‘Den of Wolves’ Will Be a Sci-Fi Heist—With a ‘Energy Fantasy’ Soundtrack

Following two years of preproduction, recreation developer 10 Chambers lastly introduced its new heist recreation—Den of Wolves—Thursday in the course of the 2023 Recreation Awards. Set in 2097 in a extremely corrupt metropolis positioned in the midst of the Pacific Ocean, it’s, in line with narrative director Simon Viklund, the type of recreation “the place you are imagined to really feel like a badass.” For Viklund, who additionally serves as the sport’s composer (he did the compositions for PayDay: The Heist and PayDay 2, too), meaning “the music must, like, [grunt noise].”

True to its title, Den of Wolves’ fictional metropolis is a spot the place principally something is authorized so long as it’s accomplished within the pursuit of supercharged innovation and groundbreaking know-how. Think about PayDay meets Cyberpunk 2077 set in a metropolis that is a mix of Venice and Hong Kong. The idea is kind of completely different from 10 Chambers’ earlier work with horror game GTFO, however it structurally performs to the studio’s core energy: 4 individual co-op video games.

Quite a bit is on the road because the studio works on its second launch. 10 Chambers obtained an funding from Chinese language tech and leisure conglomerate Tencent to construct this recreation and develop from a small employees of round 10 folks to just about 100. Viklund emphasizes that the sport may have a extremely detailed setting however that players shouldn’t anticipate an open-world expertise. The general vibe, Viklund provides, pulls from a litany of sci-fi and thriller films, like Warmth and Choose Dredd (the Stallone one, not the 2012 reboot).

Whereas he loved engaged on horror recreation music for GTFO, Viklund is worked up to maneuver away from that style and again to a PayDay-esque heist expertise. “My wheelhouse is that this energy fantasy sort of music,” he says. By no means performed that franchise earlier than? Give “Razormind” from PayDay 2 a hear any morning you neglect your espresso at house and wish a fast jolt of adrenaline.

So, what can gamers anticipate from the music in Den of Wolves? “So, there’s going to be parts, after all, which can be much like PayDay,” says Viklund. “However I’m eager on taking it elsewhere by way of tempo. Making it heavier, slower paced.” He additionally seems to be ahead to incorporating completely different parts of percussion impressed by the Pacific Ocean setting.

Because the recreation remains to be in early growth and gained’t be launched for some time, WIRED didn’t see any precise recreation footage throughout a current preview occasion 10 Chambers held for the title. Much like the launch of GTFO, the corporate plans to launch the sport at first to gamers by Steam early entry. Den of Wolves would not have a launch date but, however PC players can anticipate receiving it earlier than their console counterparts.

Followers of GTFO could also be upset that their recreation’s content material updates are ending, however Viklund factors to 10 Chambers’ first recreation as important for constructing the corporate’s confidence round design. “It was very releasing to have the ability to have a mission the place we might have that ‘fuck it—we’ll simply do it’ form of perspective,” he says. This sort of confidence is a driving pressure behind 10 Chambers’ choice to develop one thing contemporary for gamers somewhat than counting on a franchise idea that already exists.