Visionary artist Viktor Antonov defined a small but unforgettable selection of games with his unmistakably bold visual style, including Half-Life 2, Dishonored, Wolfenstein: The New Order, and Weird West. (He also did Redneck Rampage, but that was way back when.) He died in 2025 at just 52 years old, but before his tragic passing he put his stamp on one final game, revealed today as a fantasy Wild West soulslike shooter called Guns of Eschaton.
Set in a darkly twisted 19th century, Guns of Eschaton is "inspired" by historical figures, legends, and archetypes of the Old West, but is filled with bizarre enemies and powerful bosses who players will encounter on their journey from the West Coast to the East Coast of "a dying America."
Gunplay is obviously a central part of combat, but in typical soulslike fashion, parries, dashes, effective use of limited special ammunition, and taking advantage of enemy weaknesses will be core to success.
Guns of Eschaton promises deep character customization with "a vast arsenal of firearms, ammunition types, occult powers, talismans, armor, and consumables," and of course numerous passive and active abilities. Full co-op multiplayer will also be supported.
Which is all very nice, but for me—just as it was with Elden Ring—the real hook is the game world. I'm actually not much of a Western fan (unless we're talking about the Clint Eastwood oeuvre, in which case, maybe) but the American Frontier as envisioned by the guy who gave us City 17? Yes, I would like to know more.
"We are incredibly honoured to be revealing Guns of Eschaton, the final project shaped by the extraordinary vision of Viktor Antonov," said Fuad Kuliev, head of Guns of Eschaton developer Eschatology Entertainment. "From the earliest stages of development, I had the privilege of shaping this world together with Viktor: where ideas, themes, and concepts evolved through his talent into the world players will see today.
"Viktor's imagination and creative legacy have been a constant source of inspiration throughout development, and this game is the result of an incredible collaborative effort from our entire team to bring that vision to life."
Swanky visuals don't make a great videogame, and soulslikes in particular, where precision timing, movement, and reactions are paramount, live or die on mechanics. So how Guns of Eschaton will ultimately come together remains to be seen. But one last game built on Viktor Antonov's unique vision is definitely something I can get behind.
A release date for Guns of Eschaton hasn't been announced, but it's up for wishlisting now on Steam.
