Dark Fantasy Co-op, Project EVILBANE, Headed to PC And Xbox
- Project EVILBANE is a four-player grimdark co-op ARPG from Netmarble, shown at G-STAR; releasing on PC/Xbox in 2026.
- Beta feedback from Xbox Insider tests is shaping development, especially around making characters feel more distinct.
- Arrives amid a strong ARPG wave, including Titan Quest 2, Dawn of Bloodwalker, and Where Winds Meet hitting 2M players in 24 hours.
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Grimdark Hack n Slash
Netmarble, the developer and publisher behind such titles as The Seven Deadly Sins: Grand Cross and Lineage 2: Revolution, recently revealed Project EVILBANE, a four player co-op ARPG. Currently in active development but slated for release next year, Netmarble had a hands-on demo available at the recent G-STAR game expo in South Korea.
Set in a dark fantasy world ravaged by the rise of a fearsome Archdemon, Project EVILBANE features humans and demons going at it in a battle to save the world, or destroy it completely. Alongside the hands-on demo Netmarble revealed, it also recently revealed a trailer with actual gameplay footage.
“EVILBANE’s first hands-on showcase at G-STAR 2025 marks an important milestone for us,” said Jung Ho Lee, Game Publishing Director at Netmarble. “We’re using this opportunity to engage directly with players on-site, gather their real-time feedback, and reflect those insights into development as we move toward the next testing phase.”
EVILBANE Beta Tests
Project EVILBANE may look similar to other ARPGs but it’s making an effort to stand out, which Netmarble is hoping upcoming beta tests will help with. Its most recent was part of the Xbox Insider program – this is Microsoft’s initiative to get players involved with games in active development, as well as test out features on Xbox and PC.
The developer team has already responded to test feedback in the official Discord channel, particularly around playable characters, promising that “we’ve heard your feedback about the lack of character individuality, and we’re working to ensure each character feels distinctly unique as development progresses.”
As it stands, players can customize their skills depending on any situation, as well as freely switch between ranged and melee combat, as they fight to reclaim occupied territories and restore the fallen kingdom. Skills are broken into Active (weapon perks) and Heavenstone. The latter are powerful abilities, such as Arrow Barrage and Meteor, that can be unleashed to devastate a battlefield.
Gamers interested in joining a future playtest can do so either via the Xbox Insider hub, or through the official Project EVILBANE website. A release date is still TBC but it’ll be in 2026.
ARPGS Continue to Prove Popular
Project EVILBANE follows in the monstrous footsteps of plenty of other action RPGS, so it should prove catnip for gamers jonesing for their latest Soulslike fix. Netmarble is also behind other popular ARPGS, including Game of Thrones: Kingsroad and Marvel Future Fight, and a major shareholder in NCSOFT. This company was also in attendance at G-STAR to reveal its own MMORPG, Horizon Steel Frontiers.
Showing that hack n slash games aren’t going away any time soon, other recent ARPGs news includes the long-awaited Titan Quest 2 hitting Early Access on PC, new footage for Dawn of Bloodwalker, and the release of Where Winds Meet.
Developed by Everstone Studio and published by NetEase, it swaps a typical dark fantasy/mythological setting for 10th Century China, and common Soulslike combat options for fluid Wuxia martial arts. This was released on Nov. 14 on PC and PS5, is free-to-play, and the devs recently announced that it had reached over 2 million players within a 24 hour period.
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