Fast-paced dynamic PvP game Arkheron announced for PS5, Xbox Series, and PC

PC playtest set for September 19 to 21.

Bonfire Studios has announced Arkheron, a fast-paced dynamic player-versus-player action game where 15 teams of three battle to ascend a mysterious Tower. It will be available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam, with a PC alpha playtest set for September 19 to 21. A release date for the game was not announced.

Here is an overview of the game, via Bonfire Studios:

■ Fact Sheet
About
This is Arkheron—a dark, surreal dimension constructed from emotionally-charged memories of the living world. All here are anchored to the Tower by the grip of a past they can’t quite remember; driven to do whatever it takes to find answers and escape the destructive Abyss.
In this fast-paced, dynamic player-versus-player game from Bonfire Studios, teams of three battle to ascend a mysterious Tower built from fragments of their life before. Here, items are the heroes—each one imbued with powerful abilities that shape how you fight, adapt, and outplay other teams. Build your strategy and identity on the fly by looting and combining items in real time, creating unique builds throughout every match. What you choose to carry defines not only what you can do, but who you can become.

Key Features
The Only Way Out is Up – Fight your way up the Tower in a series of one-team-takes-all showdowns in Ascension mode. Battle monsters, challenge rival teams and seize control of beacons floor by floor to ascend before time runs out. With each successful Ascension, the player pool shrinks, culminating in a final three-versus-three showdown at the summit where one team will claim victory before the Tower resets and a new cycle begins.
What You Carry Defines You – In the Tower, memories take shape as powerful weapons and abilities called Relics. Every Relic you pick up has the potential to shift how you play, letting you adapt your strategy on the fly. You can chase a full set of four matching Relics to transform into an Eternal and unlock a game-changing fifth ability. Or, discover your own playstyle: Mix and match Relics from different sets, swap them out as you find new ones and create a “shattered” build that’s uniquely yours, gaining set bonuses and custom synergies along the way. The choice is always yours – and it can change at any moment.
High Stakes, Close Quarters Combat – Arkheron‘s free-aim isometric action keeps you locked into the fight; swiveling the camera to line up kill shots while dodging and striking at close range. The tight view makes combat strategic, fast-paced and intimate. Immersive audio heightens the pulse-pounding tension; you hear the danger before you see it, turning subtle sounds and music cues into vital keys for survival.

And here is the announcement FAQ:

■ FAQ
◆ General
What is Arkheron?
Arkheron is a new team based player-versus-player game where 15 teams of three fight to ascend a mysterious tower. Your team will work together to collect items, combine their powerful abilities and create unique builds on the fly to be the last team standing.
How do you play Arkheron?
You start each match with only your fists to defend you while you and your team rush to loot items imbued with powerful abilities from treasure chests, monster drops, quests and executed opponents before you’re called to Ascend.
After a few minutes of gearing up, the Abyssal storm begins. It’s a deadly force that destroys anything in its path, and the only safe zones are the Beacons that appear on the map. There aren’t enough Beacons for everyone, so if your Beacon is contested you’ll need to take out any other teams seeking to stake their claim on it.
From floor to floor, teams are eliminated—leaving the final two to battle it out at the top of the Tower to determine which team will be victorious.
Are there multiple game modes?
Ascension Royale Mode – This is our core game mode for Arkheron, where 15 teams of three must claim beacons in order to ascend the Tower. It’s basically a game of “deadly musical chairs” where every floor becomes more intense, with fewer and fewer beacons to claim until the two fiercest teams make it to the top of the Tower for a final three-versus-three match.
Training Mode – This is a separate dungeon area where you can experiment with Arkheron‘s items, find synergistic combinations and get accustomed to Arkheron’s unique controls. You can practice your skills against training dummies or enter the ‘sparring room’ to practice against other players. These sparring matches can accommodate up to six players—you can one-versus-one, two-versus-one, three-versus-three, etc.
Practice With Bots – It’s essentially Ascension mode, but instead of playing against real players, you’re playing against bots so you can get familiar with the game.
How do build-outs work?
There are no roles or character classes in Arkheron: In every match, you have the opportunity to create your own build from scratch.
Your build consists of four items, or Relics—a crown, an amulet and two weapons. Every Relic grants you some kind of power or ability, but you only have it for as long as you hold that item, and you can only carry four at a time. These Relics are the heroes of Arkheron.
Many of the Relics come in sets of four. If you have at least two of the set, you are granted a set bonus—a buff that offers you an advantage. If you collect all four items from a set you can transform into an “Eternal” which will unlock a fifth ability, but the trade-off is that you can’t leave that form for the remainder of the match.
While transformation can be extremely fun, Arkheron is all about finding the items that work for your playstyle in the moment and synergising them with your team. There are thousands of item combinations and the more times you cycle through the tower, the more possibilities you’ll uncover.
Is there any fiction surrounding this game?
Arkheron takes place in a mysterious Tower made up of memories from the living world; it’s a reflection of those who reside in it and, like any memory, it can change and shift over time.
Arkheron is a player-versus-player game, but our team loves lore, so we plan to tell stories of the Eternals over time, and we want to do it in a way that is tied to the gameplay. As the stories of the Eternals unfold, there will be changes in the Tower, which will contribute to keeping the meta fresh.
Who are the Eternals?
If you find four items from a set, you have the option to transform into an Eternal. From a gameplay perspective they’re just that; a set of four items you can combine that gives you a bonus fifth ability, but locks you into a build for the rest of the match. They’re not any more viable or deadly than coming up with your own combinations. And they’re just a small fraction of what you can build.
From a lore standpoint, they’re the inhabitants of the Tower with the most lasting ties to the living world, through memories they can’t – or won’t – let go of. The story of Arkheron will unfold through those memories coming more into focus over time.
◆ Playtesting & Release
How can I sign up for the playtest? / When is the next playtest?
Our next playtest is happening Friday, September 19 to Sunday, September 21.
You can sign up to playtest Arkheron on our Steam page. Currently we’re only playtesting on PC, but Arkheron supports keyboard & mouse or controller.
What regions are you playtesting in?
We’re currently testing the game in North America, Europe and Australia/New Zealand, and in Korean and Japan through our partners at Drimage.
What are the recommended specs for the playtest?
These are the minimum and recommended specs for the upcoming Alpha playtests:
Recommended:
Windows 10 or later
Intel i5-9600K
Nvidia RTX 2070 8GB VRAM
16GB RAM
SSD 25Gb
Minimum:
Windows 10 or later
Intel i5-7600K
Nvidia GTX 1060 6Gb VRAM
16GB RAM
SSD 25Gb
When is Arkheron releasing? / Will you have an Early Access phase?
We don’t have a specific date in mind for launch yet; we’re focusing on these initial playtests to help us determine what the game needs before it’s ready for launch. The game isn’t done yet; it’s a lot of fun to play, but we’re looking to our playtesters to help us make the game great before primetime, and that will help us know when it’s ready for the next phase.
What platforms will Arkheron be on? Will there be crossplay?
We’re developing Arkheron for PC, Xbox Series X and S, and PlayStation 5, but our current alpha testing is on PC only. We’re hoping to start console testing later this year and we’ll have more details on crossplay then. But for now you can wishlist Arkheron on the PlayStation and Xbox stores to stay updated on our future tests!
◆ Bonfire Studios
Who is Bonfire Studios?
Bonfire is an independent video game developer focused on crafting games that weave pulse-pounding thrill with the warmth of belonging. Our design philosophy centers on fun and deeply rewarding gameplay, imaginary worlds that inspire self-expression, welcoming, long-lasting communities and experiences that become a meaningful part of players’ lives.
How large is your team?
We’ve been steadily growing this year and now we’re just above 70 employees. We’re still hiring for a few key roles to make sure we have all the right people in place to finish Arkheron and ship it globally.