Update 12-mar-2018: Thanks to everyone who applied for this position! At this point we're no longer seeking new applicants. Should we have any additional job opportunities in the future, we'll post about it here and via our Twitter.
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We’re seeking an on-site Office Assistant & Community Liaison to help support our administrative and marketing operations. The ideal candidate has a great disposition toward customer service, and empathy and respect for fellow game players. This is a full-time position at our studio in San Francisco.Besides making games, we're putting together booths at PAX and other events, shipping merchandise across the globe, replying to your messages, and more!
Job Responsibilities:
Fulfilling orders placed in our online store (packaging and shipping assorted products), organizing inventory, managing customer email / chat support.
Engaging customers across multiple channels such as forums, chat, and social media, and moderating social media activity.
Assisting with assignment and resolution of misc. customer support issues.
Contributing to event planning and execution for trade-show exhibitions, team events, and meetings for external partners (to include arranging travel and tracking expenses for studio staff and guests).
Administrative duties such as physical and digital file management, invoicing, billing, office errands, and miscellaneous clerical support.
Assisting with studio maintenance, including loading and unloading of shipments, maintaining studio common areas, stocking supplies, and organizing freight materials.
About the Candidate:
Organized, responsible, and highly personable.
Excellent written and verbal communication and customer service skills.
2- or 4-year college degree or equivalent work experience.
Demonstrated comfort and engagement with social media platforms.
Strong familiarity with Supergiant’s titles; general interest in video games and game communities.
Experience with Word, Excel, Google Apps and Quickbooks Online (or similar financial software).
Minimum 2 years administrative and/or marketing experience preferred.
Domestic travel to off-site events is required (between 3-6 weeks per year).
Occasional lifting and packing required. Must be willing and able to lift and maneuver heavy items.
What we Offer:
Competitive salary.
Benefits: Health, dental, vision, and 401(k). Generous vacation policy.
Opportunity to travel to game conventions and conferences.
Creative, open office in a great neighborhood.
We've been able to do a lot with a small team -- come help us do even better!
To apply, please send an email to jobs@supergiantgames.com with the subject line "Office Assistant". Include your resume and cover letter in the body of the email (no attachments please). Please provide a brief description of your power animal, and provide 2-3 sentences describing your experience with each of our games. We will be accepting applications now through March 9, 2018, and reach out to prospective candidates by March 16. Please note this is our only available job opportunity at this time.
New to the game? Check out our launch trailer, or read our Pyre FAQ for more!
Our third game has arrived. We hope you absolutely love it!
We hope you have a wonderful time with Pyre, meeting all your fellow exiles, discovering the forsaken land called the Downside, and conducting the mystical competition called the Rites! Be sure to stick around for Versus Mode, featuring more than 20 different characters from the Campaign.
Pyre: Original Soundtrack
Also available today is the Pyre Original Soundtrack, packed with close to two hours of music created for the game by our award-winning composer and audio director, Darren Korb.
The Pyre Original Soundtrack features close to two hours of music.
We’re pleased to offer a variety of free streaming options, or you can purchase the soundtrack either in digital format or in a lovely two-disc physical edition on CD. It's available at our online store.
Note: We recommend playing through the game before listening to the soundtrack, since the soundtrack is deeply connected to the game’s story, much like with Bastion and Transistor.
* * *
Supergiant’s been around since 2009, and we’ve always said that we’re here to make games that spark your imagination like the games you played as a kid. We’re also here because we want to stick together as a team, to keep making games our way. We spent three years creating Pyre -- but really it's the culmination of the seven-plus years our studio has been around, and of a lifelong love of games for each of us. We really hope you enjoy it, and we’re excited to hear what you think.
On behalf of all 12 of us at Supergiant, thank you for your support, and we hope your journey through the Downside proves enlightening!
Pictured, L to R: Morgan Wren, John-Paul Gabler, Josh Barnett, Darren Korb, Camilo Vanegas, Jen Zee, Gavin Simon, Amir Rao, Logan Cunningham, Andrew Wang, Greg Kasavin, Michael Ailshie
Pyre debuts next week on Steam and PlayStation 4! Our third game is a party-based RPG featuring our biggest campaign ever, filled with unique characters we cannot wait for you to meet. You can get a taste of what’s in store in our new launch trailer:
Meet your fellow exiles in Pyre!
We also wanted to take a moment to reveal that Pyre features support for 4K-resolution Ultra HDdisplays! Our previous games topped out at 1080p on console and PC, so this is a huge change for us. If you have a 4K display, you’ll be able to experience the artwork at an unprecedented level of sharpness and clarity. Though if you don't, we think you’ll find the game looks stunning, nonetheless!
Pyre: 1080p vs. 4K Comparison
The top image is standard 1080p. The bottom image is 4K Ultra HD. Both are in-game screenshots taken from an early scene in Pyre.
Pictured above is Pyre in 1080p. Click to view full-size.
Now, this is Pyre in 4K! Click to expand, then click again to view actual size!
For the PlayStation 4 version of the game, 4K support is built-in and should work automatically with compatible displays, if you're running the game on a PlayStation 4 Pro console.
For the Steam version of the game, a 4K resolution option should show up automatically in the game settings, using compatible displays. The game should autodetect your desktop resolution when you start it.
We love being able to see the work of our three talented artists Jen, Josh, and Camilo in high definition like this, and we hope you'll enjoy this aspect, too. For more information about the game, visit our Pyre FAQ. Until Tuesday!!
Update 18-dec-2017: Thanks to everyone who applied for the technical designer position. At this point we're no longer seeking new applicants. Should we have any additional job opportunities in the future, we'll post about it here and via our Twitter feed.
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We're seeking a technical designer to join our creative team to help implement, iterate on, and debug game systems and content. The ideal candidate has excellent instincts and well-practiced talent both for the technical and experiential aspects of game design, and thrives in a highly collaborative, small-team environment. This is a full-time position at our studio in San Francisco.
We're looking for a good human to help us make games better than ever!
Requirements:
2- or 4-year college degree or equivalent work experience
Credit on at least one commercial, student, or personal game project from start to finish
Fluent in Lua or similar game scripting language
Fluent in XML, JSON, or similar data file format
Fluent with at least one game editor such as Unity, Unreal, Galaxy Map Editor, or GameMaker
Experience with C# or similar programming language a plus
Extensive knowledge of and experience playing games, new and old, low and high budget, across a variety of genres
Excellent interpersonal and written communication skills and comfort working in small, collaborative team environment
Local resident or willing to relocate to San Francisco area
Responsibilites:
Work closely with our content team, including our designers and artists, to implement new systems and features
Assist in iterating on and adding content to existing systems
Reinforce a high standard for cleanly implementing systems and content with our tools and scripting language
Work closely with our content team and Quality Assurance to track down and fix bugs found in game systems and content
Work closely with the engineering team to identify and test new tools and engine capabilities
What we offer:
Competitive compensation, 401(k), and medical benefits, including vision and dental
Work on a small, creative, high-performance team
Craft and iterate on essential systems and content in Supergiant’s next and future titles
Opportunity to travel to game conventions and conferences
To apply, please follow these instructions exactly:
Send your resume, in the body of an e-mail (no attachments please), with the subject line “Technical Designer” to jobs@supergiantgames.com
Complete the questionnaire below and include it in the body of the e-mail.
Questionnaire:
Please answer the following questions as you might if responding to a colleague via email. Use your best judgment to answer as completely and concisely as possible. There is no minimum or maximum word count.
Describe the history of your interest in video games.
Why do you want to work at Supergiant Games?
Describe one of your favorite game features or systems you’ve experienced.
What is a game system or project that you’re proud to have worked on, and why? What did you contribute to that project?
Describe a game system that you made that turned out to have an unexpected problem. When and how did you discover the problem, and what did you do about it?
We will be accepting applications now through December 11, 2017, and reach out to prospective candidates by the end of the year.
Note: This is our only available job opportunity at this time.
Last Updated August 3, 2017: We've compiled a list of frequently asked questions about Pyre in case there's something you're wondering about the game. If you have additional questions you'd like answered, send us a note!
What is Pyre?
Pyre is a party-based RPG from the team that brought you Bastion and Transistor! This time, we've created a party-based RPG in which you lead a band of exiles to freedom through ancient competitions spread across a vast, mystical purgatory. Who shall return to glory, and who shall remain in exile to the end of their days? Find out in our biggest-ever single-player Campaign, or challenge a friend to a fast-paced ritual showdown in Versus Mode.
Is it any good?
We think so, and critics sure seem to think so, too! These are some of the kind words they had for it:
“This is Supergiant’s best work to date, and that’s saying something.” 9.7 / 10 – IGN
“Pyre enchants your eyes and ears with beauty at every turn.” 9.0 / 10 – GameSpot
“It feels new, in a way I can rarely say about even the best games, and that newness is intoxicating.” 9.0 / 10 – Polygon
OK! Where can I get it?
Pyre first launched on July 25, 2017, and is available on these platforms:
Indeed! Here is our launch trailer, and a live gameplay demo / developer Q&A.
What else can you say about the game?
A lot! These are some of the key aspects:
· A New World From the Creators of Bastion and Transistor
This is the biggest and most imaginative world yet from us at Supergiant! You'll get to know an ensemble cast of characters struggling to earn back their freedom as you make your way across the forsaken land called the Downside. Characters in Pyre come in all shapes and sizes, from hulking demons grown strong from their struggle to survive, to the winged Harps, who plot against their enemies from their mountain nests. Everyone in Pyre has a unique story behind their exile, and their own reasons for wanting to return.
· Action-Packed Three-on-Three Battle System
Central to Pyre is the ancient competition called the Rites. Each Rite plays out like an intense close-quarters mystical battle, where the object is to extinguish your adversary's signal flame before they can do the same to you. You'll have to outsmart and outmaneuver your opponents to succeed -- or you can banish them outright with a powerful aura blast.
You'll be up against a colorful cast of adversaries in pitched, high-stakes confrontations where each victory (or defeat!) brings your exiles closer to enlightenment. Choose three exiles from your party for each Rite, and outfit them with powerful Talismans and Masteries to gain an edge.
· A Branching Story with No Game-Over
We wanted to make a game that had plenty of challenge and exciting action, but where the fear and frustration of getting stuck was not a factor. Picking yourself up after being defeated could be part of the journey, rather than something that took place in your head while looking at a Game Over screen. So, one of the unique aspects of Pyre is how you are never forced to lose progress. Whether you prevail or fail, your journey continues. The interactive narrative is expressed through a story that should feel personal to you, and that no two players will experience in quite the same way.
· Challenge a Friend in Versus Mode
On top of the single-player campaign, Pyre features a local two-player Versus Mode, which lets you play against a friend (or CPU opponent) in one of the game's fast-paced ritual showdowns. You'll be able to form your triumvirate from more than 20 unique characters you'll meet in the campaign, and customize your Rite in a variety of ways -- configuring your characters' abilities, choosing from a variety of stages each with their own distinct effects on gameplay, and more. We think this adds a great deal of lasting value to the game, and we've been having a great time playing it ourselves, trying out every possible character combination we can think of.
· Rich, Atmospheric Presentation
Creating a specific and cohesive-feeling tone and atmosphere for our games is very important to us. From the vibrant hand-painted artwork to the evocative, reactive musical score, every aspect of Pyre's presentation is designed to draw you into its mystical fantasy world.
Where can I get images and video of Pyre?
Screenshots, artwork, and trailers are available on our Pyre page right here.
Who is the developer and publisher of Pyre?
That's us! We self-published Pyre as we did with Transistor before it. Supergiant Games started in 2009 in the living room of a house in suburban San Jose, CA. The team grew to seven people over the course of developing our first game, Bastion, which launched in 2011. Transistor, our second game, launched in 2014. Together, our games have sold close to 5 million copies across many different platforms, and earned more than 200 industry awardsand accolades.
All seven members of the team that created Bastion subsequently worked on Transistor, and then on Pyre. Our team grew to 12 people on Transistor, and we have stayed that size for Pyre's development. The small-team dynamic is important to how we operate. You can learn more about our team here.
Is Pyre coming to other consoles / platforms?
We have no plans to launch the game on other platforms at this time, as our entire focus has been on the PlayStation 4 and Steam versions. While we haven't ruled anything out for the future, bringing Pyre to different platforms is a significant undertaking for our small team so we don't take on those kinds of projects lightly, as the quality of our game is the most important thing to us.
Is the game's soundtrack available?
Yes! The Pyre Original Soundtrack is available for $9.99, on Steam and this web site. We also offer free streaming options on our site and YouTube channel. It packs close to two hours of original music by Supergiant's award-winning composer and audio director, Darren Korb. Featuring vocals by Darren Korb and Ashley Barrett, the album also contains bonus material and arrangements not found in the game. We also offer the soundtrack in a two-disc CD set.
What are the PC / Mac / Linux system requirements?
The PC system requirements are:
OS: Windows 7 CPU: Dual Core 3.0ghz Memory: 4GB of RAM GPU: 1 GB of VRAM / OpenGL 2.1+ support Disk Space: 7GB
The Mac OS X system requirements are:
OS: 10.7.5 (latest macOS release recommended) Processor: Dual Core 3.0ghz Memory: 4GB of RAM Graphics: 1GB VRAM / OpenGL 2.1+ support Disk Space: 7GB
The Linux system requirements are:
OS: glibc 2.17+, 32/64-bit CPU: Dual Core 3.0ghz Memory: 4GB of RAM GPU: 1GB VRAM / OpenGL 2.1+ support Disk Space: 7GB
Can I play Versus Mode online, and if not, why not?!
Versus Mode is designed for two players in a local, head-to-head setting, or for a single player against a computer opponent; it is not playable online. We do not have plans to introduce online play in an update -- typically, this is not something that can easily be added to a game (at least not to good results).
We strongly believe that a high-quality online multiplayer experience needs to be a central focus of a game's development in order to meet today's standards. However, our main priority throughout Pyre's development was always going to be the single-player campaign experience. We felt Versus Mode provided a great bonus on top of it, whether you play against the CPU or against a friend, and chose to pursue only the local play aspect. Pyre is our team's biggest project to date; if we chased after online play in addition to everything else we were doing, the quality of the entire game would have likely suffered.
Can I play Pyre cooperatively?
There is no co-op mode in Pyre, due to the nature of the gameplay. There is a single-player campaign and the previously-mentioned Versus Mode for one or two players.
What is 4K, and can I play Pyre in 4K?!
4K, or Ultra HD, is the commonly used term to describe an ultrahigh resolution that displays four times as many pixels onscreen as the recent standard of 1920x1080 (also known as 1080p). And, indeed, Pyre features support for 4K Ultra HD displays! Our previous games topped out at 1080p on console and PC, so this is a huge change for us. If you have a 4K display, you’ll be able to experience the artwork at an unprecedented level of sharpness and clarity. Though if you don't, we think you’ll find the game looks stunning, nonetheless!
Have a look at this comparison. The top image is standard 1080p. The bottom image is 4K. Both are in-game screenshots taken from an early scene in Pyre.
Pictured above is Pyre in 1080p. Click to view full-size.
Now, this is Pyre in 4K! Click to expand, then click again to view actual size!
For the PlayStation 4 version of the game, 4K support is built-in and should work automatically with compatible displays, if you're running the game on a PlayStation 4 Pro console.
For the Steam version of the game, a 4K resolution option should show up automatically in the game settings, using compatible displays. The game should autodetect your desktop resolution when you start it.
We love being able to see the work of our three talented artists Jen, Josh, and Camilo in high definition like this, and we hope you'll enjoy this aspect, too.
Can I play the game in 21:9 aspect ratio?
The Steam version of the game can be set to any resolution. However, the visuals are designed for 16:9 displays, and, due to the nature of the hand-painted 2D artwork featured throughout the game, they will be displayed in a letterbox format at other aspect ratios.
Can I stream / make videos of the game (once it's available)?
Pyre features full text translations in simplified Chinese, Russian, French, German, and Spanish! We introduced these translations in a December 2017 content update, following what we knew would be a much bigger and more complex translation project than we've done for our previous games. In addition to having a much larger word count than Bastion or Transistor, Pyre’s interactive narrative means there are hundreds of millions of possible content combinations in the game. We hope this update means many more players out there will be able to fully enjoy our latest adventure.
How long is the game?
Due to the nature of our games, game length tends to vary quite a bit from player to player. We don't target a specific number of hours of gameplay in our development process, but instead strive to create satisfying, complete-feeling experiences that don't overstay their welcome. In the case of Pyre, with its bigger cast of characters, the game warranted a bigger content scope to feel complete -- so, we can say that the campaign is longer than that of either Bastion or Transistor. Due to the nature of the campaign, it is highly replayable, as well. The addition of Versus Mode adds a significant amount of lasting value, too.
How long was the game in development?
All told, about three years, starting just a few months after the launch of Transistor.
The game's original soundtrack, featuring more than 90 minutes of music by Darren Korb, our audio director and award-winning composer of Bastion and Transistor, will also be available at launch on Steam and through our web site.
About the Game (With New Details!)
Pyre is a party-based RPG in which you lead a band of exiles to freedom through ancient competitions spread across a vast, mystical purgatory. Who shall return to glory, and who shall remain in exile to the end of their days?
A New World From the Creators of Bastion and Transistor
This is the biggest and most imaginative world yet from us at Supergiant! You'll get to know an ensemble cast of characters struggling to earn back their freedom as you make your way across the forsaken land called the Downside. Characters in Pyre come in all shapes and sizes, from hulking demons grown strong from their struggle to survive, to the winged Harps, who plot against their enemies from their mountain nests. Everyone in Pyre has a unique story behind their exile, and their own reasons for wanting to return.
Action-Packed Three-on-Three Battle System
Central to Pyre is the ancient competition called the Rites. Each Rite plays out like an intense close-quarters mystical battle, where the object is to extinguish your adversary's signal flame before they can do the same to you. You'll have to outsmart and outmaneuver your opponents to succeed -- or you can banish them outright with a powerful aura blast.
You'll be up against a colorful cast of adversaries in pitched, high-stakes confrontations where each victory (or defeat!) brings your exiles closer to enlightenment. Choose three exiles from your party for each Rite, and outfit them with powerful Talismans and Masteries to gain an edge.
A Branching Story with No Game-Over
We wanted to make a game that had plenty of challenge and exciting action, but where the fear and frustration of getting stuck was not a factor. Picking yourself up after being defeated could be part of the journey, rather than something that took place in your head while looking at a Game Over screen. So, one of the unique aspects of Pyre is how you are never forced to lose progress. Whether you prevail or fail, your journey continues. The interactive narrative is expressed through a story that should feel personal to you, and that no two players will experience in quite the same way.
Challenge a Friend in Versus Mode
On top of the single-player campaign, Pyre features a local two-player Versus Mode, which lets you play against a friend (or CPU opponent) in one of the game's fast-paced ritual showdowns. You'll be able to form your triumvirate from more than 20 unique characters you'll meet in the campaign, and customize your Rite in a variety of ways -- configuring your characters' abilities, choosing from a variety of stages each with their own distinct effects on gameplay, and more. We think this adds a great deal of lasting value to the game, and we've been having a great time playing it ourselves, trying out every possible character combination we can think of.
Rich, Atmospheric Presentation
Creating a specific and cohesive-feeling tone and atmosphere for our games is very important to us. From the vibrant hand-painted artwork to the evocative, reactive musical score, every aspect of Pyre's presentation is designed to draw you into its mystical fantasy world.
# # #
For more information, please have a look at our Pyre FAQ. Pyre has been in development for nearly three years. We can now safely say that it's the biggest game we've ever created, offering substantially more ways to play and more characters to meet than either Bastion or Transistor before it. With each new game we've made, we've endeavored to push ourselves out of our creative comfort zone to make something that felt fresh to us, in the belief that this would translate to a worthwhile experience for our players. We cannot wait for you to try it and hear what you think.
We're making our annual trip to Boston this weekend for PAX East, where we'll have Pyre playable on the show floor -- including demos of both the campaign and our recently announced two-player Versus Mode!
About Pyre: Our third game is a party-based RPG where you lead your band of exiles to freedom through a series of mystical competitions. Pyre should be available later this year for PlayStation 4 and Steam (you can add it to your Steam wishlist now if you like!). We haven't yet announced a specific launch date, though watch this space or follow @SupergiantGames for the latest news.
Development Update - Getting Warmer! It was at PAX East almost a year ago that we first showed Pyre to the world, so it's great to be back! The game's come a long way since we first revealed it, and we're now fast approaching an important internal milestone where all the game's features and content are designed and implemented in some form.
From there, we've still got a lot to do, polishing and optimizing and refining everything -- though the finish line is in sight! For many developers, the final stages of development can be some of the most vital, and that's certainly been true for us and our first two games. It's also a phase of development where we as a team are in our comfort zone. As exciting as it is dreaming up our games in the first place, the process of finishing really keeps us focused.
We've been able to play through Pyre's campaign from beginning to end since the fall of last year. Since then, our focus has been on building out the story and characters and every aspect of the world and presentation to get it closer to the final level of quality we're aiming for. We can hardly wait for you to meet our new game's big cast of characters and explore the sights and sounds of its mystical world! We'll have more to say about Pyre in the months and weeks leading up to its launch, so stay tuned.
Well here we are in the final days of 2016, catching our breath after what's been an action-packed year! We wanted to take a moment both to look back at the year gone by, and look forward to the times ahead. We're struck, as ever, by how deeply fortunate we are to have you as our players. Thanks to you, our small team's been able to stick together and keep doing what we love. Being able to operate as a small, independent studio and make games our way is an immense privilege, and we look forward to sharing the results of our efforts with you in the coming year, when we expect to launch our third game, Pyre. Until then, we wanted to briefly recap the latest news with us, and the year gone by.
Latest Happenings: It's the holidays, so our games and merchandise are on sale if you or someone you know is interested in picking them up!
On top of that, we brought our games to more events than ever before, notably including PAX East, PAX West, RTX, Day of the Devs, and the PlayStation Experience. We always enjoy these chances to meet you in person, let you get your hands on our games, and see what you think.
Now, with 2017 fast approaching, our goal for the coming year is simple: to make Pyre the best game it can be, one that sparks your imagination, and more than lives up to what you've come to expect from us.
Until then, we wish you and your loved ones a safe and happy holiday season.
Bastionis an original action RPG set in a lush imaginative world, in which players must create and fight for civilization’s last refuge as a mysterious narrator marks their every move. We released the first version a little over five years ago, as part of the Xbox 360's Summer of Arcade showcase. The game went on to earn more than 100 industry awards and accolades, sell close to 4 million copies to date across different platforms, and in general exceed all our wildest expectations. Now, it's available on Xbox One!
Quick Facts about Bastion for Xbox One:
It's free for a limited time if you own Bastion for Xbox 360! If you already own Bastion for the Xbox 360, you'll be able to download Bastion for Xbox One for free till January 1, 2017. We really appreciate your support of our first game and hope you enjoy it all over again!
Otherwise, Bastion for Xbox One retails for $14.99.
It's a faithful adaptation of the original game. Bringing Bastion to Xbox One was more involved than flipping a switch that says 'make it backwards compatible'! The game has been re-built to feel native to the platform.
The main differences compared with the Xbox 360 original are that the game runs in full 1080p (versus 720p in the original), and there are more Achievements to unlock. It also includes the Stranger's Dream DLC, which wasn't available at the game's launch.
We're very grateful to a number of folks in a number of places who helped make Bastion for Xbox One a reality:
To the team at Warner Bros., our publishing partners on Bastion who've supported the game along with us all these years, thank you!!
To the team at Barcelona-based BlitWorks, who've shouldered the task of bringing every pixel and more over to the Xbox One hardware, thank you!!
To Xbox fans around the world, and the Xbox team at Microsoft, thank you!!
And, of course, we remain ever grateful to all of you out there who love and remember Bastion, because it's thanks to you that we get to stick together as a team and keep making games day to day.
When we first revealed Pyre earlier this year, we got a great response to the game's mystical purgatory setting, and its distinct blend of party-based RPG exploration and competitive action. We showed you a glimpse of the game's ensemble cast, and the ancient competition called the Rites, in which exiles battle to re-gain their freedom. Through it all, one exciting question kept coming up again and again: Is Pyre going to have multiplayer?
Today we can confirm that the answer is a resounding YES. We're proud to present our first-ever multiplayer offering in Pyre's head-to-head Versus Mode, where you can challenge a friend in one of the game's fast-paced ritual showdowns. Our new trailer offers a glimpse of the action in store:
We love playing this game against one another at our studio, so we cannot wait to see what you think you think of it!
Pyre Multiplayer FAQ While we have you on the line, we wanted to address some of your questions about this part of the game:
Q: Wait, you're making a multiplayer game?! A: Pyre is a party-based RPG that will have a two-player head-to-head Versus Mode in it, in addition to the single-player campaign. Think of the multiplayer as a bonus on top of the single-player.
Our focus during development has first and foremost been the single-player campaign experience, and creating the ensemble cast of characters of all shapes and sizes whom you'll get to know during your journey. Multiplayer was something we also thought had a lot of potential, but was something we were only going to pursue if we felt we could pull it off without compromising on our ambitions for the single-player. We had to get to this point in development to make sure of that.
The Spring of Jomuer is one of the many celestial landmarks in which the Rites take place.
Some of our team's all-time favorite games include old classics like Command & Conquer and Star Control II, which offered unforgettable single-player experiences along with multiplayer offerings that kept us playing for months or even longer once we finished the story (likely several times). Those and many other games set a very high bar for us with Pyre -- we want to create a world and cast you'll fall in love with, then be able to enjoy indefinitely in Versus Mode.
Q: What is the object of the game in Versus Mode? The ritual competitions in Pyre play out like a one-on-one competitive action game. The object is to extinguish your opponent's ceremonial flame, by grasping an object called the Celestial Orb then diving into the flames with it, or simply throwing it in.
You have at your disposal three different exiles, though just one is permitted to move any given time (you can switch control between them instantly). You can slip past your opponents by sprinting or leaping over them. You also have a defensive aura that banishes your foes on contact, or can be cast like a projectile attack. Each of the different characters has his or her own unique attributes and special abilities. Which characters you bring into the field, along with the variety of unique environments, make it so no two Rites play out the same way.
Q: Can you play online or is it only local multiplayer? A: Our Versus Mode pits you and your opponent against each other on the same system in local head-to-head competition. This arcade-style experience is well suited to Pyre's gameplay, and ever since Bastion we've wanted to make a game you could play with a friend in the same space.
As for online, we haven't made a decision yet on whether online play makes sense given everything else we're doing on Pyre with our small team. We think bad online multiplayer is worse for a game than no online multiplayer, and we promise to do what's best for the game as a whole.
Q: Will I be able to play Versus Mode single-player against the computer? A: Yes! We plan to support that.
Q: How many different characters and stages will there be? A: We're not saying just yet. Though, one of the single most exciting aspects of the game to us is the variety of characters and environments we have planned. As part of this announcement, we're revealing a new stage for the very first time -- the spectacular Spring of Jomuer -- along with several never-before-seen characters. We're letting folks get their hands on the Versus Mode for the first time at the PlayStation Experience event in Anaheim, where the setup is essentially a mirror-match -- but in the full game, you'll be able to choose from many different characters, each with their own distinct strengths.
Q: Did you say new characters?! A: Indeed! Previously we revealed Hedwyn, a cool and collected young man; Jodariel, a stern and imposing demon; and Rukey, an easy-going doglike creature insecure about his mustache. In the campaign, you'll work together with them as part of a legendary band of exiles called the Nightwings. At the PlayStation Experience, we're revealing another of these so-called triumvirates, the Beyonders, along with several hardened exiles you'll get to know in the campaign: Barker, the degenerate hell-hound; Ignarius, a notorious demon; and Sandra the Unseeing, for whom a life sentence in exile has its own special meaning. We look forward to showing many more characters closer to the game's launch sometime in 2017.
Q: I have more questions! A: Great! Send them along with any impressions to @SupergiantGames. We'd love to hear from you.
And thanks for reading! We're in the thick of development on Pyre and well on track toward our planned launch sometime in 2017.
