Giving your newly launched game away for free is a bold strategy, and it’s led to some dramatic results for co-op action roguelike Guntouchables. Built by Game Swing and published by Deep Rock Galactic studio Ghost Ship, it’s a vicious apocalypse survival shooter about a group of preppers trying to fight back against an evolving mutant horde. Bringing together elements of Enter the Gungeon, The Binding of Isaac, and Hades, it was available totally for free on launch day. During its 24-hour giveaway period, it racked up an incredible two million players, and the good news is that you won’t need to break the bank to join them.
“The entire world has fallen and the surface has been overrun by a hostile and aggressively evolving horde of mutants.” As one of the ragtag Guntouchables, you’ll blast your way through ever-more-dangerous enemies, grabbing all manner of guns and upgrades to meet the challenges ahead. These come via the ‘choose between three things’ method familiar in many of the best roguelikes, and Game Swing says it plans to build on this moving forward. “Guntouchables is designed to be a heavily and easily expandable experience, and any content additions will increase the possible outcomes and combinations exponentially.”
“Launching for free for 24 hours was a huge bet for us, and we are thrilled to announce that more than two million players claimed the game,” Game Swing reveals. It says the response “has blown all our expectations for getting the game off the ground.” If you’re having a good time with Guntouchables so far and want to contribute something, there is a supporter pack DLC available for $4.99 / £4.49 that gives you special outfits for its main characters.
Sad that you missed out on the free giveaway? If your friends are calling on you to try the co-op game with them, don’t worry. At just $4.99 / £4.49 for the base game, you still won’t be too out of pocket. Game Swing says its current priorities are additional server regions for Asia and Australia, and the ability to select a preferred region in the server list. Then it will work on introducing the option to play co-op without bots if you have two or three players, improving the in-game communication options, and fixing inactive players blocking the flow of games.
If you’re after more things you won’t need to pay for, here are the best free Steam games in 2025. For more high-octane thrills, try the best action games.
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With Ashes of Creation Alpha 2 Phase 3 finally on the cusp of launch, developer Intrepid Studios has lifted the lid on arguably its most significant features, towns and crates. The highly ambitious MMORPG is about to make its settlements much bigger and more impressive, and is introducing a new in-game representation of goods transportation that will be a key part of player guilds building and managing these towns. To talk through the features, creative director Steven Sharif and director of communications Margaret Krohn are joined by director of design Bill Trost and senior game designer Chris Justo.
As Intrepid continues to hone Ashes of Creation, the step into its next phase of alpha testing makes a major jump forward with the introduction of level-four nodes (the individual regions on each server realm). This will allow players to build full-scale towns to rival even the developer-made equivalents found in many of our best MMORPGs. The livestream starts with discussion about the ongoing improvements Sharif previously mentioned when he announced the Phase 3 delay, including the Anvils starting area, server performance, time-to-kill, and the first-time user experience. The real meat we’re here for begins at the one-hour mark, however.
“This is exciting because we haven’t had an update to node stages in quite some time,” Sharif remarks. The team recently cut one of its planned tiers, ‘metropolis,’ from the settlement progression, meaning that towns are now the penultimate stage before we eventually reach full-scale cities. Right from the start, towns are immediately a huge change from the current villages, as our in-game preview starts outside the towering stone walls of a place named ‘Kal Torhum’ and its imposing main gate.
“Towns are significantly bigger,” Justo says, doubling the size from the two in-world ‘cells’ of villages up to four for towns. When factoring in static, in-node housing, that number could well double again. I’m immediately taken by the scale as the developers ride through the entryway; stone-brick buildings line the cobbled streets, and it strongly reminds me of visiting old medieval towns across the United Kingdom. Sharif has something else in mind, however, calling quick attention to the packs everyone is carrying on their backs.
This is the crate system in action, a fundamental new part of Ashes of Creation that’s a more grounded overhaul of cargo. These boxes range from personal crates to store your own gear to construction crates filled with building materials, and commodity crates that can be taken to ports, other nodes, or into lawless zones as requested to earn rewards. Crates are designed “to make more and more things feel like they are happening in a real world,” Trost explains, although adds that this comes with the caveat of “always favoring gameplay over reality.”
Crates represent resources being physically moved around Verra, and come in various sizes. You’ll be able to transport them on your back as you travel, or put them onto ships or caravans. They’re visible in game, meaning other players can see what you’re carrying, although killing someone to steal their supplies is considered a hostile PvP action and will inflict the same corruption mechanics as any regular instance of troublemaking in Ashes of Creation.
The team are carrying construction crates today, and Justo leads them over to a laboratory in town wrapped in scaffolding and tarps. It’s close to completion of an expansion, and a menu shows that just three crates are required to finish the project. In total, it looks like three different resource types have been delivered already – 100 crates of one, 33 of another, and 64 of the 67 needed from the variant being submitted now. Once everything’s turned in, there’s a short period while the upgrade finishes.
Sharif then opens the node menu and looks through Kal Torhum’s bulletin board, where he can inspect all of the building plots individually. Here you can see the required weekly maintenance costs, along with big upgrade trees for each structure that let you choose how you want to specialize. “We’re going to need a lot more crates,” Trost jokes. You’ll also see smaller ‘node XP’ construction projects that appear automatically around the town, which will provide a bump of experience to the overall node when completed.
Next, we look at a commodity crate, more specifically a ‘Crate of Succulent Fruit.’ This, the tooltip explains, can be delivered to the market commodity vendor in a given node to sell it for gold. With a click, Sharif pulls up a pricing comparison, showing how far away each node is and what it’s currently prepared to pay for the goods in question.
The towns are certainly impressive, offering a level of player-led creativity that outstrips anything seen in the new World of Warcraft housing or FF14’s Island Sanctuary. I’m most reminded of my time building a guild stronghold in Neverwinter, but on an even bigger and bolder scale. There’s still a long, long way to go before Ashes of Creation reaches its full release, but what’s already here makes me eager to see if Intrepid can pull it off.
Ashes of Creation Alpha 2 Phase 3 launches on Tuesday August 26. Taking part in the ongoing alpha requires a key starting at $100, which also includes future beta access, a month of game time, and $15 worth of Ashes of Creation’s in-game marketplace currency, Embers.
In the meantime, the best building games will let you put those construction skills into practice. Want to make sure you’re able to do all that scale justice? Perhaps it’s time to grab the best graphics card for your budget in 2025.
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Destiny 2 players have been begging for a shooting range to test their builds ever since the Tribute Hall was removed back in Shadowkeep. Bungie has finally delivered in The Edge of Fate. It doesn’t disappoint either, offering everything you could want from such a feature, allowing you to damage test with your various builds to get just the right damage and rotations.
While impressive, the Shooting Range can be a little overwhelming at first. There’s a lot to it, and learning how to make the most of it all is essential to ensure you’re optimising all the information you can glean from it. However, if you can master it, it will make you an infinitely better player, so it’s well worth understanding. Here’s everything you need to know.
The Escapist recaps
Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate was released on July 15th, 2025.
The expansion kicks off a new saga for the Destiny narrative, called ‘the Fate Saga’.
In Destiny, big damage numbers are what every self-respecting Guardian wants, and the Shooting Range lets you hone that process.
This new feature is excellent for trying new ideas and putting your new builds to the test
The Shooting Range is full of great options, but it can be overwhelming to get your head around all of it.
Rally Flag
This work just as you’d imagine any rally flag might. Image credit: Bungie
The first thing you’ll want to do is rally at the flag found on the right side of the Shooting Range. Doing so will refresh your abilities and give you max ammo for all of your weapons. Using this does not consume any Raid Banners, so feel free to rally as many times as you want.
Prismatic Wellspring
This is your one-stop to activate transcendence. Image credit: Bungie
While rallying resupplies almost everything, it won’t give you Transcendence. For that, you’ll need to stand in the Prismatic Wellspring on the left of the entrance to build up both Darkness and Light energy.
This can be utilized on both Prismatic builds and other subclasses, but the energy will decay rapidly unless you are using Prismatic. After entering Transcendence, you deal 5% more damage, take 20% less damage, gain access to a class-specific grenade, and have significantly increased ability regen.
Self-damaging Laser
In some instances, being low health can activate perks, so using this, you can test those numbers out. Image credit: Bungie
Directly opposite the Flag Rally, you’ll find a self-damaging laser that can be used to lower your health quickly. This is useful for testing the effects of perks or Exotics that are only relevant when you have reduced health, like Heal Clip and Mechaneer’s Tricksleeves.
Enemy Factions
Want to test your build against a specific enemy action? Here’s how you choose that. Image credit: Bungie
To the left of the Shooting Range, you’ll see a board with the symbols of eight different enemy factions. Shooting these symbols will spawn enemies from that faction, allowing you to test out your build against one of the following: Cabal, Dread, Fallen, Hive, Scorn, Taken, Vanguard Training, and Vex.
Notably, the bottom right symbol spawns Target Frames that have infinite health. This is ideal for DPS testing, as they can never die regardless of how much damage you deal. In contrast, most other enemy types have limited health and won’t be much use for figuring out what DPS rotation works best.
Enemy Options
This is excellent for using your build against enemies who actually want to hurt you. Image credit: Bungie
To the right of the Shooting Range, you’ll see a different board with three symbols. Activating these will trigger various effects, with the first symbol resetting your DPS Scoreboard, the second symbol activating enemy behaviour, and the third symbol clearing all combatants from the range.
Combatant Selection
Choosing the right enemy for the right test is important. Image credit: Bungie
There are five large plinths scattered throughout the Shooting Range that can be used to spawn specific types of enemies. To use these, interact with them after choosing any Enemy Faction except for Vanguard Training. For example, you could select Vex and then use these plinths to spawn in Goblins, Minotaurs, or Wyverns.
Not only does this let you test out your build against a range of combatants, but your damage dealt also takes into account each enemy’s unique traits. For example, most bosses take around 30% less damage from weapons, which is accurately reflected in the Shooting Range.
DPS Scoreboards
Knowing how much damage you’re doing is very important when it comes to finding your best builds. Image credit: Bungie
Hanging above the Shooting Range, there is a large scoreboard that tracks damage per second (DPS) and total damage (DMG). This is one of the most important features in this area, as it allows you to test and compare the potency of different builds, weapons, and perks against one another.
Additionally, there are six smaller boards found below the large board. These track DPS and DMG for up to six different Guardians in the Shooting Range. This is convenient for Fireteams looking to test their team damage and the specific impact of various buffs and debuffs that are more team-oriented.
Display Distance on Target
Sometimes distance matters to your damage, so this is a great way to put it to the test. Image credit: Bungie
This panel is found on the far left of the Shooting Range and can be toggled to show how far away an enemy is when you aim at them. The main use for this is for testing PvP weapons, as understanding damage fall-off in the Crucible is essential to becoming a better player.
Single Combatant
This is the panel you’ll want to hit if you want to go against one enemy. Image credit: Bungie
This panel is also found on the left of the Shooting Range, and activating it spawns in a single combatant of your choosing. More specifically, the enemy that spawns will always match the Enemy Faction and Combatant Selection previously set.
Combatant Wave
It’s not all boss damage; at times, you’re likely going to want to see if your build can deal with many enemies. Image credit: Bungie
Found on the right-hand side of the Shooting Range, this panel spawns in a wave of combatants of your choosing. Much like the Single Combatant panel, the enemies that spawn will match the Enemy Faction and Combatant Selection previously set.
Champion Combatant
Champions are always tough, so making sure you can deal with them goes a long way. Image credit: Bungie
This panel is located on the far right of the Shooting Range, and activating it will spawn a Champion based on whatever Enemy Faction is selected. Interacting with this panel multiple times cycles between Barrier, Overload, and Unstoppable Champions, with each faction having access to at least two of these.
More so than anything else, this can be used to figure out exactly what stuns you have access to on a given build. It’s especially handy for figuring out if Anti-Champion artifact mods work with whatever Exotic or weapon you want to use, which isn’t always as obvious as you would think.
Ask The Escapist
Is the Shooting Range free for everyone?
Yes. The Shooting Range is available to all players, whether they have paid for any content or not. It exists in the Tower and is selectable through that menu.
Is this the first Shooting Range in Destiny 2?
Sort of. Back in Season of Oppulance, there was the Tribute Hall, which had some use as a Shooting Range. This is a far more extensive feature now, though.
When will the next expansion launch?
After The Edge of Fate, the next expansion, Renegades, is expected to launch on December 2, 2025.
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Take a glance at Steam’s top ten most-played games on any given day, and there are a few names you’re almost guaranteed to see. Dota 2. Counter-Strike 2. PUBG. They’re all consistent big hitters. So too is Rust, arguably Steam’s biggest survival game, and a brand new version of Facepunch’s legendary game has just been fully revealed. Unfortunately for those on PC, this is not ‘Rust 2’ – it’s Rust Mobile.
We already knew that a mobile version of Rust was in development, but now it’s been fully unveiled to those who want to build and blow up bases on the go. It’s being developed by Level Infinite, the division of Tencent that’s also published the mobile version of PUBG and will help deliver the Assassin’s Creed Jade mobile spinoff as well. It’s promising to be a fully-fledged Rust experience – it’s fully licensed by Facepunch, and is retaining all of the hallmarks that make the original one of the best survival games ever made.
“Rust Mobile brings everything you love from the PC version: open-world exploration, tense PvP battles, base building, and that constant feeling of ‘trust no one,’” Level Infinite says in an announcement post. “It’s all here, now tailored for a mobile lifestyle. The game features a fully explorable sandbox world with dynamic weather, region-based biomes, and a real-time day-night cycle. All the core pillars of Rust remain intact – scavenging, crafting, raiding, and permadeath – so every decision counts.”
While details on monetization are limited at the moment, what I can tell you (after reaching out for clarification) is that Rust Mobile will be free-to-play. If it’s offering all the same thrills of the PC version, which has a retail price of $39.99 / $34.99, then great. But of course, there’s always the threat with free mobile games that there could be some time-gating and a heavy push towards microtransactions. Like I said, there’s nothing officially confirmed on that front yet, but just keep that in mind.
As well as dropping a new cinematic trailer, Level Infinite has also opened up pre-registration for anyone looking to give the game a go. If you’re heading out to Gamescom later this month, you’ll also find a hands-on demo of Rust Mobile waiting for you there.
If you’re a PC player looking for something new to play on a budget, check out our favorite free Steam games. Alternatively, look ahead to what’s on the horizon with our upcoming PC games guide.
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The Witcher universe is a cool place to inhabit, and CD Projekt Red and Go On Board have both just jointly announced the next tabletop board game set within its realms.
The Witcher: Legacy is the third Witcher-world board game that the two companies have collabed on, and this latest adventure is a story-driven tale for 1-4 players.
In solo or cooperative modes, they take on the role of Wolf School witchers and hunt down those responsible for a brutal attack that left the school devastated, but not fully destroyed.
The blurb describes it thus: “The game takes place in the kingdom of Kaedwen, where players will explore vast lands, battle monsters, train their skills, and manage limited resources — all the while seeking to unravel a conspiracy that threatens the very existence of witchers.”
So, we aren’t actually getting too much information there about how things will play out, but it already has 1500 followers on its page, and the news has only been out for a mere flash in the eye of time.
The Gamefound page for The Witcher: Legacy is now live, and whoever follows the project now and later participates in the crowdfunding campaign will receive an exclusive Gorgon monster miniature, a creature that has never before appeared in any Witcher video game.
One of the previous Witcher board games, The Witcher: Old World, ranks in the top 10 biggest boardgame crowdfunding campaigns of all time and sold an incredible 192,000 copies.
Both parties will be hoping for a repeat of that success while we wait for more news on the next video game in the popular series.
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Last month, Saber Interactive confirmed that Warhammer 40k Space Marine 2 would be getting a second year of post-launch support – hardly surprising, given it’s remained hugely popular and that Space Marine 3 is a long way off. Still, it was reassuring to hear that more content was on the way, and from what Saber initially revealed, it sounds pretty epic. When Year 2 and Patch 10 arrive in September, Space Marine 2’s delayed PvP mode, Helbrute Onslaught, will also hit the co-op shooter, and now we know how its mech-infused gameplay loop will work.
Fresh off of dropping Patch 9, the team behind Space Marine 2 has today released a new blog post that shares some more information about what’s coming in Patch 10, and Helbrute Onslaught is undoubtedly the highlight. Initially meant to be in players’ hands already before getting hit with a delay, it sounds like this new PvP mode will be worth the wait. Giving players plenty of unique experiences is one way to cement your status as one of the best co-op games, but giving them mechs will (in most cases) get you there even faster.
We already knew that Helbrute Onslaught would be a Chaos versus Chaos competitive mode, pitting two teams against each other in an objective-based battle for control of a Helbrute mech. Thanks to these new details from Saber, we now know how you’ll get the chance to pilot the monstrous machine.
“The first team to take control of an objective gets to control the Helbrute, until the opposite team takes it down,” Saber says. “One player gets to control the Helbrute at a time, and this player will be picked randomly among players who participated in securing the control point. To have the Helbrute on their side, the team that failed to secure the first control point will need to slay the Helbrute before securing a new designated control point. Controlling the Helbrute grants the team a strong advantage, but killing it will also reward points to the opposite team.”
But what use is stomping around in a mech if you haven’t got some ridiculous weaponry to use as well? Thankfully, the Helbrutes in this new mode come equipped with a Thunder Hammer for powerful melee attacks and a Plasma Cannon for ranged attacks. Delicious.
Away from Helbrute Onslaught, Saber also confirms a new PvP mode is arriving that will facilitate all of Space Marine 2’s competitive modes. While we haven’t got a name yet, the studio has shared some screenshots (including the one below), confirmed it’s set Avarax, and described it as having “a mix of close quarters and long hallways.”
Another brand new weapon has also been revealed. When the Year 2 news first broke a few weeks ago, Saber said that the Power Axe would be coming to Space Marine 2. Now we know that it’ll be joined by the fiery Pyrecannon.
On top of all this, we also get a first look at the new Majoris enemy, the Chaos Spawn, which will have “three different variations, each with their own moveset and abilities.”
Space Marine 2 Patch 10 will arrive in September as a free update, kicking off the game’s Year 2 content. There will also be a new premium Year 2 Season Pass, packed with cosmetics and exclusive items. If you want to read Saber’s blog in its entirety, head here.
Until then, go and see what Space Marine 2 already has to offer, or try out some of the other best Warhammer 40k games. If you want to leave the Warhammer universe for a bit, but still want to do some galactic stomping, head to our best space games list.
You can follow us on Google News for daily PC games news, reviews, and guides. We’ve also got a vibrant community Discord server, where you can chat about this story with members of the team and fellow readers.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows has already secured Ubisoft a much needed win, with the sprawling open-world game being one of this year’s best sellers. However, it seems a reveal (or maybe even a surprise drop) of a new Assassin’s Creed game is about to happen. A notable dataminer has uncovered what they believe to be evidence of an all-new AC experience, and it’s not the recently dated Claws of Awaji DLC for Shadows. The dataminer whittles the possibilities down to two potential suspects – the heavily rumored remake of my personal favorite in the series, Assassin’s Creed Black Flag, or the upcoming multiplayer spinoff codenamed Assassin’s Creed Invictus.
That’s right, as well as reveling in this week’s huge AC Shadows update (which adds New Game Plus and an increased level cap) there may be another cause for excitement too. The beloved Assassin’s Creed Black Flag is, in my personal opinion, one of the best open-world games ever for the new direction it took the series in. Objectively, there are maybe a couple of AC games that are better, all things considered, but Black Flag is the one I look back on the most fondly. After months of rumors and leaks, it seems that a reveal of its rumored remaster could be right around the corner.
‘Playstation Game Size’ has made a name for themselves over the years for unearthing new products and game updates from the backend of the Playstation Network, and today they’re teasing something new in the world of Assassin’s Creed. In a post on X, they claim to have found a new product code tied to the series.
The dataminer assures that it’s nothing to do with Shadows’ imminent update or its Claws of Awaji DLC, and rules more distant projects like Assassin’s Creed Hexe and Jade, so the Black Flag remaster seems to be a leading candidate. There’s been a few teases and breadcrumbs that suggest this remaster is coming relatively soon, despite no official announcement from Ubisoft.
However, replying to Assassin’s Creed fans in their comments, Playstation Game Size speculates that this new product could also potentially be AC Invictus – a multiplayer project that was officially announced by Ubisoft many moons ago, but has never received a full reveal. Leakers claim that it will be an arcade-style, round-based game spanning a variety of game modes, and notable Ubisoft insider Tom Henderson has also claimed that Invictus could release this year.
As always with datamines and leaks, take all of the above with a grain of salt. Playstation Game Size has a decent track record, and I suspect they wouldn’t jump to the Assassin’s Creed conclusion without some solid evidence pointing towards it, but they may still be wide of the mark. If they’re correct, though, there could be good times ahead – whether it’s Invictus, the Black Flag remaster, or perhaps something completely new and unexpected, hopefully a reveal is not too far away.
To check out some new projects that are 100% confirmed to be on the way, head to our upcoming PC games list. If you think it’s time to give your rig a bit of a boost, take a look at our best graphics card guide.
You can follow us on Google News for daily PC games news, reviews, and guides. We’ve also got a vibrant community Discord server, where you can chat about this story with members of the team and fellow readers.
Launching a new MMORPG against the long-established giants is a daunting prospect. World of Warcraft, FF14, Guild Wars 2, Runescape, Eve Online; the list goes on, making it a tough task to craft a fresh world that can attract and sustain a long-term community. Nine years since it was first announced, Ashes of Creation is steadily marching through its mammoth Alpha Two test period, with developer Intrepid Studios insistent on taking the time to get things right. With this in mind, it now confirms that the playtest’s next phase will start a little later than originally planned, but lays out just what improvements we can expect.
Creative director Steven Sharif has been quick and consistent to emphasize that he doesn’t consider Ashes of Creation Alpha 2 to be a game yet, but rather a testing environment. Each incremental stage ramps it closer to that final product, however, and to becoming something worthy of ranking among our best MMORPGs. The next big shift will come with the launch of Alpha 2 Phase 3, which was previously scheduled to start on Monday August 4, but Intrepid has now moved that date back by three weeks as it aims “to ensure phase three hits the quality bar it deserves.”
This extra time will allow for “continued iteration, polish, and testing,” Intrepid explains. It’s looking to further refine the new starting area, the Anvils, which “arrived a little hotter than anticipated.” The developer says it’s “not aiming for content parity with the Riverlands starting zone,” but wants to ensure that there’s a strong “golden path” to guide players through their early steps.
That means improvements to interior spaces, visual landmarks, environmental storytelling, and your introduction to systems such as pocket dungeons and node progression. Intrepid adds that it’s also “streamlining and enriching the early-game experience for newcomers” across both the Riverlands and the Anvils to ensure first-time players have the best opening hours possible.
Level-four nodes are a big part of the incoming update, as they’ll allow the creation of full-scale towns in each region. Intrepid calls it “a major step forward in shaping the world through player agency and fostering healthy competition between nodes as they specialize and evolve. However, the team needs additional time to “smooth out the level-four layout, enhance environmental set dressing, and improve UI elements related to Vassalship.”
As previously discussed, both the economy and stats are being fairly dramatically overhauled; Intrepid says it intends to continue this rework based on recent feedback, and will use the extra time to test and tune these systems via the PTR (public test realm). It’s also working on further backend optimization “to support larger, more stable play environments,” and adds that the extra development time will also allow for enhancements to ambience, lighting, audio, and “navigation throughout key regions of the Anvils.”
While you’ll have to wait a while longer for the update, Intrepid notes that the PTR, which is now accessible to all players who have Alpha 2 access, will remain available until the launch of Phase 3. “As with any active development, delays happen,” Sharif concludes, “We will stay focused on our outstanding work outlined above and provide updates as we continue with our PTR testing. Your support, passion, and time mean everything to us. We’re building Ashes of Creation together, and it’s your feedback that shapes each step forward.”
Ashes of Creation Alpha 2 Phase 3 will start on Tuesday August 26, 2025. If you want to join, you’ll need a key, which begins at $100 and includes future beta access, a month of game time, and $15 worth of Ashes of Creation’s in-game marketplace currency, Embers.
If you’re looking for something closer to completion, we’ve rounded up the best new MMOs in 2025. To truly immerse yourself in their worlds, take a look through our recommendations on the best gaming headset for PC.
You can follow us on Google News for daily PC games news, reviews, and guides. We’ve also got a vibrant community Discord server, where you can chat about this story with members of the team and fellow readers.
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is the next high-profile Soulslike game and will be released on July 24, 2025. Like Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty – another Soulslike, Wuchang is set in ancient China and will deal with events and figures from the Three Kingdoms period of history. However, the game will also sprinkle some supernatural shenanigans into the mix.
The issue is, in 2025, Soulslike games seem to be coming out every month, and not all of them stand up to Dark Souls when it comes to quality. So, while I get ready to play Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, I realise that one thing is for certain in 2025: the Soulslike genre is becoming thoroughly saturated – and I worry where it’s going to fit in.
The Escapist recaps
The Wuchang: Fallen Feathers release date is today (July 24, 2025).
The game is set during the Three Kingdoms period of Ancient China.
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is a traditional Soulslike game.
The new Madness system is original and changes everything.
It will not be set in an open world like Elden Ring was.
Souled Out
Phantom Blade Zero is just one of the many upcoming Soulslike games on the horizon. Image credit: S-Game
Now, there was a time when a new Soulslike game made me excited, but now I find myself rolling my eyes at my favourite genre, and with a note of exhaustion, saying, “Another one?” After all, let’s not forget, these games are never easy and often represent significant time sinks.
But I’ve reached the point where I find that I’ve developed a backlog of them to finish, and while I hate to admit it, some of them are starting to feel a bit too similar to each other, especially when it comes to setting and style.
Don’t get me wrong, every time I see a trailer for one of these games, I get hyped. It could be at a State of Play, Summer Games Fest, or any other event. But once I’ve seen a few more trailers for other games that look remarkably similar, my hype is replaced by fatigue, and my excitement becomes diluted.
In terms of upcoming Soulslikes, Phantom Blade Zero, Where Winds Meet, Lost Soul Aside, and Tides of Annihilation all have me as intrigued as Wuchang: Fallen Feathers does, but it’s possible to become full at even the most delicious and sumptuous buffet.
It doesn’t help that nearly every third-person action game seems to be labeled as a Soulslike today, even when it isn’t. For example, sure, Stellar Blade borrowed some mechanics from the genre, but it felt more like NieR or Bayonetta than Dark Souls.
So, in mid-2025, I need something more from my Soulslikes if they are to hold my attention, and while solid gameplay is a must, I find myself valuing creativity and originality more. For me, this is what will be the difference maker for Wuchang: Fallen Feathers.
I know I’ll play it through at least once, but will I stick around and play New Game Plus or purchase DLC, or will I uninstall it forever once the credits roll?
This year has already seen a plethora of Soulslikes with games like AI Limit and The First Berserker: Khazan both standing out to me, but not because both were excellent, but how they compared to each other.
AI Limit was a competent Souls clone. It copied FromSoftware’s formula to the letter, even sprinkling in some original ideas, but it wasn’t enough to feel fresh. If it had been released ten years ago, then it may have won me over, but simply copy and pasting FromSoft’s template has been done to death by now; players are starting to notice.
In contrast, The First Berserker: Khazan used the Bloodborne template as a foundation, but built out from there to become something new. While the game was unmistakably a Soulslike, it didn’t feel the need to conform to the rules of the genre and boldly blazed its own trail.
This is what Wuchang: Fallen Feathers needs to get right if it’s going to move the needle. Black Myth: Wukong, another game based on Chinese mythology, also understood this. It arguably did it so well that its status as a Soulslike is questionable.
Back when Demon’sSouls and Dark Souls came out, what made FromSoftware’s games so beloved was that they ignored many of the conventions of modern games and just did their own thing. There was minimal hand-holding and something distinctly old-school about them. It’s ironic, then, that games that rejected modern gaming conventions have now become modern gaming conventions.
They were always going to spawn imitators, and for fans of the genre, for a while, this was a good thing, especially when those games ended up being as excellent as Nioh, Lies of P, and Lords of the Fallen. While these games borrowed heavily from FromSoftware’s formula, in 2025, I fear that even these classics wouldn’t be enough to pass the originality test.
A Touch of Madness
The madness system could be the thing that helps Wuchang: Fallen Feathers to stand out. Image credit: Steam
This is even more true after Elden Ring took Dark Souls and brought it into the light of an open world. After Elden Ring, any game following the old Souls template now feels somewhat antiquated – another challenge Wuchang: Fallen Feathers has to overcome.
But here’s why I’m not letting my genre fatigue put me off playing Wuchang, and why I’m still excited for it: the game’s Madness system. This feels like a truly innovative feature and could be a game-changer when it comes to the Soulslike genre. Here’s how it works:
As Wuchang herself progresses through the map, slaying enemies, her Madness increases. Now, at first, this is a good thing as it allows her to unlock new moves and start dealing more damage, but it also makes Wuchang somewhat of a glass cannon. While she can deal more damage, she also becomes much more susceptible to it, increasing the risk versus reward dynamic.
And that’s not all. If Wuchang dies in this state, then her Madness spawns a clone of her that stalks the map and gatekeeps the spot where she died, making progression even harder. So not only do players need to overcome the obstacle or enemy that originally killed them, they also have to deal with a thoroughly antagonistic clone of themselves – one that also possesses all the skills and items they do.
As a Souls games veteran, this is something that piques my interest because it feels like a love letter to both the “learn by death” and invasion mechanics from the original Souls games, essentially remixing these ideas into something even more challenging.
The concept of being hunted by my vengeful spirit is a novel one, and I’m all in with this idea. So much so, I’m preparing to “git gud” all over again. I want Soulslike games to try and hurt me, and Wuchang: Fallen Feathers looks like it’s going to do exactly that.
Ask The Escapist
Does Wuchang: Fallen Feathers feature multiplayer?
No. Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is a single-player experience only. It doesn’t feature any co-op multiplayer or PvP gameplay, such as invasions. However, players can fight an avatar of themselves if they die in the Madness state.
Is Wuchang: Fallen Feathers a Soulslike?
Yes, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is a traditional Soulslike experience. However, it doesn’t feature invasions or co-op gameplay like FromSoftware’s games did.
Is Wuchang: Fallen Feathers set in an open world?
No, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers features a large interconnected world, but it’s not an open-world game like Elden Ring. It’s closer to games like Dark Souls, Nioh, and Wu Long: Fallen Dynasty when it comes to exploration.
Is Wuchang: Fallen Feathers connected to any other game?
No, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is an original adventure and is not connected to any other game. While the game has a similar setting to Wu Long: Fallen Dynasty and Black Myth: Wukong, it isn’t a sequel to any of those games.
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A new AMD Ryzen CPU benchmark leak has just appeared, and it shows the potentially awesome power of the company’s new Threadripper CPUs for multi-threading work. This new leak appears to show the raw power of the 96-core AMD Ryzen Threadripper Pro 9995WX, which is massively more powerful than your average gaming CPU, even if it isn’t a chip aimed at the gaming market.
We’ve not seen new Threadripper CPUs from AMD in a few years, and their release is highly anticipated. Packed with a ridiculous number of cores, at least by usual desktop standards, Threadripper Pro 9000 prices are already set to be ridiculous, with the 9995WX costing as much as $11,699 at launch. Expensive as they may be, raw power alone isn’t enough to make them great for gaming, either, with the options in our best gaming CPU guide still likely to top a Threadripper as the choice for a gamer-focused PC build.
This new leak, released on the Chinese industry forum Chiphell by admin user nApoleon, and caught by tech leaker 9950pro, shows a screenshot from benchmarking tool Cinebench R23. The leak shows a CPU multi-core test score of 173,452 for a CPU that 9950pro identifies in a post on X (formerly Twitter) as the new flagship AMD Ryzen Threadripper Pro 9995WX.
To put that into perspective, the eight-core 9800X3D scored an average of 23,265 when we tested it for our AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D review. Meanwhile, the 24-core Intel Core i9 14900K, Intel’s last-gen flagship, scores 36,072 in our own benchmarks.
That’s a somewhat unfair comparison, however. Gaming CPUs rarely have excessive amounts of cores, and a 96-core CPU is clearly going to outperform an eight-core 9800X3D in a multi-core CPU test. Recent Threadripper CPUs in the past, including the 96-core 7995WX that this chip is replacing, have scored well over 100,000 in the same Cinebench tests, according to user test scores posted online, including in this recent Chiphell forum post that put the 7995WX through benchmark testing.
As AMD itself has stated, this is a processor aimed at the professional market, with AI and video rendering tasks in mind. High CPU counts work well in those situations, but not for gaming. That makes these CPUs a far less likely option for most gamers, especially with the 9995WX’s $11,699 price tag.
You might want to skip the Threadripper for your next gaming PC, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still go big when you’re picking your parts. Our best gaming motherboard guide is a good place to get started to pick the right centerpiece for your build. Once you’ve picked your CPU to go with it, you should head over to our best CPU cooler guide, which has several stylish options to help keep those CPU temps down.
You can also follow us on Google News for daily PC games news, reviews, and guides. We also have a vibrant community Discord server, where you can chat about this story with members of the team and fellow readers.
Published: Jul 31, 2025 11:38 am