Scorn News

Hey everyone,

A lot happened last month, from debuting our new gameplay trailer to showcasing our narrated walkthrough featuring Doug Bradley. Perhaps most exciting, we officially announced that Scorn is launching on October 21st this year! This edition of The Pulse is a great opportunity to answer questions we’ve seen come up. We’ll also cover how development has progressed and what we’re currently working on.



With great attention to detail, we've focused on building a unique world smothered in a dreaded atmosphere of suffering and despair. After so much time and effort, seeing the community’s widespread excitement has meant a lot to the team.

One of my favourite things as the community manager is reading through all the incredibly nuanced fan theories about what’s happening within Scorn. Perhaps just as exciting are when we share clues just to see who catches the subtle hints.

We've always been intentionally cryptic when discussing the game, and that's because Scorn's atmospheric horror adventure has been crafted with self-reflection and exploration at its core. We can't wait for players to share their understanding and interpretation of the story woven throughout the world.



We’ve received some recurring questions over the last few weeks, so while this FAQ is not exhaustive, we hope it at least clears up a few things.

Can you provide more details on the digital art book and OST?
As mentioned in June, both the original soundtrack and the digital art book will be available separately across Steam and the Epic Games Store. The OST contains ~2 hours of Scorn’s mesmerising soundscape, with tracks composed by both Aethek and Lustmord. To give you a small taste of what’s to come, we’ve included one of the tracks for you to listen to here:

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
The 192-page digital art book peels back the layers of the beautifully grotesque universe of Scorn by showcasing concepts, designs, weapons, creatures, and more. Feast your eyes on some of the pages from the art book below:



I backed the game. When can I expect to receive my incentives?
Once we have confirmation on things such as shipping dates, we’ll let the community know through an announcement here. We’ll honour all backer incentives, but most of these will be closer to launch. I anticipate access to the full game directly on launch (October 21st), but we’ll update you with the specifics as soon as possible. Be sure to keep an eye on the email address you used when backing the game.

Will a hardcover version of the art book be available to purchase?
Yes! The hardcover version contains all the same content found within the 192-page digital book, just in physical form. It’s available for pre-order on Amazon and will begin shipping this December.



Is there any updated information on the OST vinyl?
For those who backed the game, we’re currently working on manufacturing the vinyl with a partner. As mentioned in January, we’re investigating options for distributing the vinyl outside of the Kickstarter incentives and will have more information closer to launch.

How long will a full playthrough take?
The world spans a variety of different environments across various levels. Play times, of course, can vary depending on how long it takes someone to progress through the puzzles, but we estimate it’ll take 6 to 8 hours to complete the game.

What specs are required to run the game at 4K 60FPS?
Please bear in mind this depends on the parameters/settings that you select, but here are our recommended specs:

• OS: Windows 10/11
  
• Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 3600／Intel Core i7-8700
  
• Memory: 16 GB RAM
  
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 (8 GB)
  
• DirectX: Version 12
  
• Storage: 50 GB available space
  
• Additional Notes: SSD (Solid State Drive)
  

Keep an eye on our Steam store page closer to launch for any updates to the recommended specs!

Will there be a photo mode built into the game?
No, however, our focus is on maximising the immersion players will experience, so our UI design is relatively minimal.

I love the original concepts and designs from the 2014 alpha. Were they completely scrapped, or are they still somewhere in the game?
These original concepts and designs certainly helped form the core pillars of Scorn. Since then, they have been revamped, upgraded, and improved to better reflect the kind of quality we envision for the game’s release in October.



Would you say Scorn is a AAA game?
Not at all; it’s an independent production and a passion project! Although we started with just 4 people and a very small budget, we’ve since grown into what you could consider a AA project.



These past few weeks have been exceptionally busy, from completing our most recent milestones to announcing our official launch date. Even so, the team continues to work hard to ensure we stay on track for bringing our vision for Scorn to life. For some more insight into what’s been completed and what we’re focused on next, here’s our latest development update from Ebb Software’s CEO and Creative Director, Ljubomir Peklar:

We’re reaching the final phases of making the game, which also means submitting it to our platform partners to ensure everything is going smoothly across all platforms before release. The team is also focusing more on fleshing out the finer details of the game, including several scenes and scripted moments. As we continue to wrap these up, we’ll have more exciting content to share after Gamescom and leading up to the launch.

This October, we hope to share an unforgettable experience that will speak to horror fans worldwide through stunning visuals, engaging gameplay, and immersive sound design. As always, thank you for reading, and follow our Facebook or Twitter for additional updates and behind-the-scenes content.

If you stick your hand in the bone trunk, you deserve what you get. That's my new motto, after watching the latest trailer for the first-person Giger-esque horror game Scorn. This trailer has the same world of bone and flesh as all those before it, but with the added twist of a release date: this October.

Read more

The new Scorn trailer from today's PC Gaming Show is narrated by none other than Doug Bradley, Pinhead from Hellraiser, which signals very clearly what Scorn is about. The trailer paints a dark and sinister environment designed to be deeply unsettling: We get a glimpse of the main character waking up in "an industrial civilization now lying in decay and ruin," along with the character interacting with gnarly biomechanical devices that do a great job of making your skin crawl...
Read more.

A new gameplay trailer for Scorn was shown off at the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase, confirming a release date of October 21.

We've known for a little while now that the very, unexplainably gruesome Scorn was coming out in October, but this latest trailer has set a specific date in stone. It was originally meant to launch in 2021, but got pushed back, as many games do.

The H.R. Geiger influences are as clear as ever in this newest trailer, showing the player character pulling out... something, from their body. This is followed up with plenty of first-person, fleshy action, with the player character again pulling things out of themselves and pointing things at amorphous creatures.

Read more

Hey everyone,

Over the past few months, there have been several questions from the community regarding weapons, so we wanted to dive into this much-requested topic. In this update, we'll highlight some of the intricacies of taking these weapons from concept to completion, discuss some underlying themes within Scorn and explain what role weapons play in the game. We also have an update on our development progress and priorities as we prepare for launch this October!



Weapons often play a critical role in survival horror, but one that is drastically different from that of a shooter. The feelings of security and confidence from wielding a weapon can be shattered instantly when ammo runs out or something jams unexpectedly. Scarcity of ammunition or restrictive inventory space can significantly impact short-term decisions regarding fight or flight. These interactions change the way you, as a player, feel about your environment and can help to invoke feelings of tension or discomfort.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Although there is shooting within the game, Scorn is by no means a shooter. The weapons provide more player agency, adding an extra layer through which you can engage with the world around you.



To learn more about the weapons of Scorn, we're going straight to the source with our Creative Director and CEO, Ljubomir Peklar. From concept to completion, Ljubomir oversees every step of the process, ensuring weapons are incorporated in a way that is consistent with the overall vision of Scorn.

Can you tell us about the process for designing the weapons?

As with all our in-game elements, the design process begins with a concept. We consider how technology functions in Scorn and how that can be applied to weapons. After discussing what I want to accomplish with our Concept Artist, we’ll settle on a drawing that visually represents this.



Once the concept is finalised, our 3D team creates a basic model to see how it looks from a first-person perspective with some basic animation rigging. From here, we make adjustments until it accurately reflects our initial concept. The next and most detailed part of the process is the high-poly modelling. Once completed, the model is passed on to the animation and VFX teams to bring the asset's final version to life.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

After reviewing the final design with them, one of the first things we do is test it out in our in-game environments against the different enemies. Testing here is critical to ensure everything works the way we intend. We often will have a lot of back and forth at this stage to make sure it's right.

What kind of weapons are there and what role do they play in the game?

The weapons found in Scorn are mostly there as optional tools for progression. Humans have a strange relationship with their tools, especially weapons. How a player or character's behaviour changes when they obtain a weapon is an interesting underlying theme that I've kept in mind during development.

The weapons are relatively standard in terms of functionality, but this was an intentional element of their design. Adding recognisable gun types into the game, such as a pistol, shotgun, or grenade launcher (shown below), can influence how players perceive them and, ultimately, how they are used. It's always a delicate balancing act between the strange and familiar.



The first weapon players will encounter is perhaps the most important one. While it's the only melee weapon we have, it also doubles as a tool to interact with various mechanisms found throughout the game.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Was there anything particularly challenging about designing the weapons?

I would say the weapons' functional aspects were the most complex in terms of design and certainly more challenging than just coming up with the different shapes, forms, or ideas. I always knew how I wanted them to look, but their design was approached in a very practical way. For example, figuring out how much ammunition should it hold, how it functions and where it goes. Once we settled on the basics, we then had to mould it into something usable for the player in a way that makes sense to the flow of the game.

At some point, once you have a basic visual design, you just have to focus on making it practical enough to work inside the game. In movies, for example, you could perhaps go overboard in design and function because it doesn't have to work from point to point and with every interaction. With a game, when you add in a player's autonomy and their ability to decide when and where to use it, you have to design for an added layer of complexity.

Why is ammo a limited resource?

Like most things, it's all about finding a careful balance. Scorn is an experience with horror at its core, so limiting ammo is a simple way to ensure the player doesn't become overpowered. Too much ammo and the experience would feel more like an action game. Likewise, the experience becomes far more one-dimensional and less interesting with too little ammo or none at all.

Do you have a favourite weapon, and if so, why?

The initial tool you receive is definitely the most interesting for me because it has many elements to it. Although it can be used as an effective weapon, it must be done at close range. Use it for too long, and the tool can overheat.

From a development perspective, I also enjoyed the challenge of simply making it work. There was a lot of trial and error, with the initial design going through many iterations. I'm especially pleased with how it turned out, so it was definitely worth it.



We've been asked a lot this month if we're still on track for our October launch, and we are! The teams are working hard to ensure we stay on track. Here is the latest progress update from Ljubomir:

Over the last month, our 3D team has finalised creating all of the remaining static meshes, so production is progressing well. They aim to have everything completed in June. Animation and VFX are currently our biggest focus, and the teams are busy ironing out bugs and finalising everything. We're full steam ahead for our release in October and excited to be able to show off more of the game soon.

Thank you for taking the time to read through these updates each month. We have a lot more planned to share over the coming months as we gear up for release, so keep your eyes peeled for more exciting news. Remember to follow us on our official social channels on Facebook or Twitter for additional updates and behind-the-scenes content.