South Korean game studio Sanctuary Games, a small team founded in April 2025 by former NEOWIZ business development manager Hyunduk You, has announced Zanerdin: The Unbound, a collectible turn-based strategy RPG featuring gacha gameplay without the microtransactions. It will be available for PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam. A release date was not announced.
“Although we’re an indie-sized team, we don’t believe the narrative needs to be indie-sized,” said Sanctuary Games CEO and founder Hyunduk You in a press release. “And we believe gacha gameplay can exist and be enjoyable without microtransactions. We’re excited to introduce Zanerdin: The Unbound and the world of Kalatos which brings together those beliefs and our mission to create games that represent what gamers want, not just a features checklist, in a collectible turn-based RPG experience.”
Here is an overview of the game, via Sanctuary Games:
About
Zanerdin: The Unbound is a collectible turn-based RPG offering 60 unique battle stages that progress through hand-drawn narrative cutscenes and gacha gameplay included in the price of the game—all collectible characters, pets, and gear in the base game are earned through gameplay. The title is currently in development for PC via Steam and PlayStation 5 and pricing will be disclosed at a later date. Players are encouraged to sign up via the official website to stay up to date through the official Discord.
Welcome to Kalatos, a fantastical world forged and protected by the power of the six Blessings: Water, Fire, Earth, Metal, Wind, and Electric. Each person is born with the power of one of these elements, defining their personal strength, social standing, and destiny. At the core of Kalatos lies the Chaos region, a desolate environment where all are born without any powers. Lead Zanerdin, born into the Chaos, into the Blessed lands to discover the truth about his family. Embark on the epic journey of Zanerdin: The Unbound; explore unknown lands and overcome the danger and conflicts that await, while shaping the fate of the planet and forging new legends.
Key Features
- Strategic Turn-based Gameplay – Each of the 25+ playable characters harness special abilities based on their inherent elemental Blessing and Position. Enter the fray with a team built around character skill sets and tactical use of the “Theme” and “Synergy” systems to triumph in battles!
- Progression without Paywalls – Engage in gacha mechanics without microtransactions by defeating 60 turn-based battle stages, Boss Raids, Abyss Boss Raids, and a hidden Raid to unlock gacha materials and currency to rank up gear.
- Grow Collection and Increase Battle Strategies – Over 25 playable characters, 10 distinctive pets, and tactical formations can be collected through linear progression and free map explorations for more tactical battle strategies.
- Continue the Chaos with Endgame Content – Re-enter the fray in a five-versus-five tournament with an AI-controlled opponent. Equip the best gear to face the challenge and become the champion to unlock a post-game “Hardcore” battle stage. Additionally, new story content and additional playable characters will be made available via downloadable content.
Watch the announcement trailer below. View the first screenshots at the gallery.