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KILL KNIGHT News

KILL KNIGHT - 1.0.1 Hotfix

Hi Knights,

It's been great to see you diving deep into the Abyssal Keep!

In case you missed it, our Lead Game Designer Sean, shared a message here on behalf of our development team for everyone who has played KILL KNIGHT and joined our community to date.

We have a new patch available now (v1.0.1), bringing updates to the game which are outlined in the list below.

Stay tuned for a game update soon.

[h2]HOTFIX NOTES[/h2]

[h3]IMPROVEMENTS[/h3]

Player
  • Graphical improvements to Pulse Counter effect
Equipment
  • Logic to handle goal unlocks completing and failing while playing on SEVER
  • Equipment stat bars have had the amount of pips increased from 5 > 10 to improve readability
  • Trait descriptions relating to Equipment stats have been removed from Equipment descriptions
  • Trait Icon visuals have been improved
  • DEMIGUARD now has proper visuals for its Wrath Explosion
  • ARCHBLIGHT’s Wrath Burst cost has been increased from 73 > 95 Power Gems
  • ARCHBLIGHT’s Wrath Burst’s sphere projectile lifetime has been reduced from 12 > 9 seconds
  • Equipment goal objectives updated for TWILIGHT AMETHYST - Kill Stream required has been reduced from 999 > 555
  • Equipment goal objectives updated for HEAVENS QUARTZ - Carnage required has been reduced from 20,000 > 15,000
  • Equipment unlock Tokken costs have been slightly reduced across the board
General UI
  • Implemented fallback for input actions to handle displaying actual input in the case of no prompts (previously "MISSING_PROMPT {0}") - This should show the input as plain text now if nothing is available
  • Rebinding support for movement for keyboard and mouse (defaulted to WASD)
  • Improved spacing and padding of the new movement controls found in Settings
  • Fixed Privacy Policy text misalignment
Audio & Music Additions
  • Re-mixes to Abyssal Sphere battle music tracks
Miscellaneous
  • Leaderboard improvements to now scroll in pages and not 1 by 1 as it did before
  • Performance and memory allocation improvements
Accessibility
  • UI Flicker Reduction & High Readability Font Accessibility options added


[h2]Fixes[/h2]
Enemies
  • QUAKER II now has the correct health value and gives the correct amount of sword charge and score on death
  • HIVEN Power Gem absorbing has been improved
  • TURREKTS now correctly bounce off Blood Bombs
  • Blood decals now properly appear when enemies are killed by Traps
  • Ground visual effects on GHASTS & Boss have been fixed
  • Abyssal Sphere subtitles behavior has been fixed when observed during Hyper Drive
  • Fixed Abyssal Sphere dialogue on death
Player
  • Addressed situation where Player could Wrath Absorb during any sword attack
  • Timescale has been fixed when performing Hyper Drives
  • Player visual effects now correctly scale at the right simulation speed if there were timescale changes during any specific effects
Abyssal Layer
  • Game time now correctly pauses during the bridge sequence
Scoring
  • Requirements for achieving individual Abyssal Layer ranks has been addressed
Equipment
  • Scenario fixed where certain Heavy Weapons projectiles were missing enemies when shot at point-blank range
  • Fixed an issue where JUDGECANNON’s wrath projectiles were exploding immediately upon performing a Wrath Burst next to a wall or Gyro Blade
  • ARCHBLIGHT’s Wrath Burst explosion no longer fires off multiple times
General UI
  • Fixed issue where Goals UI was not syncing with actual data after a checkpoint reset
  • Fix for missing input definitions for mouse/keyboard bindings
  • Addressed left & right stick press input sprites that were getting mixed up on rebinds
  • “New Best” UI animation fixes
Audio & Music
  • REFLECTION music no longer cancels out randomly
  • Boss music track now loops correctly
  • Addressed Execution tutorial where some QUAKER I sounds were not playing
  • Drop-downs were not playing the select sound when clicking with the mouse
  • Teleport sound no longer doubles up when going from the bridge to the Boss
Achievements
  • “Kill X Demons” Achievements no longer increment multiple times per kill
  • Achievements for completing all Abyssal Layers at a higher difficulty now unlock for lower difficulties or mixed difficulties
  • Beating all Abyssal Layers on a higher difficulty unlocks the Achievement on all lower difficulties (e.g. Knight completion should unlock Acolyte and Regret completion).
  • Beating all Abyssal Layers on mixed difficulties unlocks lower difficulty Achievements (e.g. Levels 1-3 on Acolyte then, Levels 4-5 on Regret, should unlock Regret all Abyssal Layers completion).
Leaderboards
  • Leaderboard entries now correctly load on the overview section
  • Fixed an issue that broke end of level Leaderboards
  • Fixed rapidly changing Leaderboards not showing correct data
  • Addressed font issues on Leaderboards when swapping back and forth between accessible & normal fonts
Miscellaneous
  • Fixed a crash that occurred when closing the game upon just finishing a run
  • Updated localization strings in several areas: Network Error, DIVINATION, Movement Key Rebinds, Sword Attack & Sword Surge Rebinds
  • Traditional Chinese localization fixes
  • Language drop-down missing character box text
  • Setting screen keyboard controls navigation has been fixed
  • Fixed an issue where game would lock on start sometimes
  • Mortars no longer Z-Fight
  • Fixed a disconnect popup that was hidden during splash screen and was causing bad input behavior
  • Accessibility font is now only available for non-fallback font locales
  • Fixed issue where resolution would revert when in windowed mode
  • Other miscellaneous fixes


[h2]Known Major Issues[/h2]
  • We have made some improvements to try and address a black screen bug players were getting but if this still occurs, please let us know!
  • We have also made some Player movement input fixes. If you come across any issue with movement, please let us know as well!


—————

KILL KNIGHT is available on Steam now - and is now fully optimised for Steam Deck compatibility.

Social Links:

Discord
X/Twitter: @KILLKNIGHTGame
TikTok: @KILLKNIGHTGame
YouTube: @PlaySideStudiosOfficial
Instagram: @PlaySideStudios
Facebook: @PlaySideStudios

Find out more about PlaySide Studios on their official website

A message from our Lead Game Designer

Hello!

Sean here, Lead Game Designer on KILL KNIGHT.

Let me start by giving a huge thank you to all the real knights and gamers out there who have played our little game and been a part of our community - whether we reeled you in with a trailer, you were a Demo OG, or have joined in the last few days. Thank you so much for playing!

When we started making KILL KNIGHT we were driven by a singular vision: Make a game for gamers, and make it fun as hell. We also set out to make something timeless, something players can always come back to, let off some steam with, and constantly improve at. Over the course of development though, something happened. We didn't just "find the fun", we fell completely in love what we were making and pushed ourselves to do everything we could with it. I hope you see this reflected in every pixel of the game. The deep combat mechanics, the immersive and evocative environments, the alien-arcade-machine menu screens, and of course the powerful and rewarding soundscape. I certainly do.

Developing successful videogames has never been more challenging. Gamers have limitless options to choose from and massive backlogs to get to. We demand that our time is respected and our efforts are rewarded. We want games that push the envelope and show us something bold and new. Reading through your feedback and reviews has let us know our efforts weren't in vain.

You are loving KILL KNIGHT as much as we have and we can't wait to continue making more games for you.

On behalf of the team and I, THANK YOU for playing and sharing your valuable time with us, we really do appreciate it.

See you down in the Abyssal Keep...

[h3]If you have been enjoying our game, it would really mean so much to our dev team if you could please leave a review! [/h3]


From L to R: Ben QA, Sean Lead Game Designer, Kill Knight, Ryan GM for PC/Console, at Federation Square in our local city of Melbourne! 🇦🇺

—————

KILL KNIGHT is available on Steam now - and is now fully optimised for Steam Deck compatibility.

Social Links:

Discord
X/Twitter: @KILLKNIGHTGame
TikTok: @KILLKNIGHTGame
YouTube: @PlaySideStudiosOfficial
Instagram: @PlaySideStudios
Facebook: @PlaySideStudios

Find out more about PlaySide Studios on their official website

KILL KNIGHT IS OUT NOW

Knights,

Your time has come to descend the brutal depths of the Abyssal Keep.

KILL KNIGHT is out now, and your challenge begins.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Thank you for joining us on this journey.

The Abyss awaits, Knight.
Embrace the carnage.

The KILL KNIGHT Team

—————

KILL KNIGHT is available on Steam now - and is now fully optimised for Steam Deck compatibility.

Social Links:

Discord
X/Twitter: @KILLKNIGHTGame
TikTok: @KILLKNIGHTGame
YouTube: @PlaySideStudiosOfficial
Instagram: @PlaySideStudios
Facebook: @PlaySideStudios

Find out more about PlaySide Studios on their official website

KILL KNIGHT Launch Day Stream with Devs and Crayator

To celebrate the launch of KILL KNIGHT, we are joined by Alex our Community Manager, Ricky our Producer, and special guest Crayator. Our resident QA legend, Ben, will also be jumping on to show us how it's done!

Thurs 3 Oct 11AM AEST // Wed 2 OCT 6PM PDT, click here for your local time zone.

[h3] Have a question you want to ask the team? [/h3]
Drop your questions in our Discord #submit-questions channel now!

See you in the otherworld…

The KILL KNIGHT Team

—————

KILL KNIGHT is available to Wishlist on Steam now!

Discord
X/Twitter: @KILLKNIGHTGame
TikTok: @KILLKNIGHTGame
YouTube: @PlaySideStudiosOfficial
Instagram: @PlaySideStudios
Facebook: @PlaySideStudios

Find out more about PlaySide Studios on their official website

KILL KNIGHT Dev Diary #5 - “Five Eldritch Layers”

Knights,

Work continues on Kill Knight’s October 3rd release. Until then, we have extracted some more demonic intel from the Abyssal Keep! This time we dive into the Environments and Layers you will descend through underneath Hell itself…

[Spoilers ahead for every Layer in Kill Knight! Proceed if you dare!]


[h3]Layer 1: Solitude[/h3]


The descent into the Abyss begins with Layer 1: Solitude, a stark, foreboding introduction to the Kill Knight’s journey. This layer is marked by a haunting blend of purples, blues, and deep reds that bleed into a background of endless pink abyssal spires. The environment itself feels both alien and familiar, evoking a brutalist aesthetic mixed with medieval undertones. Massive, blocky structures loom over the player, reminiscent of ancient fortresses, their hard, angular forms contrasting sharply with the infinite void surrounding them. The architecture reflects the Kill Knight's own isolation, as each brutalist block is a reminder of the heavy burdens and loneliness he carries into this demon-infested world.


On a deeper level, Layer 1: Solitude isn’t just a physical space, but an embodiment of the Kill Knight's emotional state. As the closest layer to the earthly realm, it touches on the last remnants of his connection to the world he once knew. Yet, here, he feels truly abandoned. The vast, oppressive silence, interrupted only by the distant, eerie wails of unseen demons, accentuates his sense of solitude. The labyrinthine structures shift and twist in the distance, symbolizing the disorienting nature of his mission, where even the ground beneath him can't be trusted. This opening layer sets the tone for the psychological journey ahead, where the Kill Knight must face not only external enemies but the crushing weight of his own isolation.


[h3]Layer 2: Entanglement[/h3]


As the Kill Knight descends deeper, Layer 2: Entanglement thrusts him into a more insidious and suffocating environment. The palette shifts to unsettling greens, blacks, and greys, while the background burns with ominous hues of orange and red, suggesting a hellish undercurrent that creeps ever closer. The once rigid structures of Solitude dissolve into something more organic and sinister - thorny tendrils and veins weave through the space like the arteries of the Abyss itself, forming a twisted, living labyrinth. This layer's insect hive aesthetic adds to the sense of entrapment, with sprawling organic growths and bulbous chambers creating a claustrophobic, almost suffocating atmosphere. The architecture seems to breathe and pulse with life, furthering the Kill Knight's disorientation.


Psychologically, Layer 2: Entanglement represents the next phase in the Kill Knight’s descent - a deepening of his connection to the Abyss, as it begins to trap him both physically and mentally. The thorns and tendrils signify not just the physical dangers he faces, but the growing sense of entrapment within his mind, as the abyssal keep entangles him in a prison with no visible escape. This layer also introduces traps that lie hidden within the environment, reflecting how the Kill Knight is ensnared by the Abyss at every turn. It’s no longer just a fight for survival - now, it’s a struggle against being consumed, with each step forward pulling him deeper into this inescapable nightmare.


[h3]Layer 3: Viscera[/h3]

Layer 3: Viscera drags the Kill Knight into the grotesque heart of the Abyss, where the environment becomes disturbingly organic, a landscape carved from the flesh of dead things. Bloody reds and dark purples dominate the visual space, as brain-like textures pulse and twitch beneath the player’s feet. The background is a nightmarish sea of deep reds and blacks, littered with corrupted spines and bones that jut out like the remains of long-dead, colossal creatures. The walls seem to breathe, their surfaces wet and raw, as if the Kill Knight has plunged into the very viscera of the Abyss itself. It’s a repulsive, visceral experience where the player isn’t just moving through a world - they are crawling through the guts of a dying, yet living, realm.


On a deeper level, Layer 3: Viscera is where the Abyss begins to truly consume the Kill Knight, both physically and psychologically. As he journeys through the beating heart and twisting brain matter of this hellish domain, he too is becoming twisted, his resolve broken, and his identity laid bare. The grotesque gore reflects his inner turmoil - raw, exposed, and decaying under the relentless assault of the demons and the very space around him. This is the moment in the Kill Knight’s journey where he is most vulnerable, where the line between warrior and victim blurs, and the Abyss begins to break him down to his very core. It’s a place of transformation, where the character is destroyed and reborn, scarred by the visceral horrors of this layer.


[h3]Layer 4: Echelon[/h3]

Layer 4: Echelon presents a stark, haunting vision of regality within the Abyss. The environment is drenched in monochromatic whites, greys, and blacks, evoking a sense of cold, austere beauty. Glass shards and spires rise from the fog, forming jagged, angular shapes that pierce the landscape like ancient monuments left behind by a forgotten demonic civilization. The silver-tinted staircases twist and fracture into the void, creating a world that is both shattered and eerily pristine. This layer exudes a sense of eerie calm, where the destruction and chaos of previous layers give way to an unsettling quiet - almost as if the Abyss itself is holding its breath before the final descent.


More than just a physical space, Echelon is the most sentient of the Abyssal layers, radiating a demonic sense of royalty. Here, the Kill Knight is confronted not with mindless death, but with a more refined, terrifying intelligence. This layer stands as an entranceway to the final depths of the Abyss, and like its namesake, Echelon suggests a hierarchy - an unsettling revelation that there is a calculated order behind the demonic chaos. These creatures are not mere death machines; they possess their own twisted form of regality, their domain a kingdom of darkness. For the Kill Knight, this layer forces a reckoning with the true nature of his enemies, revealing that he is not just fighting monsters, but beings with a cruel, sentient purpose that may reflect his own darkening transformation.


[h3]Layer 5: Reflection[/h3]

Layer 5: Reflection is the culmination of the Kill Knight’s descent into the Abyss, a space where reality itself bends under the weight of demonic power and angelic corruption. The colors shift to brass, bronze, and dull greens, evoking a tarnished grandeur, as if the space is dripping with the sweat of millennia-old battles between celestial and infernal forces. Warped faces twist and dissolve in the green void that stretches infinitely in the background, casting grotesque visages of those lost to the Abyss. The environment pulses and throbs, a mental landscape where the boundaries between the physical and psychological collapse, leaving a world where anything - no matter how impossible or insane - can manifest. This layer feels like a demonic mirror, reflecting the deepest fears, memories, and questions the Kill Knight has carried with him.


At its core, Reflection is not just the final layer of the Abyss, but the final trial of the Kill Knight’s journey. Here, only the most powerful demons dwell, and their presence forces the Kill Knight to confront the ultimate question: is humanity still worth saving? Ruled by the enigmatic Last Angel, this place represents the epitome of divine and demonic conflict, a battleground for the soul. The Kill Knight must look back on his journey, his past, and the choices that brought him to this shattered, mind-bending realm. As the power of the Last Angel reaches its peak, Reflection offers no clear answers, only the raw truth of the Abyss - the Kill Knight’s reflection of his own purpose, his sanity, and his future. This is where his fate will be sealed, whether as a saviour or a fallen warrior consumed by the very darkness he fought to overcome.




We hope you enjoyed this insight through the depths of the Abyssal Keep!

See you in the otherworld…

The KILL KNIGHT Team

—————

KILL KNIGHT is available to Wishlist on Steam now!

Discord
X/Twitter: @KILLKNIGHTGame
TikTok: @KILLKNIGHTGame
YouTube: @PlaySideStudiosOfficial
Instagram: @PlaySideStudios
Facebook: @PlaySideStudios

Find out more about PlaySide Studios on their official website