Action roguelikes are not typically a go-to game genre for cooperative experiences, but this new adventure from Canadian developer Thunder Lotus (whom you may recognize as the developers behind indie hits like Spiritfarer, Sundered, and Jotun) is changing the landscape in what is normally a lonely trudge through hell. 33 Immortals is available now in Game Preview exclusively on Xbox and the Epic Games Store, and is available to pick up and play with your besties via Xbox Game Pass.
Inspired by the 14th century epic poem The Divine Comedy written by Dante Alighieri, 33 Immortals puts you in the shoes of a damned soul who has faced God’s final judgment and been cast into the Beyond. Not content to just settle into an eternity of torment, your soul decides to join an uprising with other damned souls in a raid that will lead to the pearly gates and possibly even a fight against God, himself.
Like Dante’s own ascent through Hell and Purgatory in The Divine Comedy, 33 Immortals sets players on an epic journey with a 33-player team that will need to work together to overcome the demons standing in your path to Paradise.
While based upon Alighieri’s literary works, the pages of 33 Immortals still remain to be written. The game is currently in Game Preview, and players who wrangle together a group to jump into a raid will find that only some of the game is available to explore at this time. 33 Immortals' art style and embrace of roguelike gameplay elements is reminiscent of Supergiant Games’ roguelike hit, Hades, blended with 14th-century poetry and MMO-style raids.
Whether you are diving in with 32 of your besties or picking up some damned random souls (who are just friends we haven’t met yet) for a raid, you’ll want to think about your soul’s equipment and perks before starting your rebellion. Playing alone is an option, but communication and cooperation are the keys to success on your journey, and it's easier if you’ve at least got one or two buddies to coordinate with before you hit the road.
While building up your arsenal with your group, you’ll interact with characters directly inspired by Alighieri’s work — including Virgil, Beatrice, and even Dante himself. These characters can be found in the player hub known as the Dark Woods and serve as guides through the Beyond, where you can level up your soul by exchanging various points and valuables for perks and other rewards. In true Roguelike fashion, the more you unlock and level up between runs, the better your next rebellious effort will ultimately go.
The Dark Woods allows players a place to choose their equipment, gather with friends and other players, and collect rewards for completing daily challenges before setting out on their journey to immortality.
Once you’re properly equipped, you and your rebellion will pass through the Eternal Gate into the bowels of the Beyond to clear dungeons full of enemies. The world map is full of plenty of things to explore, and players can find upgrade chests, altars, and breakables marked with question marks. Various altars can allow players to spend the resources they acquire from taking out enemies and opening chests to level up and obtain keys before breaking off with a smaller team to take on a Torture Chamber.
Should you and your group survive the chamber, they can receive one chest for free. A previously obtained key can also be used to open a second chest for even more rewards. As players grow stronger, they progress through the world and face increasingly difficult hordes in Torture Chambers and Ascension Battles, eventually facing terrifyingly massive bosses in true MMO raid fashion.
Thunder Lotus has committed to building 33 Immortals with the help of its community, focusing on player feedback to help shape the game’s future. A roadmap of improvements and new features for future updates has already been revealed, and players can look forward to new accessibility features like controller rebinding along with updated UI, balancing, and visual effects.
In early access, 33 Immortals offers two worlds to explore in the Beyond, with plans for Paridiso to be added as a new world in Fall 2025. New bosses, the ability to decorate The Dark Woods, and private sessions with just your favorite damned immortals can all be looked forward to in the future.
33 Immortals from Thunder Lotus is available now and is currently exclusive to the Xbox console. The game supports Xbox’s Play Anywhere initiative for cross-platform entitlements between Xbox and PC, so purchasing the game once on either platform also grants you access on the other with support for cross-saves, as well. Players with an Xbox Game Pass subscription can take up arms against the final judgment and fight for their own immortality as part of their subscription plan.
For more, check out our 33 Immortals preview.
