Archmage Rises Presskit

Factsheet

Developer:
Defiance Game Studio
Based in Canada

Release date:
Early Access April 23 2023

Platforms:
Windows
Mac

Description

Born into a procedurally generated world and armed with ancient, primal magic, you will create your own story and experience real consequences from the decisions you make. Will you be the world’s savior . . . or its destroyer? The choice is yours.

History

ORIGIN

In 2014, coming out of Big Data and Enterprise software, Defiance was formed to answer one simple question: Can’t we use all this processing power, memory, and millions of rows of data to provide more player freedom? AAA has pursued higher graphic fidelity, but with fewer gameplay verbs than the 90s. For nine years we have strived to build a procedurally generated, AI driven, fully reactive RPG fantasy world. Now, it's almost ready.

STARTING WITH A BANG

We announced August 2014 on Gamasutra with an article 'Why I've Said Goodbye to Mobile in Favor of PC'. It immediately became the #1 article on the site for 3 days, beating an article by Blizzard on Diablo 3 Loot 2.0, read by tens of thousands in the industry. Michael Dell, founder of Dell computers, read it. He reached out to help fund development. We picked up thousands of fans we've had to maintain over the long dev cycle. Making this game over 9 years we’ve overcome funding shortages, loss of eye-sight, a giant tumor, team turnover, all to make the most advanced RPG set in a simulator the world has ever seen. We hope you see some spark of the future of games in it.

9 YEARS IS A RIDICULOUSLY LONG TIME

9 years of development has been the greatest test of endurance in my life. Twice I almost went bankrupt, twice I overcame critical mortal illnesses, twice we stopped production to build games for other studios just to sustain ourselves, all in the midst of founding team members moving on.

We persevered.

The team has grown to 10 members. We are singularly focused on making the most advanced RPG set in a simulator the world has ever seen.

We hope you see the potential in this new branch of gaming.

Features

Tabletop RPG-inspired
Procedurally Generated World & History
Progressive & Aging World
Choices Have Consequences
Deep NPC Interactions

Videos

Archmage Rises Gameplay Trailer YouTube

Images

Download all screenshots & photos as .zip

Logo & Icon

Download logo/icon assets as .zip

Selected Articles

"This is one of the games on Steam that I'm most interested in."
- Splattercatgaming, Splattercatgaming
"It's VERY reminiscent of a solo DND game. The pen and paper kind, not the banging Astarion kind. I've genuinely really repeatedly enjoyed dying in obscurity in surprisingly rich procedurally generated worlds."
- Jesse Jerdak, Actor, TTRPG Writer & Cosplayer