GIGASWORD News

[p]Hey Sword Masters,
[/p][p]GIGASWORD is one month away from launch! To be honest, we were a bit worried about Silksong news impeding this launch but I think we lucked out there. [/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]I talked with Jack on how they are preparing for the launch of GIGASWORD.[/p]

[p]Hi there giga-friends!
[/p][p]GIGASWORD’s release is right around the corner - October 2nd, to be exact. To celebrate its release, I’d like to take this opportunity to give you guys a comprehensive rundown of what you can expect from the finished game.
[/p][p]A sprawling, maze-like, metroidvania world: Explore 8 unique locations within the Nestrium, a towering and ancient structure that has served as the home of the elusive Nocturne for over five thousand years! Each area features its own unique mechanics and enemies, as well as multiple unlockables and hidden paths to uncover. It’ll take the ultimate adventurer to fully explore this tower… think you’re up for the task?[/p][p]Epic boss fights: Of course, no heroic quest would be complete without some massive bosses to slay. Muster both your brains and brawn as your face off against foes such as a corrupted plant, a demonic werewolf, and plenty more.
[/p][p]Tons of secrets: GIGASWORD is absolutely PACKED with collectibles. From feathers that increase your max health, to scrolls that offer insight into the lore of the world, to secret portals that transport you to another realm; this tower is chock full of hidden goodies to collect. And for those of you who are particularly explorative, you may just encounter a fuzzy friend who needs your help…[/p][p]A focus on narrative: Layered on top of all the puzzle solving, enemy slaying, and secret finding is a fully fleshed-out story rich with emotion and brimming with meaning. My greatest hope for this game is that players grow to truly care about these characters I’ve created, as well as the world they inhabit.[/p][p]I’ve spent the last six years of my life making this game. Now that it’s done, I can confidently say that, despite all the blood, sweat, and tears it took to get here: it came out exactly how I always wanted it to. GIGASWORD is a tapestry of the games that have inspired me most throughout my life. Everything I have ever loved about video games has found its way into this project, either consciously or subconsciously. Since I was maybe five years old, I’ve dreamed of being a developer. It’s surreal to see this dream finally becoming reality. That being said, none of this would have been possible without the support, encouragement, and love that I have received from so many of you.
[/p][p]I want to give a massive thank-you to Akupara Games, who have been the absolute coolest publisher I could have possibly been blessed with. I want to thank all of GIGASWORD’s Kickstarter backers, who have believed in this project since way back in 2022, when all I had to offer was a demo and some Tshirts. I want to thank the GIGASWORD discord community (the GIGA-cord) for being the most encouraging and hilarious group of fans I could ask for. I want to thank my friends and family for endlessly having my back throughout this whole thing.
[/p][p]And I want to thank you. Not only for taking the time to read this, but for showing even the slightest interest in this thing I’ve created. It means the world to me.
[/p][p]Tons of love from me to you,[/p][p]Jack[/p]

[p]
We can't wait for you to play the full game of GIGASWORD![/p][p] -riv otter[/p]

[p]Hey Swordmasters,

We are two months away from the launch of GIGASWORD on October 2nd! Which one of you are counting down the days?[/p][p][/p][p]I talked with Jack, the solo developer on GIGASWORD on how they are feeling with the launch inching closer and closer.[/p]

Originally posted by 6ELVzX5m_rY;full

[p]Hi Giga-Friends! I hope you're all well! I'll just cut right to the chase: GIGASWORD is launching on October 2nd 2025!!! You can check out a brand new trailer below![/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][p]While I'm here, I'd like to give a massive thank-you to everyone following this project. I started GIGASWORD six years ago. Sitting in the cafeteria of the college I was attending at the time. Since then, I've been through some of the biggest challenges in my life, as well as some of the most amazing experiences. The journey of this game's development has been filled with struggle, excitement, personal growth, and memories that will stick with me forever. Now, after all this time, this story is finally coming to a close.[/p][p][/p][p]Thank you all so much for supporting me all this time. I can't wait for you to all get to finally experience Ezra's story in full![/p]

[p][/p][p]Wishlist GIGASWORD and don't miss the launch![/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p]-riv otter[/p]

[p]Hey Sword Masters,
[/p][h2]Ready your swords; GIGASWORD is releasing October 2nd![/h2][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]Ezra is sharpening his wits AND his sword preparing for the fight of his life later this year. Can you aid Ezra on his journey to save humanity or will you succumb to the heavy weight of the GIGASWORD?[/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p]-riv otter[/p][p]
[/p]

[p]Metroidvanias have a long history of speedrunners trying to beat the game as fast as they can. In the Akupara Discord, I hosted a Speedrun Competition for the Demo of GIGASWORD! We had two speedrunners jostling for the fastest time. Currently .techhead. on Discord has the fastest time at 16:18.35. The speedrunners are predicting that a time of 16:0X could be the fastest time for the demo. Do you think you can got any faster? Here is their run if you want to see it! Do you think you can go faster?[/p][p]https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2500332521[/p][p][/p][p]enderjora is hot on their heels with a time of 16:21 [/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]I spoke with Jack about what they have been working on this month on GIGASWORD.[/p][p][/p][p]

Hey Giga-Friends! I hope you’ve all been well![/p][p]This month has been an exciting one for GIGASWORD for two major reasons; the first of which being that the Steam demo has been updated with tons of new content![/p][p]Here’s what’s new:[/p][p]-Outskirts area and Forgotten Waterway area have been completely restructured[/p][p]-multiple background elements have been updated[/p][p]-collectible scrolls are now in the game, and you can find one in the demo[/p][p]-a bunny you can pet and feed carrots to![/p][p]-Sloan fight has been improved[/p][p]-tons of bug fixes[/p][p]-and more![/p][p]Alongside these changes, we’re also currently hosting an official GIGASWORD Speedrunning Challenge! How fast can you complete the demo? Think you can take the world record (and win some prizes in the process??)[/p][p]Here’s how it works:[/p][p]-Play the new demo on Steam: http://bit.ly/GIGASWORD[/p][p]-Submit your time in the Akupara Discord: https://discord.gg/akuparagames[/p][p]-And that’s it![/p][p][/p][p]If you haven’t played the GIGASWORD demo yet, now is the perfect time! I hope you guys enjoy all the new changes, and if you do, please do us a ginormous favor and wishlist the game on Steam!

[/p]

[p]Hey Sword Masters,[/p][p]
[/p][h2]I’m challenging you all to a race in the GIGASWORD demo for prizes![/h2][p]
[/p][p]To enter, record your gameplay of beating the demo and submit your entry in the #gigasword-demo-speedruns in the Akupara Games Discord.[/p][p]
[/p][p]The prizes are Steam keys for one of our titles of your choice and GIGASWORD Steam key when the game is released![/p][p]
[/p][p]We will be doing a drawing after the event for the prizes plus the fastest time to beat the demo the fastest will also get the prize. [/p][p]
[/p][p]You can gain multiple entries with one submission! [/p]

1. [p]Submitting a speedrun (1+ entry) | Only the first submission gets the entry. [/p]
2. [p]Beat the demo in 30 minutes (+1 entry)[/p]
3. [p]Beat the demo in 25 minutes (+1 entry)[/p]
4. [p]Beat the demo in 20 minutes (+1 entry)[/p]
5. [p]Top 5 times (+2 entry)[/p]

[p]
[/p][p]Couple rules for the speedrun demo![/p]

• [p]Time starts once you gain control of your character and time ends once you defeat the boss[/p]
• [p]Glitches are allowed[/p]
• [p]Must provide a video of your run[/p]
• [p]You can submit multiple runs but only your best run will count[/p]
• [p]You must be a member of the Akupara Discord server [/p]
• [p]I will close #gigasword-demo-speedruns for submissions on June 30th. [/p]

[p][/p][p]Grab your Gigaswords and get through the demo as quickly as possible![/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink]
- Riv Otter[/p]