Hello Games burst onto the scene when it debuted its first project No Man’s Sky, at the old Spike Game Awards. That makes it fitting that the studio’s next project was also revealed at the new iteration of the awards show, The Game Awards 2023. Light No Fire may not be trying to recreate the entire universe like its predecessor, and instead, it is remaining grounded on Earth, though it appears to be just as ambitious. The shift from sci-fi to fantasy opens up a brand new avenue for Hello Games to experiment with new systems and mechanics. Of course, given the history of No Man’s Sky‘s pre-release marketing and misleading statements on what was and was not possible at launch, some are a little weary of buying in too early. Here’s everything we know for sure about Light No Fire.
Release date speculation
There is no confirmed release date or window for Light No Fire. Hello Games has suggested that it doesn’t want an overly long marketing cycle for this title, so it is possible it could come out in 2024, but we will have to await an official announcement.
Platforms
Light No Fire was also revealed with no platforms listed. However, a Steam page for the game has already gone live, all but confirming a PC release. If we had to guess, it seems like a safe bet to assume this title will launch on both PS5 and Xbox Series consoles alongside PC.
Trailers
The announcement trailer for Light No Fire overviews many features and mechanics of the game. We learn that it will be set in a completely procedural “fantasy Earth” with various mythical creatures like skeletons and dragons roaming the various biomes. Beyond showcasing various landscapes, nothing about a story was hinted at here. It likely won’t be a main focus, but we suspect there will be some overarching goal for players to work toward, similar to getting to the center of the universe in No Man’s Sky.
Gameplay
Everything from the announcement trailer was in-game footage, albeit heavily cut. Still, many mechanics and features did stand out. First, Light No Fire will be a completely open world, a co-op experience on a generated planet. Survival elements like gathering wood and building structures appear to be a major component. Each player will create their own custom character but aren’t limited to just being human. We haven’t seen it in action yet, but you will be able to create animal characters like foxes, rabbits, wolves, and more.
Multiplayer is a key aspect of Light No Fire, and appears to be attempting a similar MMO-style approach as No Man’s Sky, where you will always be able to encounter and team up with other players while playing.
Mounts were also featured heavily, with both horse-like creatures and even dragons available to hop aboard and traverse the land. How you can get these mounts, and what other types, is still unknown.
The combat was only briefly cut to in two quick shots, but we do see both sword and bow and arrow combat. Other shots show spears and shields, so there will be more weapon options, though we are curious as to whether there will be any magic.
Preorder
With no indication of when Light No Fire will be complete, no information on pre-orders will come later on. We will keep you updated on all the latest, but you can already add the game to your wishlist on Steam as well.