1. The full world of Helheim, with all that comes with it

2. Endless Mode

The number of players who joined both playtests exceeded our expectations, as did the average playtime of 2 hours!

After analyzing your in-game feedback and messages across channels, we found that the most appreciated feature was the build variety and the freedom to experiment. On the other hand, the biggest frustration came from certain overly punishing Omens and deaths that felt unfair due to balance issues.

If you thought the dev team was kicking back while you were testing, you’d be mistaken :D
On the contrary - we’ve been hard at work balancing, optimizing, and bug fixing while you explored the new content.

• Omens rebalanced

• Performance optimized

• Objectives added

• Enemy scaling adjusted

• Leveling speed increased

• Endless-incompatible skills handled

• Item pools and interactable objects updated

• Omen display improved in the HUD

• Resource rewards in Endless clarified

• Skill/class balancing

• Skill point cost reduction

• UI animations enhanced

• Encyclopedia added

• Endless Mode playable on all maps

• Statistics screen improvements

• Extra cinematics added

• Skill shop fixes

If you forgot to share your thoughts - it's not too late!

Whenever you feel like it jump into #public-playtest-feedback on Discord[discord.com] to share your feedback freely.

We’re full speed ahead toward 1.0  -  mark the date:

Jotunnslayer launches on PC and consoles September 3.

Hey Jotunnslayers!

Playtest season is far from over!

As promised, from today until July 31, you can join PLAYTEST 2 and get an exclusive look at ENDLESS MODE - now enabled across Niflheim map!

WHAT WOULD BE AWESOME?

Since the main goal of these playtests is to gather as much feedback as possible before launch, it would mean a lot if you shared your thoughts via the Google questionnaire[docs.google.com] that appears at the end of the build.

If you prefer sharing feedback on Steam or in free form on Discord’s #public-playtest-feedback[discord.com] channel, feel free to post it there!

If possible, please let us know:

• How the pacing and difficulty feel over time

• Whether your build choices feel impactful

• What makes you want to jump back in (or not)

IMPORTANT NOTEAll playtest content is unreleased. We kindly ask that you respect confidentiality and avoid sharing screenshots or recordings until the content is officially announced.

INSTRUCTIONS for joining the playtest awaits on Discord #announcement channel[discord.com]

KNOWN ISSUES

• Unstable performance on Steam Deck and some other devices while playing Endless

• Inconsistencies in the Skill Shop and Omen Overview UI

• Incorrect key binds and actions available during blind selection

We can't wait to hear what you think.

Hey Jotunnslayers!

• New Endless Mode - How long can you survive the Norse underworld?

• New Class: Kinslayer - A fallen Valkyrie with a score to settle

• New Deity: Nidhogg - From the depths below Yggdrasil

• New Map: Helheim - A stunning, deadly new battlefield

Watch the full trailer and get a glimpse of what’s coming at 1.0:

https://youtu.be/vrVjDyc3N2k

By the end of this month, Jotunnslayer will see a price increase from $9.99 to new price $14.99, reflecting the expanded content, polish, and continued development.

With the current price of $9.99, we wanted to reward all players who stepped into the world of HEL early, giving them access to a game still in development. The fact that the vast majority of you found Early Access affordable made us confident we hit the right spot - and it helped welcome thousands of you - true survivor fans into the Norse world of Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel.

If you haven’t grabbed your copy yet, you can still get it at the current price of $9.99 until July 25 - don’t miss out!

—----------------

This Early Access phase has been an incredible journey - and we’re grateful to the thousands of players who joined us early and believed in the project. 

More news coming soon!

This isn’t just a launch - it’s Ragnarök.

Hey Jotunnslayers!

We’ve rolled out two small extra fixes following the previous patch:

• Fixed a shader issue during Curse objectives that caused the camera to zoom in.

• Unlock conditions for locations now display correctly in the Location Selection screen.

Keep the feedback and bug reports coming - we really appreciate it!

Cheers!

Hey Jotunnslayers!

We're rolling out Update 0.4.6, packed with quality-of-life improvements, bug fixes, and balance changes, all based on your feedback. Huge thanks for sharing your thoughts and helping us shape the game!

We're actively working on new content and will keep listening closely to bring the game closer to what you want it to be.

• Overhauled Skill Shop UI

• Gold now automatically converts into Skill Points after each run

• Skill balance changes (detailed below)

• Niflheim (Normal difficulty) rebalanced

• Full keyboard navigation support in menus (keyboard-only gameplay improved)

• Keyboard shortcuts now shown contextually in all menus

• New Accessibility Options:

  • VFX opacity setting

  • Damage flash intensity setting

• V-Sync disabled on Steam Deck to address performance issues

• Added VFX Quality video setting

• Settings menu cleaned up and reorganized

• Event weapons now remain unlocked even after a save reset

• Food dropping in unreachable areas

• Incorrect text colors in UI carousels

• Incorrect collisions in Svartalfheim

• Seismic Shock value tracked inaccurately

• Jarl & Chieftain not moving/attacking after stun

• Cave-In modifier spawning objects inside rocks

• Iron Fist floating during/after cutscenes

• Game freezing when Seeress destroys objects

• Chests spawning half-buried in Muspelheim

• Potential fix for loading screen freezes

• Text font preference not being saved

• Some inconsistencies in keyboard and Skill Shop navigation

• Missing localization in certain places

• Map unlock conditions not being displayed

• Random extra line in Niflheim (Normal) description

• Puzzle objective in Muspelheim occasionally not completable

General

• Fixed Block not triggering for some enemy skills

• Skill cooldown resets no longer scale with cooldown length

Berserker

• Barrel Through (Passive): Knockback increased from Weak → Medium

• Boiling Blood (Passive): Added +5% base Attack Speed

Seeress

• Time Manipulation: Attack Speed reduced from +10% → +7%

• Spiteful Pace: Added +5% base Movement Speed

• Healing Ward: Heal increased from 10/20/30 → 15/30/45

• Witch (Subclass): Curse Chance 40%, Radius 5m, Trigger: Eldritch Ward

Revenant

• Haunting Wolf (Trait): Cooldown reduced from 5 → 2.5s

• Apparition (Passive): Damage increased from 12 → 15

• Chilling Bite (Passive): Slow Chance increased from 25% → 75%

• Undying (Subclass): Trigger Chance: 30% → 40%, Heal: 30% → 40% of HP

• Marksman (Subclass): Added +10% base Attack Speed

Flame Sister

• Basic Attack Damage: +10%

• Flame Dancer: Burn Damage increased from +100% → +200%

• Ash Disciple: God Skill Damage reduced from +35% → +25%

• Shrapnel Pot:

  • Poison Chance: 30% → 50%

  • Cooldown: 5/4.5/4 → 4/3.5/3s

  • Evolve: Cooldown 3s → 2.5s

• Flaming Ray: Fixed lifetime

  • Evolve: Fixed lifetime; Rotation speed -30%

• Iron Fan (Passive): Cooldown reduction improved from 0.6 → 0.3s

• Fire Trail (Passive): Chance increased from 35% → 45%

Thor

• Lightning Nova (Passive): Now can also trigger on Dash, Chance 7%

Loki

• General: Removed risks from the following:

  • Nasty Tricks, Gambler’s Luck, Jotunn’s Blood, Elusive Trickster, Tricks of the Trade, Special Delivery, Shapeshifter

• Tricks of the Trade: Double Cast chance reduced from 15% → 12%

Brokk & Sindri

• Laguz (Passive): Weapon Skill Cooldown: -7/14/21% → -8/16/24%

  • Evolve: Reset chance increased from 12% → 16%

• Eiwaz (Passive): Effect Duration: 3/4.5/6 → 4/5.5/7

• Kauna (Passive):

  • Banishes: +0/2/2 → 3/3/3

  • Rerolls: +0/0/4 → 0/5/5

  • Seals: +2/2/2 → 0/0/3

  • Evolve: Banishes +1 → +2; Rerolls +2 → +3

Odin

• Local Ragnarok:

  • Cooldown: 55/50/45 → 45/40/35 (cannot be reset)

  • Evolve: Cooldown: 40 → 30, Stun Duration: 10s → 6s

Skadi

• Frost Ring: Freeze Chance reduced from 25/40/55% → 15/25/35%; Duration 2.5 → 1.8s

  • Evolve: Freeze Chance 55% → 40%; Duration 2.5 → 1.8s

• Ice Surface: Added 25% Freeze Chance

  • Evolve: Also adds 25% Freeze Chance

Njord

• Torrents (Passive): Cooldown reduction from -8/16/24% → -6/13/20%

Hey Jotunnslayers! Check out the extended patch notes for update 0.5.0 and see what’s been added or fixed since the last update!

• New Map: Helheim

• New God: Nidhogg

• New Class: Kinslayer

• Overhauled Skill Shop UI

• Gold now automatically converts into Skill Points after each run

• Skill balance changes (detailed below)

• Niflheim (Normal difficulty) rebalanced

• Full keyboard navigation support in menus (keyboard-only gameplay improved)

• Keyboard shortcuts now shown contextually in all menus

• New Accessibility Options:

  • VFX opacity setting

  • Damage flash intensity setting

• V-Sync disabled on Steam Deck to address performance issues

• Added VFX Quality video setting

• Settings menu cleaned up and reorganized

• Event weapons now remain unlocked even after a save reset

• Initial cost and scaling of skill points reduced

• Food dropping in unreachable areas

• Incorrect text colors in UI carousels

• Incorrect collisions in Svartalfheim

• Seismic Shock value tracked inaccurately

• Jarl & Chieftain not moving/attacking after stun

• Cave-In modifier spawning objects inside rocks

• Iron Fist floating during/after cutscenes

• Game freezing when Seeress destroys objects

• Chests spawning half-buried in Muspelheim

• Potential fix for loading screen freezes

• Lower performance in Helheim

• Missing translations for new content (placeholder English shown)

• Text font preference not saved

• Map unlock conditions not displayed

• Random extra line in Niflheim (Normal) description

• Golden Bat doesn’t fly away in Helheim

• Puzzle objective in Muspelheim occasionally not completable

• Placeholder cutscenes

• Placeholder modifier icons

General

• Fixed Block not triggering for some enemy skills

• Skill cooldown resets no longer scale with cooldown length

Berserker

• Barrel Through (Passive): Knockback increased from Weak → Medium

• Boiling Blood (Passive): Added +5% base Attack Speed

Seeress

• Time Manipulation: Attack Speed reduced from +10% → +7%

• Spiteful Pace: Added +5% base Movement Speed

• Healing Ward: Heal increased from 10/20/30 → 15/30/45

• Witch (Subclass): Curse Chance 40%, Radius 5m, Trigger: Eldritch Ward

Revenant

• Haunting Wolf (Trait): Cooldown reduced from 5 → 2.5s

• Apparition (Passive): Damage increased from 12 → 15

• Chilling Bite (Passive): Slow Chance increased from 25% → 75%

• Undying (Subclass): Trigger Chance: 30% → 40%, Heal: 30% → 40% of HP

• Marksman (Subclass): Added +10% base Attack Speed

Flame Sister

• Basic Attack Damage: +10%

• Flame Dancer: Burn Damage increased from +100% → +200%

• Ash Disciple: God Skill Damage reduced from +35% → +25%

• Shrapnel Pot:

  • Poison Chance: 30% → 50%

  • Cooldown: 5/4.5/4 → 4/3.5/3s

  • Evolve: Cooldown 3s → 2.5s

• Flaming Ray: Fixed lifetime

  • Evolve: Fixed lifetime; Rotation speed -30%

• Iron Fan (Passive): Cooldown reduction improved from 0.6 → 0.3s

• Fire Trail (Passive): Chance increased from 35% → 45%

Thor

• Lightning Nova (Passive): Now can also trigger on Dash, Chance 7%

Loki

• General: Removed risks from the following:

  • Nasty Tricks, Gambler’s Luck, Jotunn’s Blood, Elusive Trickster, Tricks of the Trade, Special Delivery, Shapeshifter

• Tricks of the Trade: Double Cast chance reduced from 15% → 12%

Brokk & Sindri

• Laguz (Passive): Weapon Skill Cooldown: -7/14/21% → -8/16/24%

  • Evolve: Reset chance increased from 12% → 16%

• Eiwaz (Passive): Effect Duration: 3/4.5/6 → 4/5.5/7

• Kauna (Passive):

  • Banishes: +0/2/2 → 3/3/3

  • Rerolls: +0/0/4 → 0/5/5

  • Seals: +2/2/2 → 0/0/3

  • Evolve: Banishes +1 → +2; Rerolls +2 → +3

Odin

• Local Ragnarok:

  • Cooldown: 55/50/45 → 45/40/35 (cannot be reset)

  • Evolve: Cooldown: 40 → 30, Stun Duration: 10s → 6s

Skadi

• Frost Ring: Freeze Chance reduced from 25/40/55% → 15/25/35%; Duration 2.5 → 1.8s

  • Evolve: Freeze Chance 55% → 40%; Duration 2.5 → 1.8s

• Ice Surface: Added 25% Freeze Chance

  • Evolve: Also adds 25% Freeze Chance

Njord

• Torrents (Passive): Cooldown reduction from -8/16/24% → -6/13/20%

Enjoy!

Hey Jotunnslayers!

Get exclusive access and dive into:

• The secrets of a new level - Helheim

• All-new objectives to tackle

• A new boss to challenge

• The deadly Kinslayer class

• The fearsome power of a new deity - Nidhogg

The playtest is available until July 17, and we’d love to hear your thoughts!

 Leave your feedback via:

• Google Form available in the end of the build 

• Steam discussions

• #public-playtest-feedback channel on Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel official Discord[discord.com]

You can find all the step-by-step instructions for joining the playtest in the

#announcements channel on our Discord! [discord.com]

—----------

Enjoy Helheim - we can’t wait to hear what you think.

One cool piece of news for you all - with the 1.0 launch cooking, these pre-launch months are perfect for testing some of the awesome features coming with the full version.

Since your feedback has been at the heart of Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel from the very beginning, we’re coming back to you for more of your thoughts. 

That’s why we’re inviting you to:

Starting next week!

This test focuses on new content tied to the world of Helheim.

You’ll get exclusive access to explore the secrets of a new map, tackle all-new objectives, face a new boss, try out the Kinslayer class, and experience the power of a new deity - Nidhogg.

Playtest 1 will be available until July 17.

This one is all about the long-awaited ENDLESS MODE, which will be enabled across all maps!

Playtest 2 will be available until July 31.

Since the main goal of these playtests is to gather as much feedback as possible before launch, it would mean a lot if you shared your thoughts via the Google questionnaire that will be visible at the end of the build.

Please remember - all content in the playtests is unreleased. We kindly ask that you respect confidentiality and refrain from sharing screenshots or recordings until the content is officially announced.

Thank you for everything we’ve built together so far

Hey Jotunnslayers!

Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel is joining the Steam Summer Sale starting this Thursday and running from June 26 to July 10!

Get 20% off and take your shot at conquering Hel while the gates are open.

It’s the perfect time for new slayers to jump in - or for veterans to gear up for the mayhem this summer.

Dive into some hot rounds of slaying…

Cheers!