Today is the last day of 2022. Although we are polishing the last things before the premiere of Gatewalkers, which is less than two weeks away, somewhere between another coffee and a Christmas cake, we had a moment of reflection. So... Let's do a little rewind!
In 2018 we started working intensively on Gatewalkers. We started as a small group of enthusiasts who wanted to create something special. Given the limited budget, we knew it was going to be a big undertaking. We've been working on inventing and refining the graphics for a long time. From the initial meetings where we were brainstorming at a small board to the first attempts to create playable version of the game. Many times we acted by trial and error and also changed assumptions, until finally we saw the direction in which we wanted to follow. Fun fact: originally, Gatewalkers was supposed to be called completely different! In our first assumptions, it was called... Cataclysm! The plot of the game, its assumptions and mechanics have also changed over time.
Forest World before:
Forest World after:
Forest World before:
Forest World after:
Also this is how our interface looked at first! UI before:
UI after:
We wanted to create an action RPG game but combine it with survival elements. Often playing hack'n'slash games we had the impression that in a way these games are unreal when it comes to basic human needs. On the other hand, we weren't going to make a simulator! That's why we decided to add some basic survival techniques that won’t slow the action down, but will add a touch of realism (and raise the difficulty level at the same time!). We also wanted a game with an interesting setting - hence the idea of traveling to other lands, where we can face various challenges. Of course, we spent a lot of time on combat mechanics and creating enemies and weapons - we had a lot of fun doing it too!
Sky Rocks before:
Sky Rocks after:
We decided to introduce, among others, solo and group combo techniques, elements, an extensive progression tree and skills, and not limit the player to specific character classes. The story element was also important to us. The plot in Gatewalkers is built around the secrets of the Ancients and how to save a dying planet.
Fire World before it became fire:
Fire World after:
And that's how the first drafts of Gatewalkers, whose Alpha premiered in 2019, were created. From this place, we want to thank everyone who has supported us for so many years - you couldn't wish for a better community!
Toxic World before:
Toxic World after:
Ice World before:
Ice World after:
We hope you enjoyed our walk down the memory lane! It’s been a lot of work but at the same time it’s very rewarding. We can't wait for the release of Gatewalkers. On January 12, 2023, you will be able to go through the Gate and start your adventure!
Happy New Year 2023 Gatewalkers!
PS. We always like to chat with you and read your opinions so jump to our Discord server and share your thoughts!
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🎅 Merry Christmas Gatewalkers
🎅 Merry Christmas Gatewalkers! 🎁
Wishing you a fun-filled holiday! 🎄 We hope this festive season will bring good luck and good health for you and your loved ones.
We want to thank you for being with us for all those years and we are more than excited for the New Year! For us Christmas is magical because… we know you are here with us!💜
¡Hola Gatewalkers! We are excited to announce that we added Spanish language to Gatewalkers! 🎉
Many players have asked us to translate Gatewalkers into Spanish. We always try to take players' requests into account, so we decided to translate our game 😄
The Gatewalkers full voiceover will only be available in English. The dialogues and interface will be available in English, Polish, German, French, Spanish (Spain), Portuguese (Brazil) and Russian.
See you on the other side of the Gate… In less than a month! ⚔️
Best, Gatewalkers Dev Team
PS. If you have any more requests, suggestions or ideas - you can always write to us here on Steam or via Discord:
Here is the updated version of the answers to the most common questions. If you don't find the answer you're looking for here, go ahead and ask us whatever you want in the comments section or via our Discord server.
Questions About the Gameplay:
What type of game is Gatewalkers? Gatewalkers is a cooperative action RPG with survival elements, where players travel across different worlds in order to save their own. You will explore procedurally generated worlds, face hostile inhabitants and survival challenges. The storyline focuses on discovering hidden secrets of the Ancients and finding a way to save your home.
Are there predefined levels in the game? Yes and no :) In Gatewalkers we are procedurally generating the map at the start of each expedition. This means that the player will never come across the same world twice. However, there are locations (quest locations or dungeons) that are prepared by our level designers and they do not change during the game.
Is it a class-based game? We didn’t want to limit players with strict classes. You can choose from a variety of equipment, which can be compared to creating a one-of-a-kind class. Weapons and armor can be mixed freely, for example, creating a mage in heavy armor or a warrior in mage robe. When you start the game you can choose from three basic weapons, but after a few missions you can change your armor and weapons for something else creating a combination that suits you best.
How many different types of worlds will we see in the game? We have five types of worlds - Forest, Fire, Ice, Toxic and Sky Rocks. You can read all about the worlds and their challenges here. Apart from the worlds, you will also visit some extra dungeons.
If I join a world can I keep my inventory or just gear? Yes, you keep both your inventory and gear, also when you play in co-op.
Will there be character skills or levels, something that makes you stronger except for gear? We don’t have typical levels in Gatewalkers. When it comes to character strength, progress points are something that will be responsible for that - we covered the topic of progression here. We also have passive skills and chargeable skills which can improve your character even more - you can read about them here.
Is it possible to delete a character and replay the story? Currently no. The Gatewalker’s storyline is linear - you don’t have multiple choices here, so you can finish 100% of the game with one character. However we know that this is a feature requested by the players, so we are thinking about it as some post-release upgrade.
WASD movement option or click to move? We encourage you to try the WASD movement option, however a lot of players asked for the click to move, thus there will be a possibility to play click to move too. Also we will support controllers and steam decks, so you have a lot of possibilities.
Can you pause the game? No, there is no possibility to pause the game. Single expedition takes around 20-45 minutes to complete, so you can take a break between quests. Of course if you need to stop playing the game while doing an expedition you can just teleport back to the Guild (but all progress from the world you have teleported out of will be lost). In the Guild your levels of hunger or thirst are not dropping, so it’s a safe spot to take a longer break.
Will there be an in-game chat for players? No, we do not plan to have in-game chat on release.
Can I play the game offline? No. Even in the single-player mode, you will need access to the Internet.
Will the game be moddable? No. We don’t plan to allow modding the game.
Questions About the Release:
When is the game going to be released? Gatewalkers release date is 12.01.2023!
Do you already know the price of the game on the day of its release? We estimate that it will cost around $25. On the day of the release the game will be at a discounted price - $20.
Where can I purchase the game? Gatewalkers can be purchased on the Steam platform.
How long is the game? Will there be end content? The game is around 50 hours of gameplay, and the end game is to kill and face each and every creature and unlock all weapons. There are no seasons or neverending dungeons. However we plan to add some extra content and DLCs after release.
Are more updates/DLCs planned for the game? Any plans on a roadmap for future updates? Yes! Currently our plans are:
Launching one paid DLC later in 2023 with new bosses and challenges to overcome. We will also add some free content to all the players then.
Also we plan to do extra two content updates with some new gear and enemies. They will be free!
We will post more info about it after the release.
What languages will be supported? Gatewalkers will be playable in English (full version with voiceover) and Polish, French, German, Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish and Russian (interface and subtitles).
Questions about the co-op mode:
Can I finish the game solo? Yes - the main storyline can be completed solo. If you wish to finish 100% of the game, there will be some additional missions when you need to do a co-op. In this case, you can team up with your friends or another player from our Discord community.
How many players can play together at once? In cooperation you are able to play up to 4 players.
How about local multiplayer mode? Currently, we are not working on local multiplayer mode. We are now focused on solo and co-op online experiences. On release you will use the steam friends list to invite someone to the game.
If I play with friends how is the progression handled? Everyone plays their own story. That’s why in co-op, especially in the main storyline, it’s best when you and your friends are in the same spot so you can progress the story together.
Questions about hardware and systems:
What are the system requirements for the game? The latest system requirements can be found on the Steam store page, and it's best to check there for the most up-to-date information.
Are you planning to support XBOX/PS controllers? Yes, there will be controller support.
Can I play Gatewalkers on Steam Deck? Yes! Gatewalkers will be playable on Steam Deck.
Are you working on a Mac/Linux version? The game will be officially released on PC Windows first. We would like Gatewalkers to be available to all gamers in every system, however for now it will be playable only on Windows. When it comes to Mac it was originally in plan but it's problematic because of M1 and no eGPU. We will make some experiments for Mac later.
Are you planning to release Gatewalkers on consoles? Yes, we are planning to support XBOX and PS consoles, however, the exact date of the console release is still unknown.
General Questions:
If I find a bug during gameplay, where can I report it? The best place to do it is on our Discord server.
I would like to write/record a review of Gatewalkers. Who can I contact? We are happy to hear that! Please send us an email here: press@a2softworks.com
Are you looking for talents? We are always open to talented people so if you feel that you would be a good candidate for our team send as your CV: contact@a2softworks.com.
Where can I follow the game development? The best place to follow the game development is on our social media:
Who is the developer of Gatewalkers? A2 Softworks (A2S) is a game dev studio based in Poznań, Poland. We are a team of young game enthusiasts and as players ourselves we want to create games that we cannot find on the market. For us creating games is not only a job but first of all a fun and joyful way to express ourselves.
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Live Stream on December 7 at 18:00 CET (9 a.m. PT)
Hello Gatewalkers!
The release of Gatewalkers is fast approaching! ⚔️ Therefore, we decided to organize a live stream during which we will answer your questions.
The ask me anything session will take place on December 7 at 18:00 CET (9 a.m. PT) on our Steam.
We encourage you to ask questions! 😊 You can do it on Steam, on our Discord and other social media channels. We will collect all the questions and try to answer them. All questions will be written down and published in the form of a new FAQ afterwards.
See you soon!
Gatewalkers Dev Team
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The Ancients
Hello Gatewalkers!
The Ancients... Who are they? This question is asked by every Gatewalker. And no wonder - after all, the Gate itself is a relic of the Ancients.
We call them the Ancients, though we don't really know where they come from. Gatewalkers assume that they are extinct (after all, no one has ever seen them), but there is no evidence for this either. No one can say for sure whether they were human - their inventions seem to indicate that they were bipedal, but that's all we can be sure of. After all, behind the Gate we met humanoid races - Surians and Volarians, which are very intelligent. So it would be foolish to assume that the Ancients were human. Who knows that?
Even though the Ancients are gone (or simply not interested in us), their technology far surpasses that of humanity. The Guild sees the Ancients' inventions as hope for saving the world, but the Surians and Volarians also eagerly hoard their technology.
While traveling between worlds, you will surely see many Ancient objects, such as huge and heavily guarded Ancient Facilities, but also various machines and even items. Many of the objects are destroyed by time, but even in the ancient junk you can find something useful - the ancient parts and technology can be combined with weapons or armors made by the Guild’s specialists! Gatewalkers are looking for every way that can make their equipment more durable and efficient. Remember that during your adventures you will come across Ancient Technology Fragments many times. Be sure to take them with you! Victor collects all the elements of ancient technology for his research and will surely reward you!
But who exactly guards the Ancient Facilities? The Ancients built not only machines, but also many defenders! Ancient creatures come in all shapes, sizes, and abilities. Never underestimate them! These technology and Essence-filled creatures are exceptionally strong! The Ancients have spared no expense on protection, and you may encounter groups of heavily armed foes!
This is not the end - in addition to the monsters waiting for you, the Ancients have installed various traps that also effectively prevent from entering their territory...
Therefore, Gatewalker - be vigilant! You never know what awaits you when facing the Ancient Facilities. But since they are so heavily guarded, they must be hiding something valuable... Right?
What do you think about the Ancients? We are always happy to read your thoughts, so jump to our Discord server and let’s chat!
Without further ado… 🎉 Gatewalkers RELEASE DATE is here! 🎉 We are so excited to tell you that the Gatewalkers game will be released on 12 January 2023! 🥳
Put your armor on, clean the weapon, prepare monkeybat soup and get ready for an adventure! Overcome your weaknesses, rise to the challenge, uncover the deeply buried secrets of the Ancients and save your dying home… ⚔️
We can’t wait to meet you on the other side of the Gate!
See you soon! Gatewalkers Dev Team
PS. If you are not on our Discord yet, what are you waiting for? 😄 Join the Guild here: (click on the banner above)
In every RPG game there is a so-called health bar and your character's health is crucial to keep playing. Today we will discuss the healing methods in Gatewalkers. But first, let's take a look at health bars, as we have two of them: health and stamina.
The green bar indicates your health level, and the yellow bar indicates the stamina level. You also have a gray bar - that is your shield level. While fighting, you lose your shield first. If it drops to zero, you will start to lose your health points.
Stamina is a resource required for using skills. It regenerates automatically with time. You can also boost your stamina by eating some foods or using special objects. Sleeping also regenerates life and stamina bars.
Remember, that not only a fight can get you knocked down - also survival conditions affect your health! Hunger, frostbites or poisoning can cost you life no matter how many shield points you have. That’s why you should always keep in mind the survival aspect of the game and be prepared for every mission.
We have already explored food and drink you can use to buff your strength, so today we will focus on different objects. In the crafting menu you have a few things that can help you out. They include: Restoration Kit and Restoration Grenades (basic, regular and advanced), Warming Ointment that reduces frostbites, Chilling Ointment that removes burns, Antidote for venom or toxic fumes, Uncursing Powder for curses, Yarrow Powder for bleeding wounds, Muscle Regeneration Potion that removes muscle relaxation, and Comfrey Extract for crushed wounds.
Most of them are easy to make using ingredients that you can gather while traveling behind the Gate. When you have enough ingredients just craft the item and put it from your inventory to the quick slot in the main panel - this way you can use the item very fast.
When it comes to health kits and potions, Gatewalker smashes them to the ground. The healing cloud rises above the ground and anyone can benefit from its effect. Thanks to this, when playing in a team, you not only have more healing items at your disposal, but also if you forget to prepare a restoration kit, one of your companions can break theirs and everyone can use it.
And what happens when the number of health points drops to zero? Well, in that case, you have to go back to the Guild or to the Gate. If you go back to the Guild, the quest must be done all over again. However this way you will heal immediately. If you go back to the Gate, you can continue the game, but bearing in mind that the health bar is very low, you must use healing kit or potions, food or sleep to restore your health.
Regardless of your decision, every time your health drops to zero, you lose a percentage of your resources! The durability of the equipment you are wearing also decreases - that's why you should remember about it and repair the armor as soon as possible.
That’s all for today! We hope you liked the article about healing in Gatewalkers. We are always happy to read your thoughts, so jump to our Discord server and let’s chat!
I think you already know how important crafting is. Today, however, we will deepen the topic, so that it will have no secrets from you!
Some things you can craft during missions, using your personal equipment - this is how you can cook food, make a fire or a torch. However, when it comes to armor or weapons, it's a bit more difficult task.
To make an item you need a recipe that you can only obtain when you're ready for it! After all, we cannot allow the rookies to use weapons for advanced fighters, because they could hurt themselves! But don't worry - I am sure that you will quickly improve your skills and reach for more and more advanced equipment.
If you have the recipe for the item you need, you must go to the appropriate station in the Guild. Bernard will always help you with crafting weapons or jewelry, Fritz is a master of robes and beautiful armor. In Martha’s place you can do various elements from leather or wood - like boots or capes, but also bows. In Victor's laboratory, you can create items enriched with elements. In each station, there are two key objects - one for making a semi-finished product (e.g. Fritz's loom or Bernard's furnace), and the other for making a specific product (such as an anvil or spinning wheel).
If you want to craft something, but you are missing items, you can take the recipe with you outside the Gate - thanks to this, you will not forget what items you need to get!
Remember to take the right tools with you: axe - for cutting trees, pickaxe for gathering brittle ores, sickle for gathering herbs, and a knife for skinning animals. Over time, you can also upgrade your tools to make them more durable.
We often do not remember to take care of our tools. If this happens... Well, they will fall apart after a while! Then you have to craft them from scratch. To avoid such situations, it is good to take care of the equipment on an ongoing basis - check the condition of the tools and repair them immediately. Nothing is more stressful than a broken tool at a critical moment!
Thank you for participating in today's lesson. Soon there will be more, and meanwhile duties are calling! However, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask right away. Gatewalkers will surely help you:
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Until next time!
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Becoming a Gatewalker - a short story
Hi Gatewalkers,
He was born on the outskirts of the City. From childhood, all he remembered was hunger, cold and dirt. Food was always scarce in their family. Sometimes he read old cookbooks to imagine tasty and fulfilling dishes. As soon as he grew enough to understand something, he wanted to help his family overcome poverty.
The first time he saw Gatewalkers was when his mother took him to the main square. It was announced that the warriors brought some extra meat. He and his mother pushed through the crowd but couldn’t see anything. Masses of hungry people crowded and nobody paid attention to others. It was nothing to be surprised about. After all, can you take care of someone else when you don't know if you will survive another day?
As soon as the Gatewalkers arrived, the crowd was in turmoil. The boy wanted to see them very much, so, ignoring his mother's screams, he tore his hand from her grip and ran away. He passed the crowd and ran down the street. He climbed the nearest tree and finally saw them.
Two men and two women. They transported the meat in a cart on wheels and distributed portions to people. Their faces were almost invisible. Their armour was shiny black with glowing purple ornaments. Warriors looked majestic and proud - some unknown force radiated from them. The boy promised himself that he would do anything to become like them. He wanted to call himself a Gatewalker.
It turned out, however, that joining the Guild took a lot of work. You had to be intelligent and robust even to have a chance to take the initial tests. The boy, hearing the terrible stories about the rigour and hard training, was not afraid. On the contrary, he would get up at dawn to run in the wastelands, climb trees and carry heavy stones. He got hired as a blacksmith's assistant to learn more about the weapons. He practised with a sword he could barely lift. Unfortunately, such hard training ended with a tear in the shoulder - the pain was so severe that the boy couldn't stop crying.
The local doctor immobilised his arm, but the pain continued. Finally, after his mother begged the doctor, he promised to take the boy to the Guild for a specialist to examine him.
The boy couldn't be happier. Despite the pain, he felt a great joy to see the Guild up close. As they approached the stronghold, the enormous walls made a fantastic impression on him. He expected to see the legendary Gate, but instead, a woman with long, blond hair waited for him.
"Come with me, boy," she said and patted him lightly on the back. "We'll see what we can do in a minute."
The boy followed her into a room full of vials, books, weird tools and strange smells.
He sat down on the wooden chair, and it took him a moment to see the little boy sitting in the shadows. He had black hair, bright eyes, and a fierce expression.
"Victor, hand me the bandages," the woman said, and Victor smoothly handed her the paper package. The woman took a weird-smelling ointment from the cupboard and pressed hard on the boy's arm. He felt a sharp pain, but suddenly a blessing relief. "How did you do this to yourself?"
"I trained with the sword", the boy replied proudly. "I want to become a Gatewalker."
"Maybe one day you will succeed. Soon we will need new recruits," the woman smiled.
She was telling the truth - recruitment was announced a few weeks later. The boy volunteered immediately, and his dedication to exercise did not go unnoticed. He instantly passed the exams and got into a preparatory school.
The training was harsh and sometimes dull. Many things had to be remembered - different rules, ways of fighting, and techniques of survival. However, the boy never regretted his choice despite the fatigue.
He finally got the first mission. Without thinking, he chose the sword as his weapon and set out to gather some herbs in the Ice World. He and his best friend went through the Gate for the first time. Even though they had been learning this for years, they couldn't help but get excited. They were squeaking with joy and throwing snowballs, which caught the attention of the Nilak pack. They wanted to return to the portal as soon as possible, but Nilaks united into one, enormous monster. They learned about creatures like this, but seeing them in real life made them freeze. His friend managed to teleport and brought help.
Two armed Gatewalkers went straight into the action. Their movements were quick and smooth, almost like they were dancing. The boys watched as their attacks combined into one and accumulated to explode with enormous energy. It was their first real lesson.
They remembered it for a lifetime. Perhaps due to extreme caution and cleverness, after many years, together they became the strongest Gatewalkers in the Guild. Many great but challenging adventures awaited them, but maybe about it another time.
And now a puzzle for you! Which NPC is described in this story?
