Iratus: Lord of the Dead News

Hello, necromancers!

Today Iratus: Lord of the Dead turns four 🎉

Birthdays are usually the time when we turn our inner gaze backwards. We decided to turn our gaze to one of the studio's veterans: Alexander, The Art Director. 

We asked him what he thinks about Iratus four years after its release:

[h2]Inspiration and Ideas[/h2]

A: The overarching conceptual reference is Darkest Dungeon, but we didn't reference it directly. Our emphasis was on classic dark fantasy, intersecting in some ways with the Diablo game series or Grimdark in the spirit of the Warhammer universe. We also wanted to give the visual direction some charm of originality, reminiscent of games from the early 2000s.

[h2]Favorite Features[/h2]

A: Of course, the ability to play as the villain is imbued with the charisma of Stephan Weyte's voice, who once voiced my favourite hero from my youth — Caleb from the game Blood. Overall, the sound design of Iratus, in my opinion, turned out well. Besides overseeing the sound design, I also managed to create a small part of the sound content myself and voice several characters.

[h2]Community Feedback[/h2]

A: The early access period allowed us to improve many aspects of the game, for which we are immensely grateful to the responsive community. Perhaps most memorable were the first streams by players; it was extremely interesting to see the project from the outside, and it was then that the realization came that the game fulfils its purpose — entertaining people (sometimes through the sorrow of defeat).

[h2]Personal Bright Memory[/h2]

A: The release is something that both developers and players eagerly await. Game development is mostly a long, monotonous routine, and there are long stages of implementation behind any playful creativity. Releasing a finished and functioning game is a huge satisfaction.


Thank you for all these years full of support, original content and passionate reviews!

2023 was a pivotal year for Unfrozen. We've done a lot — and you'll start seeing the results next year.

ːiratus_medallionː Growth and Expansion
This year, we welcomed more talented professionals to the studio. That makes us 50+ strong now, working remotely from all over the world — a far cry from the small indie team we started as!

More people means more hands to create bigger and more ambitious games, as well as more expertise to ensure their quality. We mentioned already that we have two projects in the works — and one of them boasts a significantly larger scope than Iratus. Which means more awesome games for you!

ːsteamthumbsupː Big, Big Publisher
In a game-changing move, we signed a partnership deal with a world-famous publisher — it opens up incredible opportunities for us (and you — as, once again, it leads to more gaming awesomeness). Can't wait to announce the details next year!

For now, the takeaway is that this is another way to ensure bigger, more interesting, and more polished titles... and maybe a return to something familiar.

ːfaithful_heartː You
We were overwhelmed by the support you've shown us when we broke our radio silence. Thank you! Games don't exist without their audience, and our main mission is and always has been to entertain you, challenge you, create worlds and systems for you — and nothing is more encouraging than your comments and support.

Expect exciting news from us next year — lots of them.

Happy Holidays!

Get ready for an exceptional deal!

This exclusive bundle offers you two incredible turn-based strategy games: Iratus: Lord of the Dead and Inkulinati.

Grab them with a massive 64% discount, available only until November 21st.

Greetings, dear necromancers!

Iratus is not just about mechanics. Over the years, we were amazed how some of you scrutinized the lore behind the game, developing theories, sharing ideas, thinking about characters, and making guesses about the world's structure and history.

We want to introduce you to one of the most dedicated fans and content creators of Iratus: Meet Fableheim! Fableheim has been making videos about Iratus almost since its release. During this time, he accumulated a lot of questions about the game’s lore, and we decided to select some of them and lift the veil of secrecy — especially since we are now developing the lore deeper in preparation for the expansion of the Iratus universe.

Hope this gives you even more food for thought and theories. Enjoy — and be sure to subscribe to Fableheim if you like theorycrafting!

The Stranger and Fate
1. The Stranger that opposes Iratus is shrouded in mystery, is there anything you can reveal about his identity or if we will meet him again?
   
   He is an extremely important figure. We will explore his role further in the next game. Let’s just say some theories we like are not spot-on, but there is certain merit to them.
   
   But, to be clear, we don’t want to give a direct and straightforward answer about the Stranger — we feel that the shroud of mystery makes him both a more compelling character… and more effective in-universe. He wouldn’t want us to dispel his incognito, and we’re not brave enough to go against him.
   
   
2. After breaking through the first five floors, The Stranger explains that Iratus' fate was already woven, as if someone or something had set in motion the events of the base game. Who or what determined that fate?
   
   Who or what indeed? Does Fate exist? Does Iratus act out of his own free will, is he led by destiny — or is he being manipulated, even toyed with?
   
   What would he do to such a manipulator if he ever found out?
   
   Great questions — but ones not to be answered in an interview. We wouldn’t want to spoil the answer for Iratus himself. Let’s just say any powerful man can be a powerful tool — and there are always people in the world that would try to use him as such.
   
   
   God(s)
3. Upon the construction of the Abode of Wrath, Iratus mentions he possesses the insight to petition the "bloodthirsty gods of old" directly. Are these old gods the source of Iratus' Wrath abilities or do they simply amplify the Ire within his undead heart?
   
   Absolutely not. Iratus’s power comes from within. In truth, he bows to no god — which is one more topic we intend to delve deeper into in the next game. Iratus is the ultimate Nietzschean/Promethean figure (note the flame symbolism in the art — the flame might be blue, but the idea is there). Prometheus stole fire from the gods, but he’s not a thief — he’s a rebel against higher powers who fought and suffered to make humans equal to gods.
   
   
   But Iratus can pretend to follow various rites if that suits his needs and ambitions. And in times of old, people worshiped all sorts of things, from powerful creatures to outright myths. More often than not, such rites were merely proxies to better commune with the inner darkness within their souls. But it can’t hurt to try a ritual and see if there is merit to it, can it?
   
   
4. The Light Elemental's Humanorium token mentions that it is heavenly might made manifest upon the "mortal plane". How many planes of existence are there?
   
   It’s a complicated matter. Calling it “planes of existence” is just a colloquialism to simplify the structure of the world. In these simpler terms there are three — the mortal plane, Heaven, and Hell (or Oblivion, as some call it).
   
   You could also say there are just two planes of existence: the primordial darkness — and everything else that the Shaper gave form to. Both Heaven and Hell would (curiously) belong to the latter category, since it was the Shaper who gave them their form and purpose. Heaven and Hell only exist for humans — they have no meaning for other sentient races. So would it be right to call them full-fledged “planes of existence”? Debatable.
   
   (How? Why? Who is the Shaper? We’ll dig deeper into this in the next game!)
   
   
5. When first confronting Iratus, The Stranger says "the potential for corruption lies in all life" when referencing the downfall of the once noble Grand Order. Was the Order's corruption simply due to mankind's avarice or did some unseen force influence their perversion of holy magic?
   
   Yes and no.
   
   We will delve much deeper into human nature in the next game. After all, necromancy wouldn’t be possible if all humans didn’t harbor darkness within, would it? The world of Iratus is meant to show a gray/black morality that’s classic for dark fantasy: no one really is a good guy here, and it makes you wonder if maybe Iratus, evil as he is, is actually on the “gray” part of the spectrum.
   
   But the Grand Order has its own unique history — they believe they are direct descendants of God’s personal army. Which, in their mind, gives them the unique right to shape and rule the world, which explains the arrogance… and makes them so much closer to just becoming tyrants themselves.
   
   
6. By the end of the game, Iratus had destroyed manifestations of heavenly might, an Ascended Magister with "near godlike powers", and even heroes returned in their prime by "divine will", according to the Adept's Humanorium token. Has the Lord of the Dead approached godhood himself?
   
   Again, we view Iratus as a sort of Promethean figure — an ultimate rebel against nature and God (or gods). As he achieves power, does that make him a god himself? In a certain philosophical sense, absolutely. And mastery over death can be viewed as a sort of godhood — Iratus has, after all, shed one of the most binding shackles of human nature.
   
   But it’s not the sort of godhood that automatically grants him magic powers or makes people worship him. He’ll have to work extra for that.
   
   
   Minions and Humonarium Details
   
   
   
   
   
7. Ever since the addition of the Werewolf, Iratus will occasionally say "The blade is a deadly weapon when one has an eternity to master it" upon creating a Ghoul. Is this an unused voiceline for one of his many Creations, or for a Creation that never saw the light of day?
   
   That is a reference to an old design. In the early development stages, we planned to have the ghoul be a sort of undead blademaster. A perfectionist in the arts of killing, who’s grace with the sword is at odds with its bestial appearance. Obviously, this design was scrapped but the voice line remained, likely added to the game later by mistake.
   
   
8. The Wraith's description mentions rumors that this ghostly Creation was the blueprint for the First Necromancer's vessel. Has the father of Necromancy truly perished or has he mastered Death as well?
   
   The First Necromancer is a mythological figure. Nobody knows what happened to him. Some say that he never even existed in the first place, but several ancient works penned by the same hand seem to point to the opposite.
   
   Iratus would rather view himself as the first truly successful Necromancer to ever exist. But is it true — or does his ego make him conveniently forget those who came before him? We plan to explore Iratus’s struggle with another’s greatness further down the line.
   
   
9. The Scout's humonarium token states that the Elven population has always been low, but very few seemed to participate in the attempt to thwart Iratus' return. Is the Elven population simply that few in number or is there some other reason that Elves did not answer the Grand Order's call?
   
   Both your observations are correct. Not only are elves few in number, but they also don’t like working with the Grand Order.
   
   
10. Below the Dead Lake is a being that would "invite madness" should Iratus even look upon it, is this entity one of the "ancients from the depths of the ocean" mentioned in the Doomsayer's Humanorium token?
    
    Yes, but likely not in the way that you imagine it. The dread creatures that live within the water are the mutated offspring of the Serpent. Or the mutated bits of its decaying body. Who or what is the Serpent? You guessed it — find out in the next game in the Iratus universe!
    
    
11. During Iratus' desecration of the Catacombs, the player can discover an Event learning about the Grand Order's research into both creating and curing disease. The Plague Doctor's Humanorium token mentions that the Plague Doctors were exalted due to their fight against both the "Great Plague" and the Grand Order's attempt to seize power during the chaos it caused. Was the Grand Order behind the Great Plague?
    
    There were many plagues in history, and some of them definitely were engineered by the Grand Order. But the worst plague — the mother of all plagues, so to speak — came from either the Serpent or humanity’s overall sinfulness, depending on who you ask.
    

And if you haven't had the chance to acquaint yourself with the mechanics and lore of Iratus yet, now is your opportunity to purchase the game at an 87% discount until November 6th!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/807120/Iratus_Lord_of_the_Dead/

Join us!

Hello Necromancers,

Or maybe… more than just necromancers?

You’re probably wondering why we went silent for a while. And that is because making games takes time. Since the release of Iratus, we’ve been working steadily to bring you more fun and more evil — but we want to have well-rounded projects on our hands before we announce them. Hence the lull in publicity.

And yes, you heard that right — projects. We are currently working on two games! One of them is likely what you’re expecting — the Iratus universe is expanding (but even that comes with a twist). The other is bigger, more ambitious, and might come as a surprise. It’s a PC-centered turn-based game set in a fantasy world. More news will follow.

The team has grown to more than 40 people. We are no longer that tiny yet ambitious studio that brought you Iratus — instead, we are a medium-sized yet ambitious studio!

But the fire in our eyes remains the same — and that fire spells a soon-to-come encounter with death, reanimation, darkness… and more. So stay tuned for further announcements that are hopefully coming soon!