Bonfire Studios Unveils Debut Game After Nine-Year Development

Nine years after its inception, Bonfire Studios has officially unveiled its maiden game, Arkheron, a team-based, isometric multiplayer action title that blends elements of MOBAs, battle royale, and ARPGs like Diablo. The game's director, Rob Pardo, describes it as an 'Ascencion Royale', where teams ascend a gigantic tower, whittling down as they progress. This prolonged development period has seen the industry undergo significant changes, with many developers struggling to create and sell games. However, Pardo believes that Arkheron's unique blend of genres and innovative gameplay will set it apart in a crowded market. The game's development was marked by a long period of ideation and iteration, with the team settling on three key influences: Diablo, PUBG, and Dark Souls. Through continuous playtesting and refinement, Bonfire built a game with the perspective and gear-based skills of Diablo, but with real-time, twitch-based melee and magical combat, and open-ended, knockout-style multiplayer. Pardo emphasizes that the game's depth and complexity are priorities, aiming to provide an experience that players can invest hundreds or thousands of hours in. The studio's iterative approach to game design, coupled with careful management of investments, has enabled Bonfire to operate for an extended period without shipping a product. With a current team size of 70 developers, Pardo believes that Arkheron does not need to be a massive success to be sustainable, but rather achieve enough success to support the game and its community over time.