Legion Studios was born in an unusual way – industry layoffs pushed creative minds out of their jobs and their comfort zones and into passion projects. Started by 12 industry veterans whose portfolio includes work on such titles as Halo, Destiny, and more, they are bringing Covenant to life, a genre mash-up that takes something from FPS, Soulslike, and fighting games’ combat.
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More info comes from Legion Studios FAQ, which lists some of the many inspirations behind their debut title. These include Dark Messiah, Dishonored, and even Tekken and Smash Bros.
This December everyone’s attention was pointed towards The Game Awards. In addition to giving the ultimate spotlight to Team Asobi’s cutest platformer ever made, Astro Bot, the show presented a number of exclusive announcements that seemingly overshadowed everything revealed prior to the ceremony. Some of the reveal trailers included The Witcher 4, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, and a new IP from the creators of It Takes Two.
Unfortunately, some missed the reveal for Covenant, which is a shame. Because it looks fantastic.
Legion Studios shared their first trailer for their debut game on December 6. The Covenant trailer revealed the dark fantasy settings reminiscent of FromSoftware’s Elden Ring and Dark Souls, with an ominous voice giving insight into the lore bit by bit. The trailer goes into gameplay showing the fast-paced first-person action sequences as the player character (Messenger of Death) displays combat skills.
These include wielding a sword and shooting with rifles and crossbows that have dark fantasy written all over them. Another important thing to note is that players will have access to a wide array of spells based on natural elements that can be upgraded over time as the character improves.
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Legion Studios is bringing a mix of campaign, co-op, and multiplayer modes to the project. The campaign itself can be played solo or in co-op, exploring the fantasy setting with friends. On another note, multiplayer will have both casual and competitive modes, with mechanics that will cater to PvP and PvE experiences.
There is more to the world of Covenant than meets the eye. A Metroidvania-inspired landscape is interconnected in the way Soulsborne worlds work, with puzzles, shortcuts, and keys to discover while exploring.
With all this in mind, Covenant is a complete package. The trailer in question is a pre-alpha game build, which suggests the release date is still a long way off, but the potential is undeniable and the Steam page is already up. It is to be seen whether Legion Studios can make all these elements work together, but the early glimpse is nothing short of epic.