defend, and spike your way to victory—the match starts now!🏐 Thunder Spikes Volleyball is coming to Steam! A true throwback to the golden age of ’90s arcade sports, reimagined with the energy and passion of modern volleyball. Featuring hand-drawn animations, fast-paced matches, and simple yet deep gameplay that keeps you coming back for “just one more set.”

In Thunder Spikes Volleyball, you’ll challenge rivals, unlock all 36 national teams, and play across 18 unique courts, from school gyms and street courts to packed international arenas. Each victory brings new teams, new challenges, and new stages to master.

👉 Game Modes

• Arcade Mode: face national teams one by one, win cups, and unlock new squads and courts.

• Local Multiplayer: battle a friend on the same screen, just like the old days.

• Remote Play Together: challenge your friends online with just one click.

✨ Key Features

• 36 National Teams to unlock and collect

• 18 Distinct Courts with unique atmospheres and styles

• Over 1,500 frame-by-frame hand-drawn animations

• All the moves of real volleyball: spikes, tips, blocks, serves, and spectacular diving saves

• Simple controls (one button + directional keys) with deep tactical options

• A retro visual style inspired by classic ’90s arcade sports

Every match tells a story: read the defense mid-air, pick the right move, and strike! A single mistake can turn into a miraculous save, a perfectly timed block can change the momentum, and a powerful spike can bring the crowd to its feet.

Whether you’re a volleyball fan or simply love retro-inspired sports games, Thunder Spikes Volleyball delivers adrenaline, precision, and pure fun.

⚡ Get ready to serve, defend, and spike your way to victory—the match starts now!