Why Blizzard vet Rob Pardo is going all-in on Arkheron, the PvP dungeon crawler that's like dark-fantasy Backrooms: 'It's very much been an odyssey'
News Source
β’Tue, 22 Sep 2026 16:00:00 +0000
π° What Happened
Rob Pardo, the former Blizzard design chief, says his studio is going all in on Arkheron. It is a team game where squads of three battle to climb a strange tower. Loot is the real star, giving you the powers that shape your plan. A crossplay beta starts on September 25 for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox.
π The Backstory
Pardo worked on StarCraft, Warcraft 3, World of Warcraft and Diablo at Blizzard before leaving in 2014. He co-founded Bonfire Studios in 2016, and Arkheron has been in the works for nearly ten years. Pardo said the team rebuilt the combat four separate times. The game mixes Diablo-style loot with a purgatory setting he calls a dark-fantasy spin on the Backrooms.
π― Why It Matters
Pardo's past games shaped modern gaming, so his new studio is watched closely. Multiplayer-only games often struggle to keep players, making this launch a big test.
Rob Pardo, the former Blizzard design chief, says his studio is going all in on Arkheron. It is a team game where squads of three battle to climb a strange tower. Loot is the real star, giving you the powers that shape your plan. A crossplay beta starts on September 25 for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox.
Pardo worked on StarCraft, Warcraft 3, World of Warcraft and Diablo at Blizzard before leaving in 2014. He co-founded Bonfire Studios in 2016, and Arkheron has been in the works for nearly ten years. Pardo said the team rebuilt the combat four separate times. The game mixes Diablo-style loot with a purgatory setting he calls a dark-fantasy spin on the Backrooms.
Pardo's past games shaped modern gaming, so his new studio is watched closely. Multiplayer-only games often struggle to keep players, making this launch a big test.