What is Eslabong?
Forget the standard lobby grind—Eslabong turns the autobattler genre into a mercenary club manager. You'll recruit fighters, manage your school, and fight for glory in a weird, addictive mix of simulation and arena combat.
Gameplay
You're not just drafting units in a lobby here; you're running a full-blown mercenary club. Your loop is all about recruiting fighters from a dynamic market, equipping them, and grinding through leagues and cups. It's a huge shift from the 'draft and pray' style of TFT or Battlegrounds because you're managing a gladiator school over the long haul. You can build squads of undead gladiators or specialized classes and just let the auto-battle ride if you're multitasking, but the real hook is that you can jump in and take direct control of your captain in real-time. It gives you way more agency than your average autobattler.
Since it's in Early Access, you'll hit some walls. The menu UI is a total disaster and feels messy. You'll also notice some depth issues; you often feel forced to buy and train units just to sell them because managing a second team feels pointless. Some of the grind 'gets a little repetitive' after a while. At $14.99, it's a paid entry in a genre that's usually free-to-play, which is a gamble. You're paying for the indie vision and the dev's active support, as shirowita is constantly pushing rebalances and bug fixes based on what the community says.
Despite the rough edges, the core loop of squad building is addictive. It's not a polished AAA title, but the mix of management and tactical combat keeps you coming back to see how different classes synergize. If you can stomach the clunky menus, the progression through the leagues feels rewarding enough to justify the price tag for now. I'd give it a 7/10.
Key Features
- Direct real-time captain control
- Dynamic mercenary recruitment market
- Leagues and cups progression
- Undead gladiator squad building
What Players Say
Players are calling this an 'addictive and hidden gem' that blends elements of Mount and Blade arena fights with Battlerite. Some say it's 'game of the year' material with huge potential, especially with the new champions and classes added in Early Access. However, it's not all praise; others admit the game 'gets a little repetitive' and the menu UI is messy and needs a serious overhaul.
Video Review
Screenshots
Verdict
“Wonderful game, plalyed hours and hours of the demo version. And this Early Access is even better, lots of new stuff!! New champions, new classes. Game of the year imo!”
“Played 7 hours of demo in like a span of three days. Game is fun and addicting, but has so much love already and a huge potential. P.S. I mainly do the Spectate mode and its still tons of fun as I …”
“This game came out of nowhere and it's so freaking good. It's a mix between Mount and Blade's arena fights with troop command, Battlerite, an autobattler, and gladiator manager. Amazing combat with …”
“Its alright. Gets a little repetitive but there are different challenges and it could be interesting to see how different classes work together. The UI for menus is also a bit messy and could use some…”
“Had a lot of time in the demo, this game is an addictive and hidden gem, scratches an itch I didn't know I had, takes me back to 'Speedball 2' era team management with gladiatorial violence and so man…”
Grab this if you love management sims and tactical combat and don't mind a clunky UI. If you need a polished, flawless experience or prefer free-to-play titles, wait until it leaves Early Access.
View on Steam →* Price at time of publication (checked 26.08.2026). Prices may vary by region and are subject to change. This is an editorial review, not a commercial offer.