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Gord: Everything We Know

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What do you get when you put a team of ex-CD Projekt Red developers in a drawing room with an encyclopedia on Slavic folklore? Why, you get Gord, of course—an atmospheric city-building strategy game set entirely around the Tribe of the Dawn and the dark fantasy tall tales that defined an entire era. And as luck would have it, such a game is on the nearby horizon, with a PC and next-gen console port already gearing up for a summer launch. That is, providing Covenant.dev doesn't stumble upon any molehills along the way, of course.

So, what more do you need to know about this debut title that just so happens to stem from the former board members of The Witcher? Well, here's everything we've been able to collect based on what Team17 and Covenant.dev have supplied since bringing it to the table a couple of years back. Gord: just want is it, and when can we expect to see it hit the market?

What Is Gord?

To put it simply, Gord is an upcoming dark fantasy city-building game by Covenant.dev, a 24-person team based over in Warsaw. Inspired by Slavic folklore, Gord will take you to a forbidden realm that's been ravaged by chaos and turmoil. In a bid to lead a dying community through the storm, you will carry the torch and lay the foundations for a gord that can not only outlast the elements, but the countless calamities and scourged creatures that roam the forsaken lands.

“Lead the people of the Tribe of the Dawn as they venture deep into forbidden lands,” the elevator pitch reads in part. “Complete quests that shape their personalities, impact their wellbeing, and decide the fate of their community. Ensure the survival of your populace in a grim fantasy world inspired by Slavic folklore.”

Story

Going by what's been shown, Gord won't just feature the single on-rails experience, but more an entire tapestry of story arcs and extracurricular activities. And while the story itself will pertain to the survival of your clan in unprecedented times, a great portion of the narrative will be tailored by the actions you take along the way.

“Venture outside the walls of your settlement with Gord’s AI-driven quest system, ensuring a huge variety of challenges to take on,” the description adds. “Main objectives will guide your gameplay, while versatile side quests and random encounters will send you off into the wilderness to hunt down a legendary creature or fight off a nasty scourge that has infected the region. Expect the unexpected.”

Gameplay

Gord is very much a no-nonsense city-building-type game that idolizes the idea of surviving over prospering, to the point of basing its entire premise around it. To this end, you can half expect to see something of a harsh learning curve as you lead your tribe into the wilderness and learn to keep their sanity levels as high as remotely possible. Knuckle down and come to grips with it, however, and you're sure to find a future worth sticking around for.

“Erect palisades, develop structures, and grow your gord from a humble settlement to a formidable fortress,” the Steam description adds. “However, expansion won’t be easy! Your population is constantly at risk from enemy tribes, gruesome monsters, and mysterious powers that lurk in the surrounding woods.”

According to the blurb, “every aspect of your settlers’ lives – from illness and hunger to the death of their kin – can impact each subject’s Sanity level.” And so, rather than treat them like the dirt on your boot, you'll need to learn how to guide them—control them, even, and make them lean into their roles to help keep your community from yielding to the countless issues that surround not only your home, but the entire realm.

Of course, as with any city-building game, conflict will be commonplace whether you like it or not. And so, to help fortify your haven, you will need to deploy all of the appropriate parties and correct strategies. And that's barely scratching the surface of what comes expected of a clan leader, as made evident by the game's rather lengthy job description embedded on its Steam handle.

Development

In case you missed it, Covenant.dev first announced its plans to bring Gord to PC back in April of 2021. It was only in May of this year, really, that the studio decided to broaden its horizons and aim for an Xbox and PlayStation launch, too. And while neither of the confirmed platforms have received a concrete release date as of yet, we can say that it'll be in Q3 2023.

Trailer

Gord | Official Teaser Trailer

To put it straight — yes, there is a trailer. And not just the one trailer, either, but a selection of trailers, few of which have gone on to highlight a great deal of the gameplay features and functions. But for the sake of keeping it simple, we've gone ahead and attached the initial announcement preview above.

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

Gord will be heading to Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam in “summer 2023.” Going by this, we can safely say that the possibility of it arriving on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Switch is rather low. That said, if Covenant.dev does decide to spread its wings ever so slightly, then it's bound to be announced over on its social feed a lot closer to the time of launch.

Bad luck for those looking to get their hands on a special edition of Gord, I'm afraid. As it turns out, Team17 hasn't brought anything of the type to the serving hatch, which means the best you can currently get is the bog-standard copy on console or PC. You can go ahead and add it to your wishlist on Steam here.

So, has Gord well and truly caught your eye? If so, then you'll definitely want to follow Covenant.dev over on its official social feed for all the latest updates here. If anything major pops up ahead of its Q3 2023 release, we'll be sure to let you know all the key details right here on gaming.net.

 

So, what's your take? Will you be picking up a copy of Gord when it releases later this year? Let us know your thoughts over on our socials here.

Jord is acting Team Leader at gaming.net. If he isn't blabbering on in his daily listicles, then he's probably out writing fantasy novels or scraping Game Pass of all its slept on indies.