End of Abyss started as a top-down shooter. Ahead of its October 1 launch, Section 9 Interactive co-founder Marcus Ottvall has explained why the team slowed it down and leaned into exploration, action horror and an uneasy underground setting. That shift says more about the finished game than another list of platforms or pre-order details.
In a September 30 post on Xbox Wire, Ottvall describes a long route from prototype to release. Early builds already had some basic movement and equipment, destructible enemies and small levels. What they lacked, he says, was a clear visual identity. As the studio became more interested in tension and exploring a connected place, the shooter concept changed shape.
“a slower, more dynamic and atmospheric experience”
That is Ottvall’s description of the direction the game took, not a claim that combat disappeared. Cel still has to fight and improve her gear. The difference is that the studio now sees the world around those fights as part of the point.
Why make a horror game from above?
The team was drawn to what Ottvall calls a top-down metroidvania with action-horror elements. That combination matters because the camera can show the shape of a room while still leaving its deeper corners threatening. The official game description promises branching paths, a Scanner for hidden areas and tools that make old routes worth revisiting. Section 9 has not claimed that every corridor is open at once; the appeal is in learning what is connected and returning with new options.
For its visual mood, the studio looked back to films, games, comics and anime from the 1980s and 1990s. Ottvall recalls the rough, handmade effects of that era and says the team wanted the facility to feel worn down and slightly awkward. It still needed to be its own world, so the artists balanced realism with stylized scale and shapes. These screenshots show the result, not the early prototype; the team has not published a direct before-and-after comparison in this update.
How did the creatures take shape?
Section 9 began with what an enemy should do in play, then looked for a creature design that made that behavior legible. Ottvall says fast sketches, animation mockups and Unreal prototypes helped the team test enemies and bosses. Some draw on familiar game ideas, while others started from more original concepts. In either case, the goal was for a monster to belong to a place that has been decaying deep underground, rather than feel dropped into a combat arena.
That design account is a useful way to read the trailer and stills: the red-lit fight and silent corridors are two parts of the same game. It does not tell us how the pacing feels over a full playthrough, and it is not a review. The official PlayStation reveal trailer gives a moving look at the current style, while Section 9’s own site carries the release details.
When is End of Abyss out?
Section 9 lists October 1, 2026, for PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC via the Epic Games Store. The Xbox Wire post specifically confirms the Xbox launch. The new detail today is the creative route behind the game: the team kept its combat technician and underground setting, but made discovery and discomfort as important to the pitch as shooting.
