// PC GAMER — GAMING
Why Blizzard vet Rob Pardo is going all-in on Arkheron, the PvP dungeon crawler that's like dark-fantasy Backrooms: 'It's very much been an odyssey'
Arkheron is the first game from Rob Pardo's studio, now 10 years in the making.
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Arkheron is an enigmatic blend of a fast PvP action game and a dungeon crawler that's all about competing with other players to reach the top of an evolving tower. That enigma element is a key part of Arkheron's core narrative, along with its wild mix of loot-driven action-RPG combat and competitive knockout action that feel equal parts Diablo and Hades. But the developer's lengthy journey to create this quirky, high-stakes mash-up of genres is also something of an enigma, and their concept is steadily building an audience.
During a recent visit to developer Bonfire Studios ahead of Arkheron's crossplay beta starting on September 25, I spoke with Bonfire Studios CEO Rob Pardo (former Chief Creative Officer of Blizzard Entertainment) about the making of Arkheron. Along with some time diving into the game, we heard from Pardo about the studio's nearly 10-year journey to make a new type of arena PvP dungeon crawler. It's got loot and a large lobby size, but it's very much not trying to be a battle royale Diablo.
"I would say the years were absolutely worth it," said Rob Pardo, CEO of Bonfire Studios. "What's always tough is that 20/20 hindsight; you always wish you didn't go down so many dead ends where you could have made smarter choices at the time, but I think for me, because I've been through so many product cycles now at Blizzard, I think it comes with the territory of trying to innovate in a new direction creatively."
Arkheron has the look of a traditional isometric action-RPG focusing on loot, but it leans into more competitive, real-time, precision-based combat that feels especially inspired by Hades. But unlike a roguelike, you're racing alongside your team to loot up and fight rival squads, the strongest of which ascend to the upper levels of the tower. It's a refreshing, energizing spin on often slower-paced dungeon crawlers, and that competitive edge makes the dives feel chaotic and exhilarating.
But one thing Arkheron leans into is its strange, alluring setting, with a style that feels like a dark-fantasy spin on the Backrooms. Arkheron is set in a mysterious purgatory that draws individuals from across time and space. Players take on resurrected spirits known as echoes as they journey through a massive, evolving tower built from the memories of vanguards and other lost souls. As the echoes climb the tower, they collect loot, battle other echoes, and even take on the roles of the lost vanguards to learn more about the mysterious tower and its secrets—but only one team can reach the top.
Over the last year, Bonfire has steadily been rolling out early playtests, giving players an early crack at Arkheron's unique competitive format. Those playtests generated useful feedback that led to the creation of a new mode called Spires, a smaller 3v3 variant that will coexist with Arkheron's standard 45-player format.
According to Pardo, the steady pace of development and the rollout to players have helped the game take shape as it approaches its eventual launch.
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