Maldhalla, a solo project by IT YouTuber Eyejoker, will officially launch on the PC platform Steam on October 16 at 7:00 PM. The pixel-art survival roguelite features 21 characters and 32 weapons, supporting 19 languages, including Korean.
Maldhalla's combat centers on surviving against enemies that grow stronger as time progresses. Bosses appear at three-minute intervals, requiring players to tackle distinct attack patterns from foes such as the ground-slamming "Giant" and the final boss "Bone Dragon," who spawns at the 30-minute mark.
Build customization also utilizes 21 types of gems and 60 blessings. Each character has a unique starting weapon, passive, and active skill, while equipping specific combinations of two or three weapons triggers a relic. Characters, weapons, and relics are unlocked through achievements and gameplay.
The official launch version introduces a second map, "Old Prison," which opens after defeating the 30-minute final boss of the first map, "Dungeon." Four new bosses appear: "Excavator," "Roll Call Officer," "Rat Swarm King," and the final boss "Head Warden." Prison-themed mechanics are also scattered throughout the stage, including searchlights that sound an alarm if detected, iron maidens opened with keys, and elite enemies trapped in cells.
During development, approximately 2,600 players participated in a playtest in February, and a Steam demo has been available since June. Eyejoker stated that based on player feedback, most characters, skills, bosses, and overall balance were revised. In the three weeks leading up to release alone, over 50 updates were implemented. Souls earned and content unlocked in the demo will carry over to the full release.
The seasonal ranking system operated after launch will reset every other Monday at 9:00 AM. The first season will end on October 26 at 9:00 AM. Players who set a Steam ranking record via the demo or other means before launch (by 7:00 PM on October 16) will receive the "Founding Member" title upon release. After a season ends, tier titles and top-rank titles will be awarded based on performance. Content updates will also continue, with an online co-op beta planned for November.
Eyejoker said, "I've played games since I was young and spent years as a gaming YouTuber, but I always wanted to create a game of my own. I love games that make you want to play 'just one more round,' like Risk of Rain 2 or the Monster Hunter series, and I hope Maldhalla can become a game like that."
