Arkheron is in closed beta testing on Steam through July 27, 2026, with a streamer-focused tournament scheduled for July 20. Early access is planned for 2026.
Bonfire Studios' team-based battle royale Arkheron entered a key phase in mid-2026, moving from an early access announcement to a closed beta that introduced new modes aimed at making the game more accessible. A developer commentary video released during PC Gaming Show 2026 confirmed early access for 2026 on PC, PS5, and Xbox, and showed the 45-player Ascension mode and a 2-team Arena mode. On July 9, DRIMAGE and DRIMAGE JAPAN announced a worldwide closed beta test on Steam running from July 16 to July 27, using version 0.21.0. That build incorporated feedback from earlier alpha and demo tests and added two new player-friendly modes: Learning Spires, a practice mode for item selection and build crafting, and Spires, a 3v3 arena mode for combat practice. These modes directly addressed a skill gap identified between the tutorial and the main competitive Ascension mode. During the beta, Ascension was available only on weekends and holidays, while the new modes and other features were always open. Performance improvements and new progression systems were also included.
On July 12, DRIMAGE JAPAN announced the Arkheron Uwinks Cup, a community tournament to be held on July 20. The event limited participation to streamers or joint streamer-viewer teams, with 15 teams competing in a points-based format. Commentator Fumiell and caster Daruma Otoshi were set to host, and prizes included song cover production and illustrations. The tournament was framed as a test of community engagement ahead of full release, with future open-format tournaments planned. Together, the closed beta and the tournament represent the game's push to refine its competitive structure and build a player base before early access launch.
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10h ago
DRIMAGE JAPAN announced the Arkheron Uwinks Cup, a community tournament for the upcoming team-based PvP game Arkheron, to be held on July 20, 2026. The first event limits participation to streamers or joint streamer-viewer teams, with 15 teams competing in a points-based format. Commentator Fumiell and caster Daruma Otoshi will host. Prizes include song cover production and illustrations. Future tournaments are planned in an open format.
3d ago
DRIMAGE and DRIMAGE JAPAN announced on July 9 that the worldwide simultaneous closed beta test for the team-based PvP game Arkheron will run on Steam from July 16 at 10:00 a.m. to July 27 at 4:00 p.m. JST. Developed by Bonfire Studios, Arkheron is a battle royale where up to 45 players (15 teams) climb a tower as memory-less beings called Echoes, competing to be the last team standing. The CBT uses version 0.21.0, which incorporates feedback from the September 2025 alpha test and the February 2026 demo. New player-friendly modes are introduced: Learning Spires, a practice mode for learning item selection and build crafting after the tutorial, and Spires, a 3v3 arena mode for honing combat skills. These modes address a skill gap identified in earlier tests between the tutorial and the main Ascension mode. During the test, Ascension is available only on weekends and holidays from 9:00 p.m. to midnight, while Learning Spires, Spires, tutorials, training, bots, and custom games are always open. The update also includes performance improvements such as reduced crashes, lower ping, shorter load times, and optimized CPU/GPU usage, plus new progression and collection systems to encourage repeated play. Arkheron is in development for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
Jun 7
Bonfire Studios released a developer commentary video for the online competitive action game Arkheron during PC Gaming Show 2026. The game features a 45-player battle royale mode called Ascension and a 2-team Arena mode. Early access is planned for 2026 on PC, PS5, and Xbox with Japanese support.