The next title from French game developer Quantic Dream isn’t what you’d expect. The studio, best known for single-player narrative adventures including Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls, is putting out a multiplayer game called Spellcasters Chronicles, which will debut in a closed beta on Steam before the year ends.
Combining action and strategy with elements from MOBAs and deckbuilding games, the free-to-play Spellcasters Chronicles appears to be a unique blend of mechanics and concepts. Two teams of three will face off in 25-minute-long matches, capturing territory and destroying each other’s “Lifestones” to achieve victory.
Spellcasters are playable characters representing different fantasy archetypes, each with distinct roles and abilities. Matches take place in large arenas that emphasize verticality, with every Spellcaster having the ability to fly freely around the environment.
Additionally, the deck-building system of Spellcasters Chronicles includes over 50 unique spells and summons, adding levels of planning, strategy, and experimentation with teammates. Spellcasters can summon armies of creatures like ogres and dragons and unleash “Titans” to turn the tide of a match.
Despite being the studio’s first multiplayer game, it will still feature heavy story elements through what Quantic Dream calls a “community-driven narrative.”
“While very different from our previous titles, [Spellcasters Chronicles] builds on what has always driven us: giving players the power to shape stories, this time in a collective manner,” game director Gregorie Diaconu said in a press release.
It’s unknown in what form this “community narrative” will take, but Quantic Dream promises to share more “in the coming months.” In the meantime, those curious about the game can catch a gameplay deep dive, a developer Q&A, and other tidbits on October 17 during TwitchCon San Diego from 11:30 AM PT / 2:30 PM ET to 6:30 PM PT / 9:30 PM ET.
Quantic Dream has been rather absent from the news as of late–the studio announced Star Wars Eclipse in 2021 but hasn’t shown anything from the narrative adventure since then. In the press release announcing Spellcasters Chronicles, Quantic Dream president David Cage mentioned that his company is “continuing to develop new experiences including Star Wars Eclipse,” seemingly proof of life for the project.
While the studio hasn’t developed a game since 2018’s Detroit: Become Human, it has since published a handful of games, including the diving adventure game Under the Waves. Chinese tech company NetEase acquired Quantic Dream in 2022, and the studio claimed that it was unaffected by a shakeup at NetEase that occurred earlier this year.
