I wanted to comment on this, but it’s probably better to explain it properly here 👍
Our ambitions actually go beyond “revolutionizing ARPGs”.
We’re not just building a game – we’re building a platform. A world and a foundation that Moon Studios can keep expanding on for many years. That’s why I’ve said before that we’ll likely be working on No Rest for the Wicked for the next decade.
And yes, feel free to call me crazy again – I’ve heard it before 😄
The reality is that over the last several years, we’ve been deliberately building Wicked in a way that allows multiple genres to coexist and reinforce each other inside the same game, instead of living in separate, disconnected products.
Once you spend enough time with Wicked, I think it becomes clearer how this can work.
Take the Crucible, for example. There’s no reason why its roguelite side couldn’t evolve into one of the best roguelite experiences out there. The combat system already has the depth and responsiveness needed – what’s left is expanding content, progression, and systemic depth. Personally, I could sink dozens of hours into that mode alone once it reaches its full potential. And because it’s Wicked, it’s multiplayer by default.
Inside the Crucible, we’ve also prototyped a Horde / Survivor-style mode, inspired by games like Vampire Survivors. We already have the enemies, the combat, the boons, the bosses – it’s a natural extension. And again, co-op is baked in from the start.
See where this is going?
Last year, I prototyped a Survival Mode in Wicked by disabling the campaign and allowing players to place structures freely across Isola Sacra. Suddenly, the game felt closer to Don’t Starve Together: building small settlements, managing safety, and surviving the night. Blizzard spent years trying to build a survival game from scratch and eventually canceled it. We’re approaching it from the opposite direction – by building on an existing, proven foundation.
Then there’s PvP. Our combat system already lends itself naturally to it. Instead of just trading hits, players would need to think about positioning, terrain and arena layout. Inspirations here come from games like Nidhogg, Bomberman and Power Stone. I genuinely think we could explore a new kind of 3D fighting experience in that space.
And on the other end of the spectrum, there’s farming. Once you reach Sacrament, you’ll be able to buy a farmhouse and essentially play Wicked like Harvest Moon or Stardew Valley: planting crops, watering fields, maintaining your land. A simple, self-contained loop – but incredibly addictive.
Right now, our highest priority is getting the core ARPG experience ready for 1.0. After that, while part of the team focuses on the next expansion, others will continue iterating on these systems through regular updates – keeping the world alive and evolving until we’re ready to expand the story again.
This is also why I’ve said that a game like Wicked would be nearly impossible to pitch at a traditional AAA publisher. A concept like this would get you shown the door.
But we’ve already built the foundation – carefully, deliberately, over years.
At this point, it would be a crime not to fully explore what it can become 👍
Source by thomasmahler
