FAQ Updated April 10th '25

[HSG Community Manager]

Q: When will it be released?
A: We will be launching Early Access in Q4 2025

Q: What happened to the Playtest?
A: The playtest has ended, the demo has been updated with a more complete gameplay loop.

Q: What happened to my Playtest/DEMO screenshots?
A: Each build creates a new screenshot folder which can be found in the following directories -
` C:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Half Sword Demo\HalfSwordUE5\Screenshots'` DEMO
` C:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Half Sword Playtest\VersionTest54\Screenshots` PLAYTEST

Q: Under which format will Half Sword be released?
A: We are planning to release Half Sword into early access. Due to the experimental nature of our game, our roadmap includes both pre-release and post-release content. Additionally, we keep a non-negligible amount of leeway for adjustments based on players’ feedback.

Q: How much will it cost?
A: Half Sword is a premium indie game. The pricing is still not determined for now. What our community tells us via surveys as well as the level of quality and polish we are able to achieve by release will be key to determining the pricing we will propose.

Q: Will there be microtransactions?
A: No.

Q: What engine is it made with?
A: Unreal Engine 5

Q: Why have multiple builds (Itch, Demo, Playtest)?
A: The builds are representative of the evolution of our studio’s experimentation with physics-based combats. Each build has allowed us to test different mechanics (Simulation, Roguelite, Enhanced Controls). Each time, players’ feedback has been invaluable to us. We plan to use this approach to test further systems as we work towards early access.

Q: What sort of game will Half Sword ultimately be?
A: Games that strongly inspire us include Exanima, Totally Accurate Battle Simulator, Gang Beasts, Chivalry, Mordhau & Escape from Tarkov. For now, players have access to 5% of the planned game, if even. First and foremost, we are focused on combat, which must be both addictive and visceral. A lot of other elements that are not yet visible come to support the replayability. We are working to implement many systems adding a profound depth to your decision-making, in and outside of combats. Environments will serve specific purposes and might add additional hurdles, or, opportunities. If you have played the games cited here above, you know the depth that they propose with their many systems and approaches. We will strive to offer an equally compelling experience over time.

Q: Will it have multiplayer?
A: We fully understand the appeal of multiplayer and especially PvP. We understand and agree that challenging your friends in duels or group fights could be equally entertaining and hilarious, especially if you are in discord with them as you either behead or disembowel them with a hoe. We fully grasp how we could build an extremely re-playable meta there. However, we also wish to draw your attention to the fact that physics-based multiplayer on Unreal Engine 5 is as hardcore as it gets as far as development: it is no easy task & Half Sword is our first game. We are focusing on single-player physics right now to build a strong experience aimed at offering hundreds if not thousands of hours of fun. This will enable us to build strong foundations and hopefully offer, in a second phase, an equally polished multiplayer experience.
To summarize: do we think about it? Yes, a lot. Do we see the added value? Absolutely. Are we able to offer multiplayer at release: highly unlikely. Will we do our utmost to provide multiplayer after release: more likely.

Q: Will it be released on all platforms?
A: Intended for PC & Steam first. Consoles later.

Q: Are customizable characters planned for the game?
A: To an extent full details are to be announced later in development.

Q: Is Workshop support planned?
A: Not at the current stage of development. We, however, understand the appeal of it for players and keep an open mind about it.

Q: Is modding planned?
A: Not at the current stage of development. We, however, understand its appeal for players and keep an open mind about it, so long within the border of our lore.

Q: Is UGC planned?
A: Not at the current stage of development, we are unsure how this could match with the lore of the game, so we perceive it negatively for now.

Q: How can I contact the development team?
A: [e-mail]

Q: How much will the game cost?
A: We are still very early in development and pricing is still not established. More info on this will be released around the time of the Early Access release.

Instagram[www.instagram.com]
Reddit
Tik Tok[www.tiktok.com]
X[x.com]
Youtube