Former Little Nightmares Devs Talk Upcoming Twin-Stick Metroidvania Game

The former developers of Little Nightmares are now working on a game that merges twin stick Shooters with Metroidvanias. End of Abyss is being developed by Section 9 Interactive Studios and published by Epic Games. While it is yet another in a long line of Metroidvania-style games, it also promises to shake up the formula with twin-stick shooter controls.

Section 9 is a Swedish game development studio whose founders, Marcus and Matthews Ottvall, have a history of working on hit games, including Little Nightmares and Little Big Planet on the PlayStation Vita. Now, they’re excited to begin revealing their unique take on what a Metroidvania can be.

Section 9 Co-Founders Discuss Inspiration For End of Abyss

Speaking with Games Radar+, Marcus discussed that the initial plans for End of Abyss called for a cartoony action game. However, they later explored a top-down Metroidvania, leading to a darker atmosphere.

“The game started out as a bit of a cartoony action game, a kind of top-down twin stick shooter with some adventure elements. Player movement was quicker back then and with fast dodges to avoid enemy attacks. During development, we talked about how there really weren’t that many top-down Metroidvania games, and we wanted to explore that idea. We started leaning towards a more serious tone. We discussed sci-fi anime and classic horror movie inspirations, and began forming a darker atmosphere, and horror elements were introduced, shifting the game toward slower-paced gameplay.”

Marcus did not want to disclose too much about the game’s story and characters, but his brother, Mattias Otvall, spoke about the game’s scanner tool and how it was designed to stand out in a crowded genre.

“It’s a tool that we created for making the exploration more manageable and enjoyable. Scanning your environment and creatures also provides a bit of extra information about the world around you and may even help you find some secrets. Metroidvania games can get disorienting at times, so the scanner helps you to mark points of interest on your map so you can have an easier time finding where to go later on.”

As of yet, there’s no release date for the forthcoming game. Still, it is expected to be released in 2026 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series consoles, and PC via the Epic Games Store.

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