Vampire Survivors
News, coverage and analysis tracking Vampire Survivors across the outlets.
Latest coverage
Vampire Survivors announces big 1.15 update
Poncle has announced a major 1.15 update for Vampire Survivors, which will be released on Nintendo Switch this summer. The update includes a new underwater stage called Lycaeum, new weapons, a character selection filter, stability and performance improvements, and over 80 bug fixes.
Microsoft and Valve sued, PlayStation's first party downturn, and could a UK social media ban impact games? - Patch Notes #55
Microsoft and Valve are facing a lawsuit alleging collusion on PC game pricing and release dates. Separately, PlayStation's first-party game sales have declined since 2020, and Nintendo will comply with EU regulations requiring replaceable batteries in hardware. A potential UK social media ban could also extend to video game platforms.
Vampire Survivors' Poncle is expanding into Japan
Vampire Survivors developer Poncle is establishing a new studio in Japan, led by Crim CEO Sawaki Takeyasu. Founder Luca Galante expressed admiration for Japanese games and aims to foster a creative environment for developers. Poncle is also expanding its publishing division and opening a studio in Italy.
poncle to establish Japan studio led by El Shaddai creator Sawaki Takeyasu
Vampire Survivors developer poncle is establishing a new studio in Japan, led by Sawaki Takeyasu, the creator of El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron. This move aims to foster closer collaboration with Japanese talent and expand poncle's global development capabilities.
Newborn Gaming: 7 One-Handed Picks for Parents | TAG
This guide recommends seven games suitable for parents with a newborn, focusing on titles playable with one hand, minimal audio, and limited movement. Suggestions include Balatro, Vampire Survivors, Stardew Valley, and Slay the Spire 2 for mobile or PC, emphasizing games that can be played silently and with simple controls.
Dark Light: Survivor Early Access Review – Bullet Mayhem
Dark Light: Survivor is an Early Access survivor-like shooter that blends modern technology with fantasy elements, offering a unique twist on the genre. While it suffers from a lack of content and some UI/UX refinements, its core gameplay loop of manually controlling weapons alongside passive abilities is engaging. The game is currently available on PC and is planned for 1 to 1.5 years in Early Access.
Balatro's latest crossover lets you design your very own deck of medieval Jimbo cards
Balatro's latest crossover introduces medieval Jimbo cards designed by Yaza Games in Scriptorium: Master of Manuscripts. This update allows players to create and export their own Jimbo-themed cards, front and back, and includes new assets and gallery features for managing creations. The crossover also allows players to design a ship to bring Jimbo ashore as part of new commissions.
Check out the 50 most popular Steam Deck games for May 2026
This article lists the 50 most popular games played on the Steam Deck during May 2026, based on data from Valve. The list includes newly released titles like Forza Horizon 6 and Subnautica 2, alongside enduring favorites such as Slay the Spire and Stardew Valley.
5 Games for Paternity Leave Worth Your Time | TAG
This guide recommends five video games suitable for players on paternity leave, prioritizing one-handed play, interruptible sessions, and low mental load. Games like Balatro, Vampire Survivors, Slay the Spire 2, Hades II, and Stardew Valley are highlighted for their compatibility with the unpredictable nature of caring for a newborn. The article also offers advice on gaming etiquette and mental health during this period.
Zenless Zone Zero 'copied my puzzle game,' indie dev says, posts a pretty convincing video to prove it
Indie developer Michael Kamm has accused miHoYo of copying his puzzle game Ouros for Zenless Zone Zero, providing video evidence of striking similarities in gameplay mechanics and design choices. Kamm claims his work was cloned and attributed to the larger company, highlighting the challenges indie developers face with intellectual property in the gaming industry. Similar accusations have also been made against miHoYo regarding Genshin Impact.
The Parent Gamer's 2026 Survival Plan | TAG
This guide offers a survival plan for parents who want to continue gaming amidst the unpredictable demands of raising children. It emphasizes the importance of autosave features, flexible session lengths, and choosing games that accommodate short or interrupted playtimes, recommending titles like Stardew Valley, Balatro, and Hades II. The article also addresses the need for self-care, communication with partners, and selecting appropriate hardware like the Steam Deck or Nintendo Switch.
"You build a little squad of allied characters": Warhammer Survivors' spin on bullet heaven brings a lovely touch of chaos to the battlefield
Warhammer Survivors, a spin-off of Vampire Survivors, introduces a unique squad mechanic where players control multiple allied characters who act independently. Lead designer John O'Donnell explains how this system, along with faction-specific mechanics like the Tyranid hive mind and Skaven Bell of Doom, adds a new layer of chaos and tactical depth to the bullet heaven genre. The game will feature content from both Warhammer 40,000 and Age of Sigmar.
Warhammer Survivors is exactly what it sounds like
Warhammer Survivors offers a familiar yet fun experience for fans of the Survivors-like genre, blending elements from both the Age of Sigmar and Warhammer 40,000 universes. While heavily inspired by Vampire Survivors, it introduces unique mechanics like ally recruitment based on weapon loadouts and distinct status effects. The game is currently available as a demo, allowing players to experience its blend of familiar gameplay with a grimdark Warhammer aesthetic.
The fluid flames simulation in the upcoming bullet heaven Ignitement look awesome
Ignitement is an upcoming bullet heaven horde survival game that features a specialized 2D fluid simulation system for impressive fire and ability effects. The game involves 20-minute runs with boss battles, collecting masks for new powers, and unlocking skills. A demo is scheduled for release on May 28th.
Steam killed its 'RPGMaker' user tag yesterday, and impacted devs are unexpectedly happy about it
Valve has removed the 'RPGMaker' user tag from Steam, a move that has surprisingly been met with approval by many developers who used the tool. While some players are upset about losing a way to find games made with RPG Maker, developers believe the tag's broadness often led to low-quality games overshadowing good ones, and its removal may help their titles gain more visibility.
20 Must-Play Games on Steam Deck in 2026 (Verified and Optimized) | TAG
This guide highlights 20 games that perform exceptionally well on the Steam Deck, focusing on session-friendliness and battery life. It categorizes games into quick sessions, hour-long sessions, and deep dives, while also noting AAA titles that are playable with adjustments. The article also details Valve's 'Steam Deck Verified' system and lists games that did not make the cut due to performance issues.
At last, The Bullet Heaven genre - popularised by hits like Vampire Survivors - has been sanctioned by Steam
Steam has officially added the 'Bullet Heaven' genre tag, a subgenre popularized by games like Vampire Survivors. This update, released by Valve, introduces 17 new tags and removes 28 to improve game discovery and recommendations on the platform. The 'Singleplayer' tag remains the most popular on Steam.
Steam rejigs tags in a potential win for game visibility. And, more importantly, capybaras
Valve has updated Steam's game tagging system, removing 28 tags and adding 17 new ones, including 'Bullet Heaven' and specific animal tags like 'Capybaras.' The changes aim to improve game discovery by streamlining subjective and overlapping tags, such as 'Cult Classic' and 'NSFW.' The 'single-player' tag remains the most prevalent on the platform.
Steam canonizes the Vampire Survivors subgenre that’s spawned a million clones
The article discusses how Vampire Survivors has effectively canonized a subgenre of roguelike games, leading to numerous clones. The author, a freelance writer for various gaming publications, expresses a personal interest in PS2-era titles that rarely receive sequels.
Valve make adjustments to Steam tags, and they settled the Vampire Survivor-like argument with Bullet Heaven
Valve has updated Steam's official store tags, adding 17 new ones, removing 28, and modifying others to improve game discovery and recommendations. Notably, 'Bullet Heaven' has been officially added to categorize games similar to Vampire Survivors, distinguishing them from 'Bullet Hell' titles. Several other tags were also renamed or merged for clarity.
