Skul: The Hero Slayer News

Maybe you miss Hollow Knight, or you're dead tired of Dead Cells. Then Skul: The Hero Slayer might appeal. It's a side-on stabrawler roguelite that's just left early access in which you can swap skulls to swap skills, and also lob your noggin at enemies. It's nice, from my brief play of it, and there's an announcement trailer below.

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[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Hello Everyone!

The time has come… We have finally graduated from Early Access and are releasing the 1.0 version of Skul: The Hero Slayer!
It’s been just under a year since we started this journey with you and it has truly been a life-changing experience for us. We can’t thank you enough for taking a chance on our game and joining us on this thrilling ride.
But now without further ado, here are some of the things you can expect to see in the 1.0 version!
*Also please note that the game will be 20% off at launch, so don’t miss your chance to get a good deal :)




[h2]Major Changes/Additions[/h2]

[h3]New Chapters Added[/h3]
- We’ve added Chapter 4 (The Ramparts of Fate) and Chapter 5 (The Sacred Grounds).

[h3]The Story Comes Full-Circle[/h3]
- Skul’s whole backstory is finally revealed

[h3]Upgraded Skulls[/h3]
- The new NPC called ‘Arachne’ will help each skull reach its full potential.
- You can collect bone fragments by destroying skulls you don’t want to pick up and use them to power-up the skulls that you do.

[h3]Captured Demon Brethren[/h3]
- You’ll be able to meet many more of your Demon brethren that have been captured by the Carleon Army.
- And for those that you rescue, they’ll pay you back in kind.

[h3]Captured Demon Castle Leaders[/h3]
- You’ll be able to meet several captured Demon Council Officials in Chapters 3 & 4.
- And if rescued, from then on out they will help you in the Demon Castle before you start each run.

[h3]New Maps, Traps and Devices[/h3]
- We’re adding a bunch of new maps for each chapter.
- The Carleon Empire has installed a dangerous array of new traps and devices to bolster their defenses.

[h3]Various New NPCs[/h3]
- You’ll find new NPCs in various places and they’ll support you with items, buffs and the like.
- But of course, that support sometimes won’t come cheaply.

[h3]Revamped Skills for Existing Skulls[/h3]
- We took a close look at each skulls’ abilities and fun-factor and made the proper adjustments for the 1.0 version.

[h3]Improved Enemies & Bosses[/h3]
- We also reviewed every enemy and boss to make them just right for the full release.

[h3]New Settings Menu[/h3]
- We added several new features to the settings menu for even more customization.

[h3]Bug Fixes[/h3]
- We fixed the majority of bugs that were discovered during the Early Access period.

[h3]Digital Soundtrack[/h3]
- You will finally be able to get your hands on the wonderful OST for Skul.



Thank you all once again for supporting us and providing us with invaluable feedback this whole time.
This 1.0 release isn’t the ending, but merely a checkpoint in the process. We plan to add a lot more content to the game before all is said and done.
This new version should be even more fun to play than before and we hope to continue on this path for the future with a lot of the exciting things we have planned.
So please enjoy the 1.0 version! We’ll also share our development plans in the near future, so stay on the lookout for that.
Thank you!



Fan Art Highlights

By: Manda-of-the-6

Originally posted by author

This is just too perfect :)

By: Шпрот

Originally posted by author

Now THAT is the face of death.

Hello Everyone!
It’s almost time for us to release the 1.0 version of Skul: The Hero Slayer!!!
We’re currently putting the finishing touches on the 1.0 build in preparation for launch, but we know that you’re probably very curious about the exact schedule. So please see below for some key details.

[h3]Official Launch Schedule[/h3]
Please refer to the exact times for each time zone below.

• PST : 1/20 4:00PM
  
• CET : 1/21 1:00AM
  
• KST : 1/21 9:00AM
  

[h3]20% Off Launch Discount[/h3]
Skul will be available at 20% off for a period of 2 weeks after launch. So don’t miss your chance to get it now!

[h3]Media Reviews & Influencer Content[/h3]
The review/content embargo will lift a day before launch, so you can expect to see a lot of videos be released and streams go live by a wide range of channels and media outlets around that time. This is a pretty common practice and we did this to ensure that we reach as many people as possible and really get the word out about Skul’s launch beforehand. For those of you that have supported us since Early Access, we ask that you wait just one more day to dive into the new content and hope you can understand why we did it this way.We promise that the wait will have been worth it!

We’d also like to re-emphasize that this isn’t the end, but only just the beginning. We have a lot more content planned for 2021 alone and can’t wait to reveal more details about that later on.
Thank you again.
Skul’s Team

Hello Everyone!
As we previously announced, the full version of Skul: The Hero Slayer will officially be launched on January 21st, 2021.
And to commemorate this special occasion, we’ve decided to run a giveaway to promote it! Please join us and recommend Skul to your friends!

[How to Participate]
1. Copy the link below (our 4th Dev Blog)

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1147560/view/3952437255364381462

2. Share the link on social media websites, game communities or any other online platforms and add a comment like “Skul Official Launch Date: January 21st”.

3. Leave a comment on this post with the words “[Giveaway Participation]” and the link of your post included.

[Deadline & Prize]
1. Deadline: January 19th (Korea Standard Time)
2. Giveaway Prize: 6 random participants will be rewarded with a $20 Steam Digital Giftcard via Steam friend invites.
3. Announcement of Winners: Winners will be announced on January 22nd in a Steam Community Post.




Thanks for participating!

Hello Everyone,

It’s been a crazy year to say the least, but we’d like to take this opportunity to reflect on all the changes that have been made to Skul in the past year and highlight some of our favorite moments. It goes without saying that the best thing to happen to us this year is this community and it’s still sometimes hard to believe that so many people have decided to give Skul a shot. We couldn’t be more thankful for this and can’t wait to introduce our game to even more people going forward.

But without further ado, here’s a quick recap of 2020 for Skul.

How We Got Here

[h2]February[/h2]

[h3]Starting Early Access[/h3]


"The hardest journeys always begin with a leap of faith!" - quote from The Skull Will Conquer


[h2]March[/h2]

[h3]The 1st Round of New Skulls[/h3]


Skeleton-Bomber: We knew this skull was gonna be a hit. I mean...who doesn’t love to blow things up?


Skeleton-Shield: Nothing more satisfying than shoving some soldiers onto the spikes.


Carleon Recruit: The rookie ain’t too shabby.


[h2]April[/h2]

[h3]The 2nd Round of New Skulls[/h3]


Archlich: When it comes to style points, no skull can match the Archlich.


Aqua: When overwatering is a good thing.


Sneak: A thief that throws money? If it works, it works.


[h2]May[/h2]

[h3]The 3rd Round of New Skulls[/h3]


Living Armor: Raging on ‘em.


Alchemist: Good things come in small packages.


Ent: Fist of Fury. Bruce Lee would be proud.


[h2]June[/h2]

[h3]The Dead Cells Crossover[/h3]


WePlay 2019 in Shanghai last December. Was this an omen of what was to come?


This was an absolute blast to do with Motion Twin. Who should we do the next collab with?

[h3]Skul's Marked Improvement[/h3]


We've all been there, but Chapter 1 was a struggle back in the day.


Now even the Chimera is no match for Skul.


[h2]July[/h2]

[h3]Community Contest[/h3]


We were absolutely blown away by the level of participation and quality of the submissions we received for this contest. It’s something that we can’t wait to do again soon!


This wasn’t even submitted for the contest, but it’s too darn good not to showcase it once more :)

[h3]The 4th Round of New Skulls[/h3]


Archmage: The asteroids might be a little overkill, but we’re not complaining.


Rockstar: The power of Rock ‘n’ Roll exemplified.


Ghoul: The Ghoul’s bag of tricks is as big as its appetite.

** And must we never forget the most entertaining bug of the year, a.k.a. the “Ever-growing Ghoul”.
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h2]August[/h2]

[h3]The Inscription System[/h3]


Adding this system was a huge undertaking, but we’re glad that we did it because it adds a lot more depth to the game. We hope you have enjoyed it as well.

[h3]The Gamescom Awesome Indies Showcase[/h3]

Showing Skul to such a large audience on a stage like that alongside other amazing indie games was a dream come true for our team.
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]


[h2]September[/h2]

[h3]Dev Blog #0[/h3]

The first major reveal of the skull upgrade system.

[h3]Dev Blog #1[/h3]

A more in-depth look at what’s waiting for you in Chapter 4.


[h2]October[/h2]

[h3]Dev Blog #2[/h3]

A sneak peek at the Adventurers’ slick new moves.


[h2]November[/h2]

[h3]Dev Blog #3[/h3]

The mysterious Arachne and a breakdown of the Ninja Master!


[h2]December[/h2]

The launch date for the 1.0 version of Skul has been set for January 21st! We’re almost there! We promise the wait will be worth it :)

What's Coming Next

[h2]January[/h2]

[h3]Trading Cards[/h3]

We'll be adding 34 trading cards at launch, but here's a couple to give you an idea of what they'll look like.



[h3]Badges[/h3]

We have 6 different badges coming your way as well.



[h3]Steam Achievements[/h3]

The 1.0 patch will also bring with it the much-anticipated Steam Achievements! Around 50 or so will be ready to be claimed at launch, but who will do them all first?



[h3]Language Support[/h3]

We're also extremely excited to announce that we'll be adding the following languages to Skul.
- French
- Chinese (Traditional)
- Russian
- Spanish
- Portuguese
- Polish

[h3]And last, but certainly not least... another couple upgraded skull teasers.[/h3]


You can't hit what you can't see.


They never saw it coming...


'Beast Mode' Activated

See you next year.

SouthPAW Games