Darkhaven, New Action-RPG from Diablo Veterans

Moon Beast Productions, an independent studio founded by Diablo veterans Philip Shenk, Peter Hu, and Erich Schaefer, today announced Darkhaven, a next-generation action RPG that returns to the genre's roots and redefines its future with a fully dynamic and persistent world. Alongside the announcement, Moon Beast launched the game's Steam page, unveiling plans for an upcoming Kickstarter campaign, inviting the ARPG community to help bring the project to Early Access.

Darkhaven is a dark fantasy isometric ARPG set in the aftermath of civilization's collapse. Ancient empires have fallen, and their ruins have been reclaimed by wilderness, monsters, and aggressive supernatural forces. Players are the inheritors of a power that represents the last hope for this dying world. As an arcane evil creeps into the world to feed on its remnants, it's up to the few remaining to fight to save the planet from final collapse.

Designed for solo play, but also offering cooperative adventures and insidious PvP realms, Darkhaven is set in a persistent, dynamic, and procedurally generated world. Surfaces and structures are deformable and buildable, allowing players to dig into the ground, tunnel through dungeon walls, drain lakes to uncover buried ruins, redirect lava flows to change battlefields, or rebuild destroyed fortresses. Seasons change and weather affects combat, while exploration and world-altering events leave permanent marks. Every action contributes to a shared, evolving story.

Combat in Darkhaven enhances the balance between stat progression, character development, and player skill. Heroes can jump, climb, swim, dash, and explore the world freely, introducing a new level of action and skill rarely seen in the genre. Success depends not only on stats, but also on a combination of movement, timing, and environmental awareness, greatly expanding the action at the heart of action RPGs.

"From the beginning, we wanted Darkhaven to be enjoyable to play," said Erich Schaefer, co-founder and Chief Creative Officer. "The movement system is satisfying. Being able to jump to avoid attacks, climb cliffs, escape dangers, or swim in a lake that might be infested with dangerous creatures changes the perception of combat in this genre of games. It's no longer just a numbers game. It's much more engaging. It's become more about skill, finding the right rhythm, and making smart decisions in the moment. I've never had so much fun developing and playing an ARPG."

The item management and game progression philosophy is heavily inspired by the original ARPG genre cornerstones, Diablo and Diablo II. Rejecting the incrementalism common in many modern titles, Darkhaven embraces bold and expressive loot, items that feel powerful, sometimes surprisingly so, and capable of redefining builds rather than merely optimizing them.

"Great itemization is about possibilities," said Peter Hu, co-founder and President. "In Darkhaven, we want items that open doors, gear that makes you think and rethink your build, strategy, or even how you play. Finding something powerful should be exciting and inspiring, not something that boils down to small percentage increments."

Moon Beast Productions brings together decades of experience from genre-defining titles, including Diablo, Diablo II, Diablo II: Lord of Destruction, Diablo III, Hellgate: London, Torchlight, Torchlight II, Nox, and Marvel Heroes Online. "We are truly excited to finally unveil Darkhaven and open its Steam page," said Philip Shenk, CEO and co-founder. "This project represents everything we've learned about ARPGs over the past two decades and what becomes possible when these ideas are combined with modern technology. We are creating a world that remembers what the player does, bears the scars of their victories and failures, and tells stories that only their own game can create. With the community's support, we are ready to bring Darkhaven to Early Access, which will allow us to continue building the game to bring to life the incredible experience we all want to achieve."

You can now follow the Darkhaven Kickstarter campaign and add the game to your Wishlist on Steam. There will also be a playable demo alongside the Kickstarter campaign when it becomes available. Here's the announcement trailer.