Burning Sword: Death Sun enters Steam Early Access on November 17

Press Release  •  20 Oct 2026 13:00

Nomadic Games' wuxia hack-and-slash arrives with five handcrafted stages, five bosses, two secret bosses and new stages, bosses, and worldbuilding dropping every eight weeks until launch.

Bangkok, Thailand (October 20, 2026) | Today, Nomadic Games and Rising Tide Publishing announced that Burning Sword: Death Sun, the wuxia hack and slash made in Bangkok, launches into Early Access on Steam on November 17, 2026.

Early Access opens with five distinct, handcrafted stages on Zhang Yixian's road to Gao Tianqi, five bosses to beat and two secret bosses for the players who go looking.

The free demo released on September 30 stays up through launch, and we've listened carefully to player feedback. Every stage is linear and built by hand, with no procedural or randomized layouts, and every one is packed with secrets to find and upgrades to unlock. It's a bespoke action adventure, designed with replayability in mind.

You play Zhang Yixian, leader of the Crimson Dust Demon Sect, back from the edge of death with one name left on his list: Gao Tianqi, master of the Death Sun poison and the most powerful man in the martial world. Every master standing between them has to be cut down first.

Watch the trailer:YouTube | Steam | Download

What's in Early Access

Five stages: distinct, handcrafted and packed with secrets. Five main bosses and two secret bosses: see if you can find them… Replayability: secrets, upgrades and unlocks that make every run worth another. The Burning Sword: land hits, fill the Power Gauge, Ignite, and every strike hits harder. Quick Shot: a ranged attack with three ammo types to swap on the fly. Qi Drain: take Qi from enemies marked with red meridian lines. Three skills in hand: carry three and switch between them mid-combo. Charms: found only in the stages. Pick a passive three times to keep it. Skill branches: beat a boss and a new branch opens. Revive: unlockable, and it costs one equipped skill. Arena Mode: endless, arcade-style combat built around score.

"Combat is the heart of Burning Sword. We want players to feel that moment when a fight that once seemed impossible finally clicks, and they realize they're the ones who got better. It was the team's infinite patience and the thousands and thousands of players and their feedback that sharpened that experience to a fine edge."Nook, Founder, Nomadic Games

After November 17

The full game runs five chapters across twelve handcrafted stages, with nine named bosses including Gao Tianqi, two secret bosses and many elite minibosses between them, all being polished now. Early Access opens the road, and more stages, bosses and skills arrive through regular updates, each with a devlog on Steam. A roadmap follows once Early Access is live, with new chapters being dropped every eight weeks packed with new stages, bosses, narrative progress, skill variety, arena challenges, and more. Gameplay refinement and tweaks weekly (possibly daily sometimes, when we're on fire).

From the press

"The combat itself is just great." ChaosDTV

"It's satisfying, it's flashy, it's cool." GJX Gaming Arcade

"La acción es sobresaliente." José A. Mateo Albuerne, 3DJuegos

Early review copies are available on request: Request an Early Review Copy

A full press kit is available here.

About Burning Sword: Death Sun

Burning Sword: Death Sun is a wuxia hack and slash built in Unreal Engine 5 by Nomadic Games in Bangkok. The martial sects have carved up the kingdom and the masters kill anyone in their way. It's a revenge story told through swordplay, palm strikes and Qi, and the blade catches fire once you earn it.

About Nomadic Games

Nomadic Games is an independent studio in Bangkok, founded in 2020 to put gameplay at the core of every adventure. The word "nomadic" felt like freedom to the team, and that freedom is the point: follow their own path and make something unique. With Burning Sword: Death Sun, they're out to build a top-tier martial arts game with deep, distinct systems. Find Nomadic Games at linktr.ee/burningsword

About Rising Tide

We champion games with sincerity. Developers with a peculiar and singular vision. Based in Thailand, bringing Southeast Asia's finest indie experiences to the world. Find Rising Tide at linktr.ee/risingtidepublishing.

PRESS CONTACT

Justin PaulsenRising Tide Publishingjustin@risingtidepublishing.com

Burning Sword: Death Sun drops its new demo on Steam

Press Release  •  30 Sep 2026 16:30

Play the demo | Overview | Press kit

BANGKOK, Thailand, September 30, 2026 - Nomadic Games and Rising Tide Publishing today released a brand new demo for Burning Sword: Death Sun, the wuxia hack and slash made in Bangkok. It's free on Steam right now.

This demo is recut from the ground up to put the sword in your hand fast and emphsize combat, feel, and replayability of the fast, precise swordplay inspired by classic wuxia film.

This new demo brings light roguelite elements to the gameplay, allowing players to lean into different playstyles on each attempt without disrupting the difficulty, skill, and core combat mechanics that define the game.

You play Zhang Yixian, leader of the Crimson Dust Demon Sect, back from the edge of death with one name left on his list: Gao Tianqi, master of the Death Sun poison and the most powerful man in the martial world. Every master standing between them has to be cut down first.

Play the demo on Steam

Combat

The Burning Sword: build it up, release it, and every strike hits harder. The whole fight turns on it. Qi: power your skills and fire Qi blasts at range. Run dry and it starts eating your health. Qi Drain: a forbidden technique that steals life and Qi from your enemies. Rebound: launch objects in the arena into your enemies to open them up. Qinggong: run up walls and float through the air to reach places ordinary people can't. Skill tree: unlock combos and heavy techniques, some fueled by Qi. Masters who show no mercy: boss duels against the martial world's best, from chain fighters to masked assassins.

About the game

The martial sects have carved up the kingdom and the masters kill anyone in their way. Burning Sword: Death Sun is a revenge story told through swordplay, palm strikes and Qi, and the blade catches fire once you earn it. Built in Unreal Engine 5 by a 25-person team in Bangkok.

Review builds and interviews with the team are available on request.

Quotes from the previous demo

"This game is so stylish."MakeItLook EZ, YouTube

"From what I can see, this is a more fast-paced game than your typical Souls-like games."John Papadopoulos, DSOGaming

"The combat itself is just great."ChaosDTV, YouTube

Development update

The tide is rising in Bangkok this week. Parts of the city are flooding and a few of the Nomadic team pushed the final demo build with water in their homes, but they ain't stopping the schedule. Here are some photos from the crew.

About Nomadic Games

Nomadic Games is an independent studio in Bangkok, founded in 2020 to put gameplay at the core of every adventure. With Burning Sword: Death Sun, the team is out to build a top-tier martial arts game, with deep, distinct systems. nomadic-games.com

About Rising Tide Publishing

We champion games with sincerity. Developers with a peculiar and singular vision. risingtidepublishing.com

Press contact: Justin Paulsen, justin@risingtidepublishing.com