Ashfall: Everything We Know

In all our years of examining video game trailers with a fine-tooth comb, only very rarely have we found ourselves at a loss for words. Such is the case with Legendary Star Studio’s Ashfall, one of 2024’s all-seeing chameleons that just so happens to blend a classic post-apocalyptic MMORPG blueprint with five, six, or maybe even seven additional genres. And in spite of the studio’s blatant hunger to bridge the gaps between every subject and devour all the presets in the Unreal Engine catalog, it looks surprisingly elegant. Sure, it’s a bit jumbled in terms of design and structure, but it is, in the strangest of ways, oh so inviting.

Whatever it is, it’ll be heading to consoles and PC at some stage in the latter half of next year. In the meantime, here’s everything you actually need to know about the unruly Fallout-inspired IP. What is it, and how will it compete with the likes of other highly acclaimed MMORPGs on the board? Let’s talk about it.

What Is Ashfall?

Ashfall is an upcoming shooter MMORPG by Legendary Star Studio, featuring an original score by Academy Award-winning kingpin Hans Zimmer. Its premise, in a similar vein to the likes of Fallout, is centered around the aftermath of a worldwide calamity — a disastrous event that managed to push the human race to the brink of extinction.

Temporarily left to their own devices in a series of vaults dotted around the globe, the few survivors are forced to make a grand return to the surface in a bid to rebuild what was once stolen by an artificial intelligence. So, Fallout — with an Eastern aesthetic, basically.

“The setting of Ashfall focuses on rebuilding,” Ashfall designer Jesse told IGN. “It takes place in a future world where artificial intelligence launches an uprising and wages a war against humans. After the nuclear apocalypse, there is nothing other than ruins left in the world and you have to leave your vault to search for the legendary key known as the Core of Creation to save everything.” Well, color us intrigued.

Going by the initial data drop that was revealed a fair ways back, Ashfall will divvy up its time between being a single-player game—one that features open world exploration and lore building—and PvP/PvE, which will allow players to interact with other survivors and build international alliances. What’s more, as it’s an MMORPG at heart, it’ll accommodate a series of annual updates, expansions, and seasonal events. So, expect a lot more than a one-and-done stocking filler.

Story

Ashfall will transport you to a dystopian future ravaged by endless nuclear war and turmoil brought upon by AI. As one of its survivors, you will be tasked with emerging from an underground vault, and searching for an artifact that supposedly holds the key to the species’ salvation. To get there, you will need to learn how to rebuild, and not to mention develop alliances to help drive back the foes that wander the barren wastelands of a fractured society.

In the words of its famed creator: “In the future, AI rises up and launches a nuclear war against humanity. After that, nothing other than ruins are left in the world. You must leave the Vault to find the Core of Creation—the key to saving the world.” Heavy stuff.

Gameplay

From the looks of the footage, Ashfall will feature an enormous amount of combat — all of which will be experienced from a third-person perspective. What’s more, as its emphasis is on the MMO side of things, it’ll also open the floodgates for a huge open world—an Eastern-inspired wasteland that will host countless creatures, settlements, and pockets of lore to unearth.

“Fight giants, chase down traitors in wreckage strewn in the sand, and wreak havoc in a city,” the description adds. “Make deals with robots, eradicate mutated crayfish in a floating city, and repel the rebel siege.”

“Tame your personal mounts and traverse the world with them. Discover and delve into various extreme environmental disasters. Construct your own base and furnish it with antique furniture you find along the way to find inner peace.”

Like a lot of MMORPGs, Ashfall will also feature an extensive character creator for you to toy around with. And if that doesn’t tickle your fancy, then perhaps its real-time weather system and advanced motion capture techniques will? Whatever the case, Legendary Star Studio clearly seem to be testing their range with Ashfall. Question is, are they biting off a little more than they can chew? Only time will tell on that one.

Development

Legendary Star Studio first announced its plans to bring Ashfall to Android, iOS, and PC in 2022. It was later revealed that an open beta would be available in July 2023. As for when the full product will be released is still anybody’s guess, though according to Steam, it’ll be shaping up for a Q3 2024 launch. That is, of course, providing there are no unwanted issues to jilter its progress.

Trailer

The good news is, Legendary Star Studio has already gone ahead and released a trailer to outline several of the game’s core details. You can see it for yourself in the video embedded above.

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

Legendary Star Studio has stapled a Q3 2024 release window to the IP, so expect to see it grace the shelves sometime between July and September of next year. If we’re going out on a whim, then we’ll put our money on it being on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC. In addition to this, the game will also be heading over to the mobile market, with Legendary Star Studio already stating that it’ll be on Android and iOS.

As far as launch editions go, Legendary Star Studio has yet to formally announce anything other than the standard copy for consoles and PC. If anything of the sort does come about, then it’ll be revealed much closer to the time of launch. Q1 2024, if we’re lucky.

Has Legendary Star Studio’s jack-of-all-trades IP caught your attention? If so, then be sure to check in with the team’s social feed for all the pre-launch updates here. We’ll be sure to let you know just as soon as the devs decide to announce the release date. Until then, it’s business as usual.

So, what’s your take? Will you be getting your hands on a copy of Ashfall when it arrives next year? Let us know your thoughts over on our socials here.