Everything To Know About Arkheron

With so many games being sequels or rehashes of old ideas, it’s exciting to see something completely new. Arkheron is the debut title from Bonfire Studios, founded by a lead designer from the popular game World of Warcraft, Rob Pardo. It’s a unique, player-versus-player isometric game with beautiful characters and intense combat in a fantastical world.

For years, Arkheron has been a secret, but now we’re finally learning more about this exciting top-down game and its world. Here’s a complete guide to everything you need to know about Arkheron.

What is Arkheron about?

I’m really intrigued by Arkheron! It’s this otherworldly place where you play as an ‘Echo’ – basically a ghost with no name or face. Apparently, these Echoes are the spirits of people who died before they could find peace. Every game starts with you waking up unarmed at the bottom of this huge, spooky tower, and the whole idea is that reaching the top will finally let you rest. It sounds super atmospheric and a bit sad, honestly, but I’m definitely hooked!

Arkheron is a competitive game where teams battle each other to climb a tower. Players find weapons and armor within the tower to use in combat. If a team wins, they move up to the next level. If they lose, they have to start back at the beginning.

Where is Arkheron set?

Okay, so Arkheron is definitely built for player-versus-player combat first and foremost – it’s not a big story-driven game. But honestly, the world they’ve built *inside* this massive, ghostly dark tower is incredible! It feels really cool and unique, and what’s even more interesting is that the tower itself is supposed to be a reflection of the characters’ past lives – it’s both recognizable and completely strange to them, which is a really neat concept.

This unusual dimension makes each floor of the tower a unique place built from memories. As players climb higher, they’ll face strange and unpredictable environments while battling their way through.

Think of games like Diablo or League of Legends, but set within the fantastical universe of The Sandman. Or, if that doesn’t quite capture it, you can just check out some images to get a feel for it.

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Gameplay in Arkheron

Arkheron’s primary game mode is Ascension Royale, where 15 teams of three battle it out on each map. Teams compete to capture beacons while fighting opponents and climbing a tower over three rounds. Capturing beacons lets teams advance to the next floor and also brings fallen teammates back into the game. Teams are eliminated after each round until only three remain for a final battle to reach the top of the tower and win.

What really sets this top-down game apart is its incredibly flexible camera. Players can smoothly rotate their view to aim, making combat feel more like a shooter than a typical isometric game.

Don’t ignore the sound in Arkheron! You’ll hear other players, monsters, and important clues that can help you win. Watch out for the Fury, a huge bird-like creature that can’t be defeated. It’ll appear to disrupt the match, causing chaos before flying away. Treat it like a dangerous event that forces everyone to change their plans and react to the damage it causes.

Unlike most battle royale games where you choose your gear at the start, in Arkheron, everyone begins with nothing and must find weapons and armor as they explore the tower. This makes each match unique, and the developers at Bonfire Studios have filled the game with a diverse range of items called “Relics.” Players can equip a maximum of four Relics – two weapons and two armor pieces – at any given time.

Every Relic offers two actions – one for right-click and one for left-click – letting players combine different abilities and boosts. This allows for customized skill combinations to suit each game situation, preventing players from sticking to the same character or setup every time. During a preview event, the developers showcased weapons like a massive ice hammer, a crossbow with ruby tips, and a golden magical staff. They also explained that while Relics can be mixed and matched, most items are found in sets of four.

So, what happens when you collect a full set?

How to play as an Eternal in Arkheron

After finding all the ancient relics scattered around the map – think of it like a mystical treasure hunt – Arkheron lets you choose how to use them. You can use the relics individually for their power, or collect them to unlock special bonuses. Combining two different relics gives you a small boost, but gathering a complete set of four will transform you into an Eternal – a powerful new being, though it’s a different Eternal than the ones you might know from movies!

Eternals are special heroes who remain aware even after being defeated, unlike the standard units players control. They have a unique fifth ability that can make them very powerful in combat, but choosing to become an Eternal means you’re locked into that character’s build for the entire match – you can’t switch things up later.

The preview showed us a character named Irenna, one of the Eternals. She’s an icy warrior with striking features: white hair, sharp blue eyes, and large ice spikes on her shoulders. She also wields a huge ice hammer decorated with faces resembling gargoyles.

Who developed Arkheron?

Arkheron was created by Bonfire Studios, which was co-founded in 2016 by Rob Pardo, a former creative director at Blizzard Entertainment. Before announcing the game, Pardo shared that the team decided on the idea for Arkheron by letting everyone at the studio pitch their own game concepts. They narrowed down these ideas to seven promising options, developed them further, and ultimately chose Arkheron as the project they were most enthusiastic about.

When is Arkheron out?

Arkheron is coming to PC, Xbox Series X & S, and PlayStation 5 in 2026. If you’re a PC gamer, you can get an early look during a special playtest on Steam from September 19th to 21st.

2025-09-17 20:10