'World of Warcraft' Veteran's New Studio Reveals Team-Based PvP Game 'Arkheron'

The former lead designer for "World of Warcraft," Rob Pardo, announced a new development studio Bonfire Studios, which he said has been working on a new team-based PvP title "Arkheron."

The lack of updates from the developer seems like a result of it being hard at work at its video game project. The news about "Arkheron" comes via a promotional article that gives the community a bit more information about the title.

New Game Arkheron

It seems like "Arkheron" is a mix between top-down action RPG and live-service, fast-paced controller-friendly PvP. However, it was said that the game will not be any of those genres and feature its own world and lore but will not be heavy with its narrative.

The studio does not want "Arkheron" to sound like it is a mix-and-mash of different genres but does believe in creating something "entirely new." Pardo said that they played the game everyday as a team for the past few years it has been in development, according to MassivelyOP.

He added that they have not yet figured out exactly how to describe "Arkheron" but do get the feeling to tell people that they should play it to understand it. Pardo says that it is set in a wonderful world that features a ton of familiar concepts from other genres.

However, at "Arkheron's" core, it is a unique game that has a combat system that is very distinct from other games. Pardo noted that the game created a lot of challenges for the development team when they try to explain it to other people.

A Mix of Various Genres

Pardo noted that while they have been quietly building an early community for "Arkheron," they were now preparing to expand their playtest and invite more people to experience the game. The game is described as being a work-in-progress but the developers are excited to share it with the public, Sports Illustrated said.

The Bonfire Studios CEO argued that there was a simple truth to their new game, which is that if they themselves do not love it, then players will not love it either. Pardo added that the best games are created from a genuine love of playing them.

Pardo was asked if it took eight whole years for Bonfire Studios to work on "Arkheron" and he said that 1.5 years was spent building the studio and doing the prototyping to find the fun. The real work on the game started in 2018 and involved continuous gameplay testing, according to Venture Beat.