Greetings, Banebreakers!
As the Blood Moon fades, the second Steam Playtest will officially conclude at July 31, 3:59 PM (UTC).
But you won't have to wait long before setting foot in this world again. Demo will launch on August 19 on Steam, no need to request access, everyone will be able to download and play.
Before we look back on this Playtest, we'd like to give you a glimpse of what's ahead, the next chapter currently in development for the full release.
Those who completed Chapter 2 may remember that, when faced with the catastrophe of the Blood Moon, Li Jing revealed little, but he did mention one place:
Western Qi, "the desert of death".
That is where your journey will continue.
The Western Qi chapter is still under development, but some of its enemies have already begun taking shape. We'd like to share an early preview of their designs.
The following images are from an in-development build and do not represent final quality.
As the investigation continues, an even greater secret awaits beneath Western Qi...
What connection does it have to the banebreaker's fate in Western Qi? You'll have to wait a little longer to uncover the answer.
Since the second playtest, many returning players have once again ventured into Darkswamp and the Ghostwood, wielding swords, collecting legendary atifacts, crafting Five Elements builds, and battling demons and gods as the Banebreaker, Yuan.
Many new players also stepped into this mysterious world for the very first time, beginning their own path of cultivation.
This Playtest introduced two brand-new progression systems for the first time: Wonder Skill and Dao Heart.
Some players focused on breaking through their cultivation realms to unleash powerful skills. Others experimented with different Dao Hearts to discover new skill evolutions. And some pushed the limits of the game's systems, searching for even bolder Artifact builds.
Throughout the Playtest, we received a tremendous amount of survey responses, bug reports, gameplay recordings, and community discussions.
Whether it was feedback on combat feel, build variety, pacing and difficulty, UI presentation, performance optimization, or onboarding, we'll carefully review every suggestion and incorporate them into future development whenever possible.
The game is still far from finished, but we're sincerely grateful that so many of you spent your valuable time playing this in-development version, and even more grateful that you were willing to point out its shortcomings so honestly.
Every piece of feedback you've shared will help shape the future of Demonbane: Ascension!
And the next stop arrives soon...
Demonbane: Ascension demo will launch on August 19 on Steam!
No need to request access, everyone will be able to download and play immediately.
Based on everything we've learned from this second Playtest, we'll continue fixing issues, improving performance, and polishing the overall experience to deliver a smoother and more stable demo.
If you missed the Playtest, you'll finally be able to step into the Blood Moon-shrouded ruins on August 19.
And if you joined us during the Playtest, we hope you'll return to wield sword once more and discover how the journey has evolved.
Before the public demo arrives, we'll continue reviewing playtest feedback, fixing bugs, and refining the game.
More information about the Demo and future development updates will be shared through our official community channels.
Don't forget to follow our official community channels, where we regularly share development updates, behind-the-scenes insights, and gameplay previews!
Thank you again for your support. We'll see you in the demo!
Howkey Deer Studio