Hellsweeper VR News

Hey Hellsweepers!

Our next update is nearly ready to slice its way into the fray, and with it comes a pretty major change to how you unlock weapons and gear in Hellsweeper VR.

[h2]👇[/h2]

[h2]Unlocking Content will not be tied to just Souls anymore[/h2]

One of the most common questions we get is… “How do I unlock [x]?”

We realized that many new players weren’t sure how to progress toward unlocking the weapons they’ve been eyeing. On top of that, we received suggestions asking for more variety in the unlock process to better highlight the depth of progression that Hellsweeper already offers.

We hear you. Previously, weapons and items were unlocked using Souls and levels. That’s changing. Starting with the upcoming update, unlocks will be tied to specific combat challenges or tasks. You'll earn your gear by proving your worth in battle.


[h2]What does this mean?[/h2]

• If you’ve got Souls saved up and there’s an item you’ve been eyeing, now’s the time to spend them.
  
• Any content you've already unlocked will stay unlocked. No take-backs.
  
• This change mostly affects new players coming in fresh after the update.
  

[h2]What’s Changing Exactly?[/h2]

Here’s how some key unlocks will now work:

• Katana – No longer purchasable. Now unlocked by clearing a run with the Vanguard Epithet.
  
• Tempest – No longer unlocked at Level 4. Now unlocked by clearing a run with the Gunslinger Epithet.
  
• Rifle – No longer purchasable. Now unlocked by killing 300 enemies with bullets.
  
• Volt – No longer purchasable. Now unlocked by clearing a run with the Spellcaster Epithet.
  
• Unholy – No longer purchasable. Now unlocked by dismembering 666 enemies.
  
• Bulwark – Now unlocked after clearing a run on Beginner difficulty.
  
• Sunwalker – Now unlocked after clearing a run on Extreme difficulty.
  
• Acrobat – Now unlocked after killing 150 enemies while sliding, wall-running, or in the air.
  
• And more..
  

We want Hellsweeper’s progression to feel like a true test of skill and mastery. That’s why we’re shifting to achievement-based unlocks. It rewards those who rise to Hell’s challenges.

See you in the next patch soon!

Crafted with love,
Mixed Realms Team

Hey Hellsweepers, what a year it’s been! In 2024, we rolled out a total of 13 updates, including 4 Major Content Drops and 9 patches. None of it would’ve been possible without your support, feedback, and passion. Thank you for being with us on this incredible journey!

[h3]Which update did you enjoy the most and why? [/h3]
Was it any of the new bosses, fresh weapons, or something else that hit just right? Let us know in the comments!

[h2]Here’s a quick recap of the major content updates from March to December:[/h2]

[h3]Alliance (Dec 2024):[/h3]
In our final update of 2024, we expanded co-op to 3 players, introduced Gauntlet Mode, added Day/Night mechanics, and unleashed the Avarice boss. Plus, we added more ways for you to flex with weapon skins!
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h3]Resurgence (Sep 2024):[/h3]
We celebrated Hellsweeper VR's first birthday with the addition of the katana, our most expansive weapon yet. Chieko made her return, and Pride ascended to boss status. 🎂
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h3]Ascension (Jun 2024):[/h3]
We introduced Frost and Volt Wrath variants, dual-wielding bonuses, and overhauled the traits system to reshape how you build your runs.
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h3]Wrath (Mar 2024):[/h3]
Wrath joined to complete the lineup of 7 Deadly Sins enemies. We also added the Magic Staff, delivered graphical upgrades, and rolled out QoL enhancements.
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h3]So, which one was your favorite? :)[/h3]

We wish you all an amazing New Year filled with glory (and maybe a little more chaos in Hell...sweeper!).

Crafted with Love,
Mixed Realms Team

We've got a quick drop of fixes before the holidays ~

Bug Fixes

• Fixed 'Fully Loaded' trait not disabling the Pistol's Quick Reload.
  
• Fixed Duality Of Dog's blood infusion not working as intended.
  
• Fixed Wrath not engaging in melee.
  
• Fixed Winged Serpent affecting movement of other players in multiplayer.
  
• Reduce latency when damaging enemies.
  

Updates

• Added volume slider for the player's microphone for Multiplayer.
  
• Added ping display for each player in Multiplayer, making it easier to identify lag. We recommend the host select the region with the lowest ping to ensure the best experience for everyone.
  
• Increased the max enemy cap for Gauntlet.
  
• Players will no longer be trapped in the rooms when the objective starts, it will be triggered locally in Multiplayer.
  
• Reduced the amount of reward from the Stone Hand in Gauntlet.
  

If you've got bugs to report, please create a thread under the Hellsweeper #support channel on our Discord. Don't forget to pick "Hellsweeper" under the role selection channel so you can see all the relevant channels and discussions about Hellsweeper.

Crafted with Love,
Mixed Realms Team

Hey Hellsweepers, are you ready to pull more friends into the fiery depths of hell? The Alliance Free Update is here -- From expanding co-op to 3 players to the all-new Gauntlet Mode, a relentless boss in Avarice, and Day & Night System, this update is packed with content that will test your endurance, teamwork, and style.

And as always, your feedback has been crucial in making this happen. So grab your weapons, rally your squad, and let’s dive in!

[h3]Watch the highlights here:[/h3]
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h2]New Game Mode: Gauntlet[/h2]
Endless. Relentless. Brutal.
The Gauntlet is a trial of pure endurance, throwing waves of enemies and bosses at you in an endless loop.

How far can you descend into hell before your strength gives out? This mode is available in both Single-player and Multiplayer. Bring your A-game (and a buddy or two) because hell doesn’t hold back.

[h2]Co-op now supports up to 3 players![/h2]
One of the most requested features is here—3-player co-op! Grab two friends, sharpen your blades, and see how long your alliance holds in the face of unrelenting demons. Huge thanks to our beta testers on Discord for helping us battle-proof this mode. You’re the real MVPs.


With the update finally live, our team will be doing another sweep to check the build's stability, and we thought... what better way to do it than with all of you? If you're in the mood for a co-op sweep, join us on December 12th from 9 PM to 10 PM EST for a game or a chat. We'll be opening several public rooms in the game!


[h2]New Boss: Avarice[/h2]
Greed has kinda ascended, and its penchant for chaos is insatiable. Meet Avarice, the wheel of destruction that rolls across the battlefield with relentless force. Simple in form, devastating in action—don’t let your guard down. Sometimes, the deadliest enemies are the ones you underestimate.


[h2]Day & Night Mechanics[/h2]
The Day & Night System brings a new layer of strategy to your runs:

• ☀️Daytime: Totems will remain dormant, but treasure? A little scarce. Certain enemies prefer day time.
  
• 🌙Nighttime: Treasure chests are more abundant, but darkness brings offensive totems and more of certain enemies.
  

And while not necessarily related to the Day and Night mechanics, here’s a fun bonus—torches are now interactive! Light them up with Fire Magic or extinguish them with Frost Magic... just for fun. :p



[h2]Show Off with Weapon Skins[/h2]
What better way to celebrate dragging a third teammate to hell than showing off your weapons in style? With the addition of Weapon Skins, you can finally personalize your tools of destruction.



[h2]Bringing Back Launch Options for Steam Players[/h2]
Important: We've brought back the Runtime launch options by popular request!

• OpenXR - This can be described as the one-size-fits-all mode. It will allow devices to use their proprietary app, eg. Oculus devices using the Meta Quest Link app. However, the customization is lacking as it is not possible to make any changes outside of the game.
  
• SteamVR - We recommend this to Valve Index users. This allows customization outside of the game, like putting bindings on certain buttons for controllers we don't support. The downside is that certain devices have to run their app through SteamVR, which will cause a bit of performance issues.
  

[h2]And as usual, there’s moar.[/h2]
This update comes with a slew of improvements to make your runs smoother and deadlier than ever like new Traits, Epithets, Max Skill levels and community-requested QoLs.


[h3]Please refer to the full patch notes below. [/h3]


If you’ve enjoyed Hellsweeper VR’s free content updates, help us keep the fire burning! Share the game with your friends or on social media. We know it’s not a new game anymore, but we hope these updates continue to give you something to look forward to.

Lastly, you could help playtest our studio’s next game 13Z—it’s not in VR yet, but we’d love to bring it to VR if there’s enough demand from the community. Your feedback could make all the difference!



Thank you, Hellsweepers, for being part of this ever-evolving journey. From all of us at Mixed Realms, happy holidays ahead. Let’s tear through hell together one last time before the year ends!

Discord | Reddit | Twitter | Tiktok.

Crafted with Love,
Mixed Realms





All items with (*) were inspired by community suggestions! :)

[h3]New Content[/h3]

• New Game Mode: Gauntlet
  
• New Boss: Avarice
  
• Added "Day & Night" mechanics.
  
• --- Certain enemies have increased chances of spawning in the day, while others at night.
  
• --- Island and Vault are considered to be neither day nor night.
  
• --- No totems will attack during the day. More treasure chests at night."
  
• Added skins for the weapon skills.
  
• Added Phantom Limb to the Katana skill.
  
• New Epithets:
  
• --- Sun Walker - Increased stats during the day, special mechanics at night.
  
• --- Bulwark - Increased defences."
  
• New Traits:
  
• --- Mana Engine - Casting spells with the spellball will not delete it, allowing players to keep casting spells.
  
• --- Hex Payback - Increase duration of status effects.
  
• --- Springboard - Applying the Haze status effect will throw enemies into the air.
  
• --- Dust Devil - Increase the movement speed of Haze Tornado.
  
• --- Gazing Snake - Default special trait for Haze Magic.
  
• --- Winged Serpent - Players can ride a Haze Serpent and fly around the level.
  
• --- Fully Loaded - Guns will spawn with max ammo and buffs but cannot be reloaded.
  
• --- Mimic Quiver - Arrow Conversion will no longer consume the item.
  
• --- Chasing Comet - Axe Glaive will hit additional targets before returning.
  
• --- Silk Steel - Increase flail damage but reduce the chain's length.
  
• --- Radiant Technique - Players can conjure Energy Spike without releasing the trigger, it appears after a thrust."
  
• Laser, Haze and Charge magic have their own status effect. This secondary status effect will not replace the primary status effects like Burning or Freeze.
  
• --- Laser - When the enemy takes damage, it will shoot out additional laser projectiles towards nearby enemies.
  
• --- Haze - Applying it for the first time will stagger the enemy. It will deal damage to all nearby enemies.
  
• --- Charge - Target takes increase damage from all sources, the damage is then stored. When the duration is up, it will explode with all of the accumulated damage."
  
• Players can extinguish torches with Frost magic and ignite them with Fire magic... just for fun!
  
• Increased the max skill level for all skills.*
  

[h3]Multiplayer Updates[/h3]

• Increased the max number of players for MP to 3.*
  
• When clients abandon the run, they will disconnect from the host instead of causing everybody to return to Hub.
  

[h3]Updates & QoL[/h3]

• Changed skill XR system, players have to pump in 'Echoes' into the skill and once it is full, the augment is unlocked.*
  
• Added new resource, 'Echoes', which is used to rank up skills.
  
• Experience is Gold' now gives echoes when completing an Act. It is removed afterwards.
  
• Updated the behavior of Axe Glaive, allowing it to stay around longer.
  
• Improved Phantom Limb system, the weapon will follow the swing and angle of the main weapon.
  
• Added button binding for Levitation and settings for "Complex Levitation".*
  
• --- Players can now levitate objects while holding onto an item.
  
• Added button binding for Quick Infusion.
  
• --- Holding down the button, players can open a small menu for the current magic skills to infuse the held item.
  
• --- Move the hand over to the magic skill and release the button to infuse.
  
• Added button binding for Reload.*
  
• --- Pressing the button will reload the currently held gun for that hand.
  
• Added option to adjust controller vibration strength.*
  

Yup, 3-player co-op is coming! From November 25th to December 9th, we’ll be running a playtest to introduce the 3-player multiplayer mode along with a brand-new game mode. This is your chance to experience and test some of the upcoming features before they officially go live (and help some pretty anxious devs haha :D).

[h2]What’s in the Playtest?[/h2]
The playtest build doesn’t contain all the new content for the upcoming update (of course, we need to same some of the goodies for the actual launch! ;)). It mainly focuses on the stability and performance of multiplayer, with these key highlights:

• 3-Player Co-op Mode: As requested by many in the community, multiplayer sessions now support three players instead of two.
  
• New Game Mode: Dive into a fresh multiplayer mode. Details are under wraps for now, so jump in and discover it for yourself!
  
• Focus on Multiplayer Stability: While this playtest doesn’t include all upcoming content—such as the new boss—it’s designed to test and refine multiplayer performance ahead of the update.
  

Note: Single-player content is unavailable during this playtest. You’ll have access to multiplayer game modes and the Training Hall only. You’ll start with a mid-level profile and receive extra souls and echoes to level up or purchase cosmetics.

[h2]How to Give Feedback[/h2]
To help us refine multiplayer gameplay, we’d love for you to share your thoughts and report any issues.

• Head to our 3P Co-Op Beta Announcement Thread on Discord (under #news) and include the following details:
  
• Number of players in your session.
  
• Devices used by each player (e.g., PCVR, Meta Quest 2/3, etc.).
  
• Game mode played (Roguelike or Gauntlet).
  
• Issues faced, if any (e.g., bugs, performance, or connection problems).
  
• A recording of the issue (if possible) to assist us with troubleshooting.
  

If your feedback is related to connection issues, it'll be helpful to our team if you could follow the following format in your report:

1. What was the message or error encountered?
   
2. Did you use any third-party apps or VPN?
   
3. Please provide us with your Player Name. You can find this info in the in-game profile page.
   
4. Please share your region/state. We want to make sure the game is pinging the right / nearest servers.
   

[h2]How to Opt into the Playtest[/h2]
The playtest beta is available for PCVR [Steam] users and Meta Quest 2/3 users. Follow the steps below to access it:
For Steam Users:

1. Right-click Hellsweeper VR in your library.
   
2. Select Properties > Beta.
   
3. In the dropdown menu, select (Beta) 3P Multiplayer Playtest.
   

For Meta Quest 2/3 Users (applies to Meta store only):

1. In either your Oculus App or Web Store Page, select Hellsweeper VR.
   
2. Select Additional Details > Change Version > Select Channel: (Beta) 3P Multiplayer Co-Op
   

[h2]Why This Matters[/h2]
This playtest is all about making the 3-player multiplayer mode as stable and enjoyable as possible. Your participation helps us optimize the experience, ensuring the smoothest gameplay when the update drops. Thank you for helping us make Hellsweeper VR a better game!



Crafted with Love,
Mixed Realms Team