Gamescom 2026: Wolcen 2 Preview — Cautiously Intrigued

The announcement of Wolcen 2 came as a surprise, especially considering the troubled launch of its predecessor, Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem. WOLCEN Studio has revealed plans for Wolcen 2 while simultaneously halting development on the first game. Despite the mixed reception of Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem, I had the chance to test a pre-alpha build at Gamescom 2026 and have some initial impressions.

It's important to note that the playable portion was a brief glimpse of what's to come in the early access release, slated for 2027. This demo felt more like a playtest or a proof of concept, showcasing some core mechanics like progression systems, basic abilities, combat, and a few environments and enemy types. Here are my thoughts on the Wolcen 2 preview.

The Wolcen 2 preview immediately immerses players in the action. Character creation was limited to male or female options in this build. While there's no official word on the full character creator for Early Access, the original Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem offered robust customization, giving me hope for a similar experience in Wolcen 2.

After selecting a character and a short narrative setup, I entered one of the two biomes available in the demo. Visually, Wolcen 2 looks impressive on Unreal Engine 5, a significant technical upgrade from the original's CryEngine 3, providing a more robust foundation for development.

The world of Wolcen, and now Wolcen 2, is steeped in dark fantasy. The demo effectively conveys this atmosphere, drawing players into the grim and desperate state of the world. The level design in the demo is functional but doesn't stand out amongst other ARPGs. With a promise of ten biomes for early access, I'm hoping for more creative environments.

Progression in the preview seemed to echo the systems in Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem. The Skill Mastery system is present, offering players extensive freedom to customize their abilities and playstyle. This classless system was a highlight of the original and it's good to see it returning in Wolcen 2.

While the current implementation feels somewhat limited, the available skills can significantly alter the combat experience. The ability to combine melee and ranged abilities adds depth, and I'm eager to see this system fully developed in Early Access.

The passive skill tree is back, reminiscent of Path of Exile. Instead of gaining points through leveling, Wolcen 2 uses a rune system. Players can slot color-coded runes into various passive nodes. In the demo, these runes dropped frequently, likely to give players more access to abilities during the condensed playtest.

Combat, at this stage, feels a bit unrefined. Basic attacks are fluid, but ability activation can be delayed or unresponsive, sometimes requiring multiple button presses. Movement, controlled by WASD and mouse clicks, is functional but lacks smooth animations, appearing stiff and awkward.

Despite the stiffness in general movement, the dodge mechanic is impressively fluid and functional. Unlike most ARPGs that implement a cooldown penalty, Wolcen 2 slightly slows movement after a roll, seamlessly integrating it into the combat flow. This is currently the most polished aspect of the combat system.

While the early demo of Wolcen 2 serves as a proof of concept, it has certainly piqued my interest enough to follow its development more closely. The developer's primary challenge will be regaining the trust of its player base. Following the issues with Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem, WOLCEN Studio will need to work diligently, actively listening to player feedback as they develop and release Wolcen 2.

English Translation:

The announcement of Wolcen 2 was quite surprising, especially given the troubled launch of its predecessor, Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem. WOLCEN Studio has confirmed the upcoming release of Wolcen 2 and, perhaps more significantly, has ended development on the first game. Setting aside the opinions on the current state of Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem, I had the opportunity to play a pre-alpha version at Gamescom 2026 and wanted to share my thoughts.

It's important to emphasize that what I played was a very small sample of the game intended for the early access release, scheduled for 2027. The demo felt more like a playtest or a proof of concept, although some fundamental mechanics were present, including elements of the progression system, basic abilities and combat, and a few biomes and enemy types. With that in mind, let's delve into my impressions of the Wolcen 2 preview.

The Wolcen 2 preview quickly throws players into the action. For character creation, I was only given the choice between male and female. While there's no official confirmation yet regarding character creation options for Early Access, the original Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem featured a decent character creator, which offers hope for a similar implementation in Wolcen 2.

After making my selection and a brief narrative introduction, I was placed in one of the two biomes available in the demo. My first observation is that Wolcen 2 looks fantastic running on Unreal Engine 5, a smart technological upgrade from the original's CryEngine 3. It provides a superior and more adaptable framework for Wolcen 2's development.

The world of Wolcen, and now Wolcen 2, is one of dark fantasy. The demo effectively captures this, immediately drawing players into the seriousness and desperate state of the Wolcen universe. The level design, at least in the demo, is functional but doesn't particularly stand out from other ARPGs. With the promise of ten biomes for early access, I hope to see more creativity in this area.

Progression, based on my limited testing, follows a similar path to Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem. A Skill Mastery system is in place, giving players complete freedom to customize their skills and overall gameplay experience. This classless system was a defining feature of the original, and I'm pleased to see it implemented in Wolcen 2.

Currently, it feels somewhat restricted, but the available skills can significantly alter the combat experience. The ability to blend melee and ranged abilities adds a nice layer of depth that I'm interested to see fully realized during Early Access.

The passive skill tree also makes a return, similar to what players associate with Path of Exile. However, instead of receiving points upon leveling up, Wolcen 2 utilizes a rune system. This allows players to slot color-coded runes into various passive nodes within the tree. In the demo, these runes dropped frequently, likely to provide players with greater access to abilities during the condensed playtest.

Combat, at this point, feels a bit clunky. Basic attacks are fluid enough, but ability usage is sometimes delayed or unresponsive, often requiring multiple presses of a key to activate. Movement, which combines WASD and mouse clicks, is functional but lacks fluid animation, resulting in a stiff and awkward feel.

While movement can feel a bit stiff, I was impressed by the fluidity and functionality of the game's dodge mechanics. Most APRGs implement a cooldown penalty, but Wolcen 2 simply slows movement for half a second after a roll, fully integrating the dodge into the combat rhythm. This is the most notable and smooth aspect of the combat in its current state.

Although the early demo of Wolcen 2 primarily serves as a proof of concept, it has, at the very least, intrigued me enough to follow its development more closely than I might have otherwise. The real challenge for the developer, however, will be winning back its fans. After the way Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem was handled, WOLCEN Studio will need to work hard and listen carefully to player feedback as they develop and release Wolcen 2.