As part of the G-Star exhibition in Busan, Lionheart Studio held a presentation dedicated to its new projects. At the event, the developers presented four games to the public: Valhalla Survival, Project C, Project S and Project Q. Studio heads and lead producers of each project shared plans and vision for the future of their games, and also held a question and answer session.
Introduction
The opening speech at the presentation was given by the chairman of Lionheart Studio, Kim Jae-yong. He emphasized that despite its startup status, the studio has achieved enormous success with the game Odin: Valhalla Rising and continues to create ambitious projects spanning different genres and platforms. According to him, participation in G-Star provides a unique opportunity to interact with players and receive . Particularly valuable for the team was the opportunity to observe the first impressions of s from Valhalla Survival, which was available for testing.
Kim Jae-yong expressed confidence that the studio’s new projects will not only strengthen its position in the market, but will also allow it to reach the global level. He noted the importance of constant dialogue with players to improve products and emphasized that G-Star has become an important platform for finding new ideas and inspiration.
Valhalla Survival: fast, dynamic and accessible hack’n’slash
The first project presented was Valhalla Survival. According to producer Go Young Joon, the game is a mobile hack’n’slash with roguelike elements. Designed for the first time in a vertical interface, the game is built on Unreal Engine 5 and is targeted for a global launch in the first quarter of 2025.
The key features of Valhalla Survival are high dynamics of gameplay, ease of control and the ability to play with one hand. The game features three character classes – Warrior, Mage and Rogue, each of which has unique skills. Players can expect a deep skill system and a constant sense of progression thanks to randomization of levels and equipment. The developers paid special attention to reducing stress from repetitive content and increasing the pleasure of battles.
Project C: school of magic and tactical battles
Producer Yoon Hyun Tae was next on stage to talk about Project C. It’s an immersive simulation game with RPG elements where players become mentors in a school of magic set in a fantasy world. The game is being created on the Unreal Engine 5 and will be released in the first half of 2025.
The gameplay focuses on the training and development of heroines, each of whom has a unique story. Particular attention is paid to character personalization: players will be able to choose training courses, influence their appearance and skills, and build relationships with heroines through special events and tasks. The final goal is to participate in tactical turn-based battles, where strategy and proper team selection are important.
Project S: AAA open-world shooter
Project S was Lionheart Studio’s first attempt at entering the major console gaming market. According to producer Kim Jae-seop, the game is being developed for PC and consoles using Unreal Engine 5 and is a shooter with looter shooter elements set in a post-apocalyptic future.
The main task of the developers is to create realistic graphics and a unique world that combines high technology and hostile conditions. The game will feature an open world with different biomes, a rich arsenal of weapons and confrontation with both the alien threat and other human groups. The release is scheduled for 2026.
Project Q: building on Odin’s success in a new format
The presentation was concluded by producer Han Sang Won with Project Q. This is an MMORPG with for cross-play between mobile devices and PC, based on the myths of the Scandinavian epic poem “Edda”. The game has been developed on the Unreal Engine 5 since 2023 and will be released in the second half of 2025.
Project Q will offer players a huge, seamless open world, 56 unique characters, cooperative dungeons, large-scale battles between guilds and many other activities. The developers are looking to improve graphics, add more freedom of action and enhance elements of social interaction.
Q&A session
After completing the main part, Lionheart Studio moved on to a question and answer session. We have briefly collected for you all the new information from the words of the developers:
- Lionheart Studio is preparing several projects at once with different release dates. Valhalla Survival is planned to be released in the first quarter of 2025, and the developers will handle the publication themselves. Project C will be released in the first half of 2025, but the publisher has not yet been determined. Project Q will be published by Kakao Games, and the release is scheduled for the second half of 2025. Project S is planned for release in 2026, but a publisher has not yet been decided.
- The studio strives to create games of various genres – from hack-and-slash to looter shooters and immersive projects – to expand the range of experiences for players. Their goal is to focus on creating games that are fun, rather than limiting themselves to one niche.
- The decision to participate in G-Star was driven by the desire to present projects to a wider audience and establish communication with visitors. Although the studio was preparing such an event for the first time, the team’s efforts made it possible to conduct a successful presentation.
- For Valhalla Survival, preparations have already begun for a marketing campaign aimed at the global market. The remaining projects are still in the early stages of development, so marketing plans for them will be formed later.
- Lionheart Studio has no intention of abandoning the success of Odin: Valhalla Rising. Instead, they plan to develop new projects that can achieve similar popularity and complement the reputation they have already gained.
- Valhalla Survival and Project Q are both based on Norse mythology, but with different emphasis. Project Q offers a reimagined take on the Edda mythology, including race diversity, unique story elements, and raid mechanics. Valhalla Survival focuses on a more minimalistic yet powerful world suitable for a global market.
- Valhalla Survival combines hack-and-slash elements with short gaming sessions. Players will be able to experience the dynamism and pleasure of the gameplay even in 10-minute sessions, for which the developers have added special mechanics.
- Project S, as a loot shooter, aims to reduce player fatigue through a varied combat experience and an emphasis on quality graphics. Project C, in turn, offers deep character development with a system of their visual changes depending on progress. At launch, 24 characters are planned, some of which will have more complex variations in appearance.
- The developers pay special attention to optimizing Valhalla Survival so that the game works even on weak devices, while maintaining high quality graphics.
- Valhalla Survival will be available to play free-to-play, and the main monetization will be focused on subscriptions. The developers promise that the game will remain accessible even to those who are not ready to invest money.
- While Project S appears to be a typical looter shooter at first glance, the emphasis is on realistic combat, with each weapon having a unique feel, including reloads, recoil, and animations.
- The progression system in Project C takes a unique approach to each character, focusing on their individuality, including social aspects such as external or internal orientation.
- Although Valhalla Survival was actively demonstrated at G-Star, the developers are not planning additional tests before release. The game will be released immediately in the global version.
Previously, the developers showed trailers for all four games. You can get acquainted with them at this link.
