Burning Sword: Death Sun heads to Steam Early Access on November 17

Nomadic Games and Rising Tide Publishing said the Bangkok-made wuxia hack-and-slash game Burning Sword: Death Sun will enter Steam Early Access on November 17, 2026. The launch version includes five handcrafted stages, seven bosses total and core combat systems, with more chapters and content planned in regular updates.

Why it matters: - Burning Sword: Death Sun is a Bangkok-made action game trying to stand out with handcrafted levels, boss-focused progression and martial-arts combat systems. - The Early Access launch gives players an entry point now, while the studio uses feedback to shape the full release. - The planned update cadence signals a live development approach that could expand the game quickly after launch.

What happened: - Nomadic Games and Rising Tide Publishing announced that Burning Sword: Death Sun launches into Early Access on Steam on November 17, 2026. - The game is a wuxia hack-and-slash built in Bangkok and developed in Unreal Engine 5. - A free demo released on September 30 and stays available through launch. - Early Access opens with five handcrafted stages on Zhang Yixian's path to Gao Tianqi. - The launch build includes five main bosses and two secret bosses.

The details: - Every stage is linear and built by hand, with no procedural or randomized layouts. - Each stage includes secrets to find and upgrades to unlock. - Players control Zhang Yixian, leader of the Crimson Dust Demon Sect, who returns from the edge of death to hunt Gao Tianqi. - Gao Tianqi is described as the master of the Death Sun poison and the most powerful man in the martial world. - The combat system centers on the Burning Sword, which grows stronger as players land hits and fill the Power Gauge. - Quick Shot adds a ranged attack with three ammo types that can be swapped on the fly. - Qi Drain lets players take Qi from enemies marked with red meridian lines. - Players can carry three skills and switch between them mid-combo. - Charms can be found only in stages, and a passive effect becomes permanent after being picked three times. - Beating a boss opens a new skill branch. - Revive is unlockable, but it costs one equipped skill. - Arena Mode offers endless, arcade-style combat built around score.

Between the lines: - Nomadic Games is leaning hard into replayability and mastery rather than open-ended level generation. - The demo feedback appears to have influenced the launch version, especially around combat feel and stage design. - The project is being positioned less as a short Early Access prototype and more as a foundation for a larger full game. - Nook, founder of Nomadic Games, said the team wanted players to feel the moment when a fight that once seemed impossible finally clicks. - Nook also said thousands of players and their feedback sharpened the combat experience. - Press reactions highlighted the combat as satisfying, flashy and strong.

What's next: - The full game is slated to run five chapters across 12 handcrafted stages. - The full release will include nine named bosses, including Gao Tianqi, plus two secret bosses and many elite minibosses. - Nomadic Games said more stages, bosses and skills will arrive through regular updates after Early Access begins. - The studio plans to post a devlog on Steam for each update. - A roadmap will follow once Early Access is live. - New chapters are planned every eight weeks, with new stages, bosses, narrative progress, skill variety and arena challenges. - Gameplay refinements and tweaks are expected weekly, and sometimes daily. - Early review copies are available on request, and a full press kit is available through the announcement materials. - More information is available on the game's official social channels, YouTube channel, TikTok account, X account and Discord server.

The bottom line: - Burning Sword: Death Sun is entering Early Access with a strong emphasis on handcrafted combat content, and the next phase will test how well Nomadic Games can turn that foundation into a larger, regularly updated martial-arts game.