VGTimes Interview with the Developers of Gods, Death & Reapers: An Isometric Escape from Tarkov in the Mythological Fantasy Genre

At gamescom asia, we spoke with Andrei Chirculete — game director of Gods, Death & Reapers. It is an unusual ARPG that resembles Escape from Tarkov more than Diablo. The developers from WOLCEN Studio came up with a unique mix of genres that the gaming industry has never seen before. In this interview, you'll not only learn details about the project but also get instructions on how to access Gods, Death & Reapers before its official release!

Andrei: Greetings to VGTimes readers! My name is Andrei, and I am the game director of Gods, Death & Reapers from WOLCEN Studio.

VGTimes: Hello, Andrei! Tell us about Gods, Death & Reapers.

Andrei: Gods, Death & Reapers is a game for which we invented a new genre — an RPG with extraction elements. One day, we had the idea to take a classic extraction shooter and replace the shooting with ARPG mechanics. The result was something incredibly original, and we were eager to work on this project.

VGTimes: What is the setting of Gods, Death & Reapers? What is the story built around?

Andrei: The main events unfold in a post-apocalyptic dark fantasy world where all myths and deities known to humanity have been destroyed. No one knows what or who exactly destroyed them. Even Death itself doesn’t know how it happened. And in our game, Death is a special entity who acts as an employer, offering players the chance to become her personal agents — Reapers. They must embark on a dangerous adventure through ruined mythological worlds to uncover all the secrets and restore balance to the universe. In short, we work for Death for the greater good.

VGTimes: What is the main feature of your game?

Andrei: I think the main feature of Gods, Death & Reapers is the unique combination of genres, which hasn’t been seen on the game market before. Essentially, we are creating a role-playing game without standardized classes. Character development depends on the chosen weapon and various combinations of item affixes. This way, our game is unlike classic ARPGs, where progression revolves around the hero’s specialization and abilities.

VGTimes: You say progression depends on loot and proper item builds. Tell us more about that.

Andrei: The weapon you choose determines the entire gameplay. That is, this choice affects the set of abilities and skills you can use in combat. The progression system is tied to weapon affixes, as well as gems that can be used to upgrade it. Besides that, there’s armor that increases the character’s base stats. A properly selected set gives good bonuses to survivability. There are also items that make exploring locations easier: for example, a backpack allows you to carry more things, and various potions provide temporary boosts. By the way, I forgot to mention footwear — it not only gives armor bonuses but also provides a whole set of defensive abilities: invisibility, protective barriers, dash, and even teleportation. Of course, you can find plenty of other loot in locations. There are many items needed for crafting, completing quests, and upgrading the sanctuary. The latter, by the way, is the player’s main base, which needs to be developed to unlock new opportunities and mechanics.

VGTimes: Sounds intriguing. What games inspired you to develop Gods, Death & Reapers? Maybe you have some references you’re guided by.

Andrei: It's hard to answer that question right away. Our game represents a completely new genre for the industry, so it's difficult to name a specific example. Of course, when recreating extraction gameplay, we looked towards Escape from Tarkov and Hunt: Showdown. We took ARPG elements from Diablo and Path of Exile 2. For example, players will be able to play the game in cooperative PvE mode. When developing PvP encounters, we were inspired by MOBA games. V Rising, Dota 2, and League of Legends were our main sources of inspiration for implementing multiplayer battles. Of course, there were other games that influenced us conceptually, but these are probably the most important ones.

VGTimes: What engine are you using to create the game?

Andrei: Unreal Engine 5.

VGTimes: When is the approximate release date for Gods, Death & Reapers?

Andrei: We don't have an exact date yet, but we are planning to launch early access next year.

VGTimes: Your studio is located in an unusual place — Romania. How many people work at your studio?

Andrei: WOLCEN Studio has two offices: one is in Nice, France, and the other is in Bucharest. I can’t give an exact number, but about 90 developers are working on the game. Most of the staff works remotely, so we have people from many different countries. 30–40 people are from Romania, and we even have someone from Canada. I’m not sure about staff from eastern regions, but I think someone lives in Turkey and Korea. Overall, we have a truly multicultural team, despite having only two offices.

VGTimes: Is there anything else you’d like to say to our readers?

Andrei: Add Gods, Death & Reapers to your wishlist on Steam, of course! But even more important — click the “Request Access” button to join the closed playtest. We hold them regularly to improve mechanics and balance game design based on feedback. Also, join our Discord channel, where you can not only get the latest information but also share your impressions and suggestions. Your feedback is very important to us!

VGTimes: Thank you for your detailed answers.

Andrei: Thank you too!

Gods, Death & Reapers is one of the most unusual games at the show, offering not only a unique blend of genres but also a very impressive visual presentation. Unlike many other studios, WOLCEN Studio doesn’t try to blindly copy Escape from Tarkov by simply changing the setting, but truly strives to offer players something new. Be sure to request access to the alpha test to help the developers balance the mechanics and make your own contribution to the project’s development.

Interview conducted by Rodion Ilin.

VGTimes has been operating since 2011 and during this time has attended dozens of exhibitions and festivals where our journalists gathered numerous exclusive materials. For example, at the year 2025 we saw with our own eyes one of Asia's major gaming exhibitions — ChinaJoy in Shanghai.