The game features an 'Ascension' mode where teams fight to secure beacons on each tower floor to progress, replacing traditional battle royale shrinking circles with a focus on strategic control.

Bonfire Studios has announced Arkheron, a fast-paced, team-based PvP game where 15 teams of three battle to ascend a mysterious tower, emphasizing loot collection, ability combination, and strategic positioning.

Arkheron aims to blend and twist genre conventions, offering a fresh take on battle royale, ARPG, and team combat gameplay, with influences from titles like Diablo, Dark Souls, and Apex Legends.

Players do not choose classes but loot Relics that grant abilities, with four slots per build, and can upgrade relics or form set bonuses to unlock powerful 'Eternals' with unique abilities, influencing gameplay strategies.

Relic-based gameplay allows players to combine relics into full sets for transformations into 'Eternals' or mix them for custom synergies, adding strategic depth and variability to matches.

Arkheron features isometric, free-aim combat with a top-down shooter feel, emphasizing fast-paced fights, positioning, and situational awareness, with both ranged and melee options.

The game introduces 'Eternals,' powerful hero characters unlocked by collecting full relic sets, which enable meta-shifts and deeper storytelling within the game's lore.

Gameplay includes environmental threats like The Fury and unkillable enemies, along with random spawns, adding unpredictability and challenge to matches.

An alpha test is scheduled from September 19 to 21 on PC, with plans for a full release on PS5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X in 2026, including crossplay support.

The game is still in development, with ongoing playtests to refine mechanics, and future console testing and crossplay features are planned but not yet available.

Arkheron emphasizes emergent player stories, social interaction, and competition, aiming to balance mastery for skilled players with accessibility.

The game's lore involves a tower reflecting memories from the living world, with inhabitants called Eternals who can transform into powerful forms by collecting relic sets, adding a narrative layer.

The core design was influenced by Blizzard veterans, with Rob Pardo highlighting that Arkheron is difficult to describe but must be experienced firsthand to understand its unique gameplay.