Order of the Sinking Star drops players into a strange realm of curious magic, dangerous contraptions, and vicious monsters, built around more than one thousand hand-crafted puzzles. You explore four distinct worlds, each introducing its own mechanics, characters, and rules, then watch as they begin to collide and interlock, turning separate systems into a single, dense web of challenges.

Progress is non-linear, encouraging players to revisit areas, experiment, and tackle puzzles at their own pace. Blow describes the game as his biggest and most collaborative work, a “game design supercollider” that fuses ideas from multiple noted puzzle designers. Arc Games CEO Yoon Im calls it an ambitious, innovative puzzle adventure for this generation, and frames the announcement as the start of a broader, game-changing year for the publisher.

The publisher is slated to maintain its current organisational structure after gaining its independence, which also means that Yoon Im will continue in his role as the publisher’s CEO. Along with this, the company has confirmed that it is “accelerating preparations” for a slate of unannounced upcoming games across the AA market as well as through indie publishing partnership.

“This milestone marks a major new chapter for Arc Games,” said Im in the press release announcing the company’s independence. “We appreciate our time being part of Embracer Group and the accomplishments achieved since the company’s inception over 15 years ago. These experiences have shaped who we are today. “

“As an independent publisher, we are now positioned to more fully pursue our vision—collaborating with exceptional developers worldwide and bringing standout games to market. 2026 is already shaping up to be one of the most ambitious and innovative years in our history, and we are excited for what lies ahead.”

Arc Games had originally started out as Perfect World Entertainment when it was founded all the way back in 2008. Since then, the company had made a name for itself thanks to its efforts in publishing several free-to-play MMORPGs, like Neverwinter and Star Trek Online. Over the last decade, the company has also taken a more active role in releasing AA titles, like Gunfire Games’ Remnant 2 from back in 2023, the Torchlight franchise, and most recently, co-op dungeon crawling RPG Fellowship. The company has also played a hand in the release of indie titles like Have a Nice Death and Frosthaven.

Embracer Group’s decision to divest itself of Arc Games and Cryptic Studios was described by CEO Phil Rogers as being a move to improve its cash flow while still hanging on to some of its core IP. Interestingly, however, Embracer had hoped to hang on to Fellowship as part of its original plans.

“This transaction supports our key priorities by strengthening our focus on strategic assets and core IPs in Embracer while improving profitability and free cash flow,” said Rogers in the now-outdated announcement. “The deal also allows online multiplayer game Fellowship, developed by a talented external team in Stockholm, to find a great home within Coffee Stain Group. I would like to thank the teams at Arc and Cryptic for their hard work over the past four years and wish them all the best as we are confident they will thrive and develop in the years ahead.”

As for Arc Games, the company’s most recently-published title was Chief Rebel’s Fellowship from back in October. The title tasks players with grouping up with three others, each playing a specific role as they take on dungeons that are constantly escalating in difficulty. The title has been described by the developer as a new take on the typical endgame content provided by MMORPGs, but without the grinding that one has to partake in before getting to the endgame.

A statement by Embracer Group CEO Phil Rogers noted that the major reason for this deal was so that the company could improve its cash flow while still hanging on to its main priorities of maintaining core IPs.

“This transaction supports our key priorities by strengthening our focus on strategic assets and core IPs in Embracer while improving profitability and free cash flow,” said Rogers. “The deal also allows online multiplayer game Fellowship, developed by a talented external team in Stockholm, to find a great home within Coffee Stain Group. I would like to thank the teams at Arc and Cryptic for their hard work over the past four years and wish them all the best as we are confident they will thrive and develop in the years ahead.”

The new owner of Arc Games – Project Golden Arc – is comprised of the company’s own management team. Among the games it has published are Remnant: From The Ashes and Remnant 2, Torchlight, Hyper Light Breaker, and most recently, Fellowship. Cryptic Studios has also worked with Arc Games in the past since it has worked on the Arc Games-published MMORPGs Star Trek Online and Neverwinter.

While the long-term fates of all of these games are currently unknown, one of the few titles to which Embracer Group is holding on to the rights for – Fellowship – will continue its development by studio Chief Rebel. The title, released as an Early Access game on Steam back in October, will see continued development under the stewardship of the studio, with its core development team numbering in at around 35 employees.

Embracer Group had announced that it would be spinning off Coffee Stain Group back in May. As a result of this spin-off, Embracer Group will see its name changed to Fellowship Entertainment. The spun off Coffee Stain Group will take with it 250 employees, along with a host of studios, including Tuxedo Labs, Ghost Ship, and Amplifier Game Investment. The spun-off company will also take quite a few IPs with it, including Deep Rock Galactic, Goat Simulator, and Satisfactory, among others.

Once Embracer Group officially turns into Fellowship Entertainment, the company plans on transforming its business into one that can handle game development and publishing, as well as the development of new IPs that can then be spun off into transmedia properties like merchandise, comics and film. The company will retain ownership of companies like 4A Games, Aspyr Media, Crystal Dynamics, Dambuster Studios, and Deca Games, among many others. In the meantime, also check out the company having announced earlier this year that co-founder Lars Wingefors was stepping down as CEO.

Among the employees that have been affected by these lay-offs include Myriame Lachapelle, who was serving as producer on Possessor(s), 3D animator Jordan Campbell, VFX artist Ivan Phu, and senior gameplay manager Justin Beales. All three confirmed that they were affected by the lay-offs through posts on social media platform Bluesky.

While Lachapelle will continue to work with the studio until the development of Possessor(s) is done, Phu, Campbell and Beales were seemingly let go on a more immediate basis.

“My heart is heavy & I might have more to say on that later, but I’ve got news today that my time at Heart Machine will come to an end after Possessor(s) ships,” wrote Lachapelle in a post. “I’m honestly too busy… literally shipping the game to start actively looking for work, but I’ll be looking for my next gig in December.”

“My time at Heart Machine has sadly come to a rather abrupt end,” wrote Campbell. “I was there for almost 6 years, & had been working on Breaker since summer 2020. It was a pleasure working with them! Now, a new chapter begins.”

“I just wanted to post, I’m laid off,” wrote Beales. “Just shouting into the void of the internet! It was a beautiful and wonderful team of people to work with at [Heart Machine].”

“Unfortunately my time with the lovely teams of Hyper Light Breaker and Possessor(s) is coming to an end tomorrow,” wrote Phu. “It was a great time working with such passionate and talented individuals on this team and I’m wishing everybody a whole lot of luck and perseverance with job hunting in these hard times”

Heart Machine had announced lay-offs earlier this month, noting that the decision was made due to “broader forces beyond our control.” In its statement, a spokesperson for the studio noted that, after the lay-offs, the studio would still maintain a “smaller core team” while still making sure that those affected would be supported.

The studio had announced its next game, Possessor(s), all the way back in June 2024. The title is being developed for PC and is set for release later this year. However, with this latest round of lay-offs, the current state of the game is currently unknown. Possessor(s) has been described by Heart Machine as a side-scroller that takes place in a mega-city that has been hit by an “interdimensional catastrophe”. The story revolves around two characters – Luca and Rehm – who will both cope with the events of the game in their own distinct ways.

In the meantime, check out our review of Hyper Light Breaker, which came out as an Early Access game earlier this year on PC.

https://bsky.app/profile/mllepilgrim.bsky.social/post/3m4c2kazjfk2n

My time at Heart Machine has sadly come to a rather abrupt end. I was there for almost 6 years, & had been working on Breaker since summer 2020. It was a pleasure working with them!Now, a new chapter begins.

— Virum (@virum.bsky.social) 2025-10-29T14:05:31.448Z

I just wanted to post, I'm laid off. Just shouting into the void of the internet! It was a beautiful and wonderful team of people to work with at HM.

— Burnrate (@burnrate.bsky.social) 2025-10-28T20:06:11.352Z

Unfortunately my time with the lovely teams of Hyper Light Breaker and Possessor(s) is coming to an end tomorrow. It was a great time working with such passionate and talented individuals on this team and i'm wishing everybody a whole lot of luck and perseverance with job hunting in these hard times

— Kuro on Blue~ (@kurothemoop.bsky.social) 2025-10-30T22:36:49.257Z

In a statement to Game Developer, a studio spokesperson said, “As we wrap up our work on Hyper Light Breaker, we’ve had to make the difficult decision to part ways with a number of talented team members. This was not our ideal path, but rather the only one available given the circumstances.

“While this path will include a conclusion on the project, it reflects broader forces beyond our control, including shifts in funding, corporate consolidation and the uncertain environment many small studios like us are navigating today.”

The developer will continue working on titles as a “smaller core team” while supporting those affected. The number of layoffs has not been specified.

Released into Steam Early Access this past January, Hyper Light Breaker is a fully 3D co-op rogue-like – check out our thoughts on the launch version. It currently sits at a “Mixed” rating with 64 percent of the 3,133 user reviews giving it a thumbs-up, despite multiple updates and content drops over the past several months.

Heart Machine hasn’t specified when development will wrap or the extent of the game’s final update, so stay tuned for more details. The studio’s next title, Possessor(s), launches on November 11th for PS5 and PC. It’s a side-scrolling action title where players control Luca, possessed by a demon Rhem, as the duo seeks to survive in Sanzu City. Head here for more details.

The developer also outlined future updates for Spring, including a new Assassin, enemies, Blades, Holobytes, and affixes in March. It will also offer more updates to performance and combat/gear balance. April sees the arrival of “Buried Below”, which adds a new Crown to battle and an additional character. Players will also have more areas to explore while tussling with a new Assassin and enemies.

The onboarding experience will also improve, ideally easing one into the experience. Heart Machine promises new bosses, story content, gear, progression, end-game difficulty, etc., along with the eventual Version 1.0 launch. Stay tuned for details including a new roadmap that will outline upcoming content from May through July, so stay tuned for updates.

Offering open-world and rogue-like elements, the title has received a mixed response on Steam. There are 1,046 user reviews at the time of writing, and only 55 percent are positive, earning it a “Mixed” rating. Complaints range from balance issues and punishing difficulty to optimization issues, clunky movement, and repetitive combat.

Of course, this is only the beginning, with three playable Breakers and two bosses to fight. Heart Machine has committed to more content throughout early access, with a roadmap due in the coming weeks and a date for its first major update. Early access will last about a year, though that may change as it takes on more feedback.

It will outline the release date for the first big content update, which adds Crow as a new playable character. Plans for future updates include new features, additional Breakers and Crowns, secrets, story content, gear, and gameplay improvements. These will arrive through patches and “periodic major updates.”

The team is excited overall and will collect feedback from the community to “balance the experience and bring Breaker to its full potential before it enters 1.0 launch.” The plan is to remain in early access for a year, though that could change.

Hyper Light Breaker’s early access content includes three characters and two Crowns. Players can explore the Overgrowth (with or without hoverboards), collect materials to upgrade their base, unlock new outfits, and partake in a three-player co-op. Head here to check out some more gameplay.

Each Breaker can equip any weapon and ability with Sycoms (the little drones around them) granting unique effects and benefits. The objective is to fight the Crowns and open a path to the Abyss King, who the Breakers must defeat for unknown reasons. It’s easier said than done, as the game’s rogue-like nature means restarting a run after dying.

Fortunately, there are ways to get around, like hoverboards. As you progress, the home base will also evolve, offering more avenues for power. You’ll also learn more about the Overgrowth and its past. Head here to check out some more gameplay.

Hyper Light Breaker enters Steam Early Access on January 14th. Stay tuned for more details on its roadmap and additional updates.

Three smaller teasers showcase each Breaker’s playstyle. While they utilize different weapons, it’s the Sycoms that distinguish them. Each provides unique benefits like increased critical hit rate or boosting core stats on upgrading. Otherwise, players are free to customize other aspects of their loadout.

As for other early access content, you can look forward to online co-op for up to three players, various weapons and upgrades, skins for each character, and more.

Hyper Light Breaker launches on January 14th for PC via Steam Early Access. Before that, Heart Machine will release extensive gameplay footage against each Crown on January 10th to prep fans beforehand. Stay tuned for more details when those go live.