Of the many Xbox exclusives launching this year, Stoic Studio’s Towerborne is a dark horse. It’s a side-scrolling hack-and-slash rogue-like but features massively multiplayer online elements, set in a fantasy world where humanity fights for survival.
One of its most interesting elements is the world’s changing nature. The Banner Saga developer said it would have a seasonal approach with frequent content additions post-release. Speaking to GamesRadar, studio co-founder Arnie Jorgensen likened the world map to “a candy store for the players. It’s something that they can explore and be delighted with as they stumble upon its secrets.”
Having worked on MMOs like Star Wars Galaxies, he feels that being able to “take the feedback from players and then nimbly react with updates that legitimately change the game” is the “Holy Grail of development.”
“From the ground up, the map is designed to be highly modifiable by the developers so we can quickly seed it with new enemies, bosses, crafting components, gear, weapons, biomes, gameplay modes and more.” The title will launch with a “solid base to build on” but it’s seasons will cater to the player’s “hopes and dreams.”
“The evolving storyline of Towerborne will also be hinted at within the map, giving the players another exciting reason to probe its depths. This whole system is new to the genre, and I think it’ll give a fresh feeling to the game.”
Towerborne is in development for Xbox Series X/S and PC. It will also arrive on day one for Game Pass and supports co-op for up to three players. Though releasing this year, a launch date hasn’t been confirmed (reports claim it could arrive before Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, which is out in May). Stay tuned for updates in the meantime.