In 2016, Rob Pardo, former lead designer of World of Warcraft, launched Bonfire Studios alongside former Blizzard colleagues and ex-Nexon CEO Min Kim. After nearly a decade, Pardo finally shared the studio’s first project: a team-centric PvP title known as Arkheron.

According to Pardo, Arkheron has been under development since 2018 but has encountered multiple challenges, including delays from the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the setbacks, playtesting with a limited number of players commenced in 2024. Currently, Bonfire Studios has not disclosed specific details about the game, revealing only that it is a live service project set in a dark fantasy world.

“It’s in this wonderful place where it has a lot of familiar concepts from other genres, but the core of the game is really unique and the combat is really unique,” said Pardo.
(Translation: “Es un lugar maravilloso donde tiene muchos conceptos familiares de otros géneros, pero el núcleo del juego es realmente único y el combate es realmente único.”)

The game is designed for swift gameplay and is not traditional turn-based; its unique combat system aims to be intuitive, particularly for controller users.

With Pardo’s extensive background at Blizzard on titles like Warcraft, StarCraft, and Hearthstone, this announcement has sparked considerable interest in what Arkheron will eventually deliver.

For those wanting to delve deeper into Arkheron, Bonfire Studios is currently expanding its playtester base. Interested parties can sign up at bonfirestudios.com.