Alright, I just came off the first Arkheron alpha weekend and let me tell you—this game is already shaping up to be something special. Bonfire Studios (yep, the team with some Blizzard veterans at the helm) is cooking up a high-intensity, team-based PvP brawl that’s part dark fantasy nightmare, part strategic loot-fest, and all adrenaline.

The setup? Fifteen squads of three dive into a cursed tower, racing each other to the top. Along the way you’re scooping up loot, building out your kit on the fly, and figuring out how your team’s mix of abilities can either carry you to glory… or get you wiped. The big twist is their “items as heroes” system, which basically turns gear into the real MVP of your build—it forces you to think fast and adapt every single run.

The first public alpha ran September 19–21, and it was pure chaos in the best way. Matchmaking and training modes gave us just enough of the core loop—tower climbing, looting, team synergy—to get hooked. The devs asked for plenty of feedback through surveys, and you could tell they were paying close attention. People praised the combat speed and depth, though yeah, some of us noticed the camera rotation could use smoothing. Even with those rough edges, the fights were hype, the tension was real, and you could already see the competitive potential.

Streamers and influencers aplenty piled in too, which made for a fun watch if you weren’t in the test yourself. The reception across the board? Pretty much glowing.

Now here’s the good news—this wasn’t a one-and-done. Bonfire confirmed more alpha weekends are coming as we build toward the full launch in 2026 (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and yep, cross-play is in the plans). The next playtest is lined up for September 26–28, still PC-only for now, with consoles joining the party later. If you want in, your best bet is to wishlist Arkheron on Steam and hop into their Discord so you don’t miss the signup windows.

Bottom line: Arkheron is already scratching that competitive, loot-driven itch, and I cannot wait to dive back in next weekend. See you in the tower.