Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem developer Wolcen Studio has announced Project Pantheon, a game the studio describes as a “first-of-its-kind” experiment set in a world inspired by mythology.
In a press release, Wolcen Studio describes Project Pantheon as an “ExtrAction RPG” offering “intense” hack-and-slash gameplay in an extraction-style framework. Think Escape from Tarkov crossed with Diablo IV and it seems like you’ll be most of the way there.
If you’re wondering why you’d want to add yet another live service game to your slate in the year of our lord 2025, Wolcen Studio’s answer lies with that unique blend of gameplay styles, which director Andrei Chirculete describes as a “fusion of different, exciting gameplays”.
Lest you doubt that this is the direction Project Pantheon is taking, the press release describes the game as a “free-to-play live service game”, so this will very much represent a break from the one-and-done payment model of Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem.
Wolcen Studio is promising “dynamic PvPvE combat” across a range of “diverse maps”. You’ll explore these maps, gather loot, and contend with both enemies and opposing players before attempting to extract with the loot you’ve gathered.
If you do so successfully, you’ll be able to keep what you collected, but failure might result in “losing [your] gear for good”. In other words, it’s a fairly typical extraction-style gameplay loop, but with a Diablo face.
You’ll also have access to a hidden base where you can customize your loadout, experiment with gear, and engage with Project Pantheon‘s upgrade systems. The game will feature a “player-driven economy” too; let’s hope it pans out better than some other online games’ marketplaces have.
If you want to give this one a try, a closed alpha test is being held for European players on the weekend of January 26th, with a North American alpha test coming the following weekend. You can also wishlist it on Steam here if you want to.
