Nomadic Games’ wuxia hack-and-slash arrives with five handcrafted stages, five bosses, two secret bosses and new stages, bosses, and worldbuilding dropping every eight weeks until launch.
Bangkok, Thailand (October 20, 2026) | Today, Nomadic Games and Rising Tide Publishing announced that Burning Sword: Death Sun, the wuxia hack and slash made in Bangkok, launches into Early Access on Steam on November 17, 2026.
Early Access opens with five distinct, handcrafted stages on Zhang Yixian’s road to Gao Tianqi, five bosses to beat and two secret bosses for the players who go looking.
The free demo released on September 30 stays up through launch, and we’ve listened carefully to player feedback. Every stage is linear and built by hand, with no procedural or randomized layouts, and every one is packed with secrets to find and upgrades to unlock. It’s a bespoke action adventure, designed with replayability in mind.
You play Zhang Yixian, leader of the Crimson Dust Demon Sect, back from the edge of death with one name left on his list: Gao Tianqi, master of the Death Sun poison and the most powerful man in the martial world. Every master standing between them has to be cut down first.
What’s in Early Access
- Five stages: distinct, handcrafted and packed with secrets.
- Five main bosses and two secret bosses: see if you can find them…
- Replayability: secrets, upgrades and unlocks that make every run worth another.
- The Burning Sword: land hits, fill the Power Gauge, Ignite, and every strike hits harder.
- Quick Shot: a ranged attack with three ammo types to swap on the fly.
- Qi Drain: take Qi from enemies marked with red meridian lines.
- Three skills in hand: carry three and switch between them mid-combo.
- Charms: found only in the stages. Pick a passive three times to keep it.
- Skill branches: beat a boss and a new branch opens.
- Revive: unlockable, and it costs one equipped skill.
- Arena Mode: endless, arcade-style combat built around score.
“Combat is the heart of Burning Sword. We want players to feel that moment when a fight that once seemed impossible finally clicks, and they realize they’re the ones who got better. It was the team’s infinite patience and the thousands and thousands of players and their feedback that sharpened that experience to a fine edge.”
Nook, Founder, Nomadic Games
After November 17
The full game runs five chapters across twelve handcrafted stages, with nine named bosses including Gao Tianqi, two secret bosses and many elite minibosses between them, all being polished now. Early Access opens the road, and more stages, bosses and skills arrive through regular updates, each with a devlog on Steam. A roadmap follows once Early Access is live, with new chapters being dropped every eight weeks packed with new stages, bosses, narrative progress, skill variety, arena challenges, and more. Gameplay refinement and tweaks weekly (possibly daily sometimes, when we’re on fire).
About Burning Sword: Death Sun
Burning Sword: Death Sun is a wuxia hack and slash built in Unreal Engine 5 by Nomadic Games in Bangkok. The martial sects have carved up the kingdom and the masters kill anyone in their way. It’s a revenge story told through swordplay, palm strikes and Qi, and the blade catches fire once you earn it.
About Nomadic Games
Nomadic Games is an independent studio in Bangkok, founded in 2020 to put gameplay at the core of every adventure. The word “nomadic” felt like freedom to the team, and that freedom is the point: follow their own path and make something unique. With Burning Sword: Death Sun, they’re out to build a top-tier martial arts game with deep, distinct systems.
About Rising Tide
We champion games with sincerity. Developers with a peculiar and singular vision. Based in Thailand, bringing Southeast Asia’s finest indie experiences to the world.
