
Summary
- Stray Kite Studios has announced their new game, Wartorn.
- This upcoming title is a real-time strategy roguelite featuring destructible environments, challenging moral choices, and a distinctive painterly aesthetic.
- Wartorn is set to launch in early access on both Steam and the Epic Games Store in spring 2025.
Wartorn is the eagerly anticipated next project from Stray Kite Studios, a team of seasoned industry professionals known for their work on acclaimed titles such as BioShock, Borderlands, and Age of Empires. Established in 2018 and based in Dallas, Texas, Stray Kite Studios boasts a team of approximately 30 employees as of 2025. The studio has previously delivered projects like the standalone version of Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep: A Wonderlands One-Shot Adventure and a range of creative maps for Fortnite.
Now, Stray Kite Studios is set to unveil its first original game, Wartorn. This innovative title melds real-time strategy and roguelite elements, centered around the poignant journey of two elven sisters striving to reunite with their family. Their path is fraught with peril, encompassing intense battles and morally complex decisions.
Wartorn Is Chaotic in More Than One Way
Wartorn is set in a fantastically divided world steeped in chaos, challenging its protagonists at every turn. One of the game's standout features is its physics-driven environmental destruction, which ensures that no two encounters are the same. The game's thematic focus is on finding purpose amidst chaos. Paul Hellquist, co-founder and creative director at Stray Kite Studios, shared, "We’ve poured our hearts into creating a game that not only entertains but also makes players think deeply about sacrifice, survival, and the bonds that unite us."
Wartorn Will Require Players To Make Tough Decisions
Between battles, players will face difficult choices, such as deciding which character to feed or whom to rescue from impending doom. These decisions are integral to Wartorn's story-driven roguelite experience, ensuring each playthrough is unique. During combat, players will enjoy the freedom to experiment with a dynamic magic system, combining elemental forces like fire, water, and lightning. These spells will interact differently and have various situational uses, such as shocking enemies in water or igniting tar-covered foes.
As expected in a roguelite, Wartorn offers a progression system where upgrades carry over between runs, gradually making each attempt at completing the journey easier. The game's visuals aim to capture a painterly aesthetic, enhancing the dramatic feel of its setting. To ensure accessible gameplay, Wartorn includes an option to slow down the action, allowing for precise commands amidst the chaos.
Scheduled for an early access launch in spring 2025, Wartorn will be available on both Steam and the Epic Games Store, promising a deeply engaging and thought-provoking gaming experience.