In Lynked: Banner of the Spark, you’ll be diving in and out of the fray to topple an army of deadly robots who would love nothing more than to eradicate organic life from Earth.
Despite your bravery and mastery of martial combat, upending the merciless Combots will be an enormous task to endure all alone. Luckily, it won’t be long until you encounter a small but rebellious faction, known as the Unibots. They believe humans and robots can live alongside one another in harmony, and will do everything in their power to turn this dream into a reality.
We’d like to introduce just a few of the many Unibot allies you will rescue, befriend, and work alongside, as you build the Resistance and work to restore balance between the natural and the artificial worlds.
Meet the Unibots
Interspecies Liaison Unibot BU-D118, or “Buddy,” was built to connect the remnants of human society with a world now populated almost entirely by robots. At least, he would have—if he'd ever had the chance to meet any humans. As fate would have it, Buddy’s first opportunity to interact with our species comes when you find him locked in a Combot prisoner cell.
Buddy will quite literally be your helping hand whenever you need it. Once you establish a Lynk with him, he transforms into an armored gauntlet that replaces your right arm, equipped with one of your most important tools: the Wyre—a versatile grappling hook. With Buddy’s help, your arm can transform into various tools like a pickaxe or shovel for gathering resources, along with the myriad Wyre functions useful in combat—evading, grabbing, tossing, and stunning any enemies in your path.
Buddy will lead you to the safe haven he's been hiding, which will serve as your personal town. He’ll also introduce you to the rest of the Unibot crew, starting with Goodbot.
Grab hold and hang on tight! The ever-faithful Goodbot is always ready to soar you into dangerous territory, as well as bring you back home from a long day of decommissioning Combot forces. The world is a big place, and the missions you embark on will take you far and wide. Whenever you need to travel a great distance, you can rely on Goodbot to take to the skies and get you there in no time.
Nickel has a keen eye for discerning trash from treasure, a skill that served her well when she was tasked with repurposing everything humans left behind after becoming an endangered species.
You’ll find the wise and kindly Nickel stationed behind the counter of her general store. Her centuries of recycling experience will guide you in gathering the resources needed to transform your town into a safe haven for the Unibots. Visit her to pick up crafting materials, trade for interior decor items, and sell anything you no longer need.
Smithy is an early Unibot model, wrought from tough iron and a craftsman’s heart. You can count on him to help you forge and refine weapons of the highest caliber—at least the ones he still remembers how to make. Under the Banner of the Spark, Smithy was a legendary Weaponsmith who armed his allies against the Combot threat. After the rebellion dissolved, he chose a path of pacifism, erasing an armory’s worth of weapon schematics from his database to keep them from falling into the wrong hands.
As you hack and slash through missions, you'll discover a variety of weapons. Each one you uncover restores more of Smithy’s memories, allowing him to teach you how to craft and upgrade them into mighty instruments of destruction. Familiar with combat firsthand, you'll also encounter Smithy between runs, ready to enhance your weapons with any parts he has available. He can grant temporary boosts through modifications and equip special cores that give your attacks a chance to inflict status effects.
Mason was once a master Builder tasked with erecting structures to restore the natural world in a largely manufactured landscape. That was before the Combots captured him for refusing to reverse his hard work and bend nature to their will. Since then, Mason has lost his passion for construction and turned his back on the work he once enjoyed.
As your Resistance grows and you bring more residents into your community, they’ll need resources, support, and a place to call home. If you can break through Mason’s surly demeanor, you might help him rediscover the joy of creating something new. With his skills and your resources, the two of you can work on providing housing for the rescued Unibots, facilities for key members of the Resistance, and myriad other structures needed to build the perfect town.
Ever the optimist, Chip believes in your cause with every last one of his wires and circuits. Longing to make new friends and find a place to call home, Chip is absolutely thrilled to be in the presence of a real, live human and is eager to aid you in any way he can.
A bot with a passion for tinkering, Chip is currently fascinated with finding new ways to improve the Wyre. Rescue him and bring him back to your town, then visit him regularly to enhance the effectiveness and versatility of your grappling hook.
Every robot has a purpose, and Dime? She finds things. Over the years, what she’s been programmed to hunt for has changed significantly. Initially, she was built to track down malfunctioning bots and bring them in for repairs. She also helped her sister, Nickel, by sourcing old-world machinery for recycling. But when the Combots began their takeover, they forced her to seek out other bots for “conversion.” Eventually, the Banner of the Spark rescued her and removed the Combots’ programming from her system, though the battle cost her an eye and a leg.
Since then, she’s become the Information Broker for the Unibot Resistance, scouting deep into enemy territory and gathering the intel needed to stop the Combots by any means necessary. You’ll find her running the local Saloon in town. If you’re looking for “work,” she’s got plenty of challenging Contracts you might be interested in following up on.
As a master of intertwining form and function in her bot designs, and a lover of beauty in all shapes and sizes, Taylor found the Combots’ uniformity and single-mindedness utterly appalling. So, she decided to lend her talents to the Unibot Resistance instead.
As a Stylist of some renown, Taylor has a sharp wit and an even sharper eye for fashion. Having broken free from her "factory default" shell, she’s determined to help both humans and bots find the look that’s right for them—making them feel as happy as she was when she finally found her own style. When you're ready to update your appearance, be sure to chat with Taylor to explore a diverse range of outfits, headgear, accessories, liveries for your robotic arm (and Buddy’s appearance,) and countless dye options, perfect for any theme or occasion.
Don’t be discouraged if Ivy seems a bit difficult to get along with at first. She harbors some resentment toward humanity due to their past disregard for the well-being of Earth. However, if you can overcome her distrust and show a genuine commitment to her research, you’ll gain invaluable insights from her findings and her centuries of experience observing the natural world.
With Ivy’s help, you’ll learn to plant and cultivate a variety of crops for your farm, source dyes to customize your gear, catalog your latest Gillibot catches from fishing activities, and identify any mysterious Bitibots you find around town.
These curious machinations have roamed the planet for centuries—scanning, exploring, hiding, and occasionally playing harmless pranks on unsuspecting bystanders. Though a bit mischievous, Bitibots are good-natured and serve a crucial purpose. Long ago, a member of the Banner of the Spark designed the Bitibots to aid in restoring and cultivating nature. Even in the absence of their creator, they’ve continued to tend to our broken world from the shadows.
The more Bitibots you discover, the more rewards you can collect from Ivy, the Researcher. Additionally, Taylor, the town’s Stylist, can craft “Biti-Packs” so you can accessorize your favorite Bitibots and take them with you wherever you go. Catching them won’t be easy, though—they are elusive and flighty. If you spot one in the wild, be prepared for a chase, as it’s likely to sprint off in search of a new hiding spot!
Join Us for Early Access!
We hope you’ve enjoyed learning a little more about the friendly bots who will be joining your cause as you work to dismantle the combots, and uncover what happened to the Banner of the Spark. If you’d like to keep up with the latest news about the game or discuss it with others, then be sure to join our Discord community. And remember to add Lynked: Banner of the Spark to your wishlist on Steam, because Early Access is slated to kick off in just a few weeks, on October 22.
See you then!
