Slave Zero X news & patch notes

We’ve added Steam Trading Cards and more goodies to Slave Zero X, and we’re celebrating with a first-ever 20% discount on Steam for a limited time! Steam Trading Cards – how do they work? We’re glad you asked!

• Play Slave Zero X on Steam to get Steam Trading Cards in your Steam Inventory.
• Each trading card comes with a wallpaper-ready 1920x1080 version of its art.
• When you’ve collected a full set of Trading Cards, craft it into a Badge.
• Craft all five badges, and the foil badge, to work your way up the ranks of the SVK-DF – from the lowly Trooper to the godlike SovKhan.
• To help complete sets of Trading Cards, individual cards and booster packs can be bought and sold in the Steam Community Market.

And it’s not just Steam Trading Cards – new Profile Backgrounds are also available, featuring art from Slave Zero X and concept art from the game’s development!

• Crafting Badges from Trading Cards gives a chance to unlock Profile Backgrounds.
• Profile Backgrounds can also be purchased from the Steam Points Shop with Steam Points.

Last but not least, new Slave Zero X Steam Emoticons, featuring art and characters from the game, are also available!

• Some of these Emoticons were created during the game’s development for use by the development and publishing teams in their Discord and Slack channels.
• Crafting Badges from Trading Cards gives a chance to unlock Steam Emoticons.
• Steam Emoticons can also be purchased from the Steam Points Shop with Steam Points.

The 20% discount on the game and its deluxe edition will last until August 30, 2024. The Trading Cards, Profile Backgrounds, and Emoticons will continue to be available after the end of the discount.

The SovKhan's Five Calamities are ruthless generals who answer only to the SovKhan. Whether in combat or purely based on their aesthetics, they demand respect...who do you respect...or fear... Hercules J. Thorman, known for his boundless capacity for brutality and a complete detachment from any sense of guilt, Thorman has relied solely on the superior technology and resources he's had at his disposal since birth. Outfitted with the MDHF-era exo-suit, Thorman’s commanding silhouette is internally outfitted with a custom biotechnical harness that prolongs life and infuses him with vigor so long as he never leaves the confines of the suit. Enyo, Beloved by the Bullet, She is cunning, sadistic, and takes pride in collecting Old World firearms and ammunition. Her loyalty to the SovKhan is temporary, as the only person she trusts is herself. Uriel, the Fire from Heaven, is the third member of the Five Calamities, the innermost circle of generals who answer only to the Sovereign Khan. His earnest, heroic, and dangerously naïve nature makes him the perfect pawn, viewing the SovKhan as his father and God. His belief is both devout and ferociously misguided, believing the SovKhan is a force of good in the world – and will do anything to stop those who would stand in his way. The Regent, also known by the pseudonym “Wuguan”, is in the innermost circle of generals who answer only to the Sovereign Khan. Having discarded his human form long ago, The Regent now exists as a mind within an artificial body, acting as a quintessential fascist that views human beings as livestock to be exploited. Lacking the fearsome combat prowess of the other generals in SovKhan’s service, The Regent’s primary assets are an unparalleled ability to manipulate the course of events in society, with a fierce willingness to devote himself wholeheartedly to this task in the service of a higher power. Atavaka, A masked and armored swordsman with a skin of polished alloys – Atavaka is the quintessential assassin. Razor sharpened to the very edge of possibility, he shears effortlessly through whatever SovKhan turns him against.

This cast really brought the world of Slave Zero X to life. Thank you again to the cast and to all of you who've played. :) Thank you to... Shou = Griffin Burns Atavaka = Jordan Reynolds Enyo = Mara Junot Ayesha = Anjali Kunapaneni General Thorman = SungWon Cho Kurikara = Ian Russell Regent(Male) = Michael Schwalbe Regent(Female) = Shelby Young Uriel = Kyle McCarley SovKhan = Jamieson Price X = Elizabeth Maxwell

This hot fix addresses a crash which could occur on stage 4-1 when playing with the Geometry Detail setting in Video Options set to 'Low'.

A new post-game SovKhan fight, even more brutal than the one in the story campaign, has been added to Slave Zero X as a free update to the game! April 11 is also the official release date of Slave Zero X in Asia, so Asian languages are now available in the Steam version of the game. The patch to version S1.04 is now live! The Steam build ID for this patch is 13988182. Included in this patch are the following updates and changes: New Content!

• SovKhan 300% boss fight is now included in the game. This bonus fight is unlocked in Level Select by a successful completion of Crimson Citadel.
• The game now includes localized text for menus in subtitles in these languages: Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean, Thai.

Stability improvements

• Fixed crashes and softlocks which could occur in Crimson Citadel.
• By popular demand, a bug allowing the player to teleport enemies into grabbed enemies with the kunai has NOT been fixed. The occasional accompanying crash has been fixed though.

Visual fixes and improvements

• Fixed an issue with the “PVM Scanlines” shader on stage 4-1.
• Jarring camera movements have been smoothed out in 5-4.
• Updated all levels to look better with the low detail lighting mode enabled.

Quality of life Improvements

• Fixed an issue where the selected ordnance cycles when leaving a menu.

Game balance changes

• Fixed an exploit where shop-based achievements could be unlocked in Crimson Citadel.

Other fixes

• The boss in 6-4 now properly counts as an encounter.
• Fixed an issue with the language reading as “English” when reentering the language menu while it is set to Hindi.
• Fixed issues with incorrect naming when unlocking certain palettes and shaders.
• Fixed a number of localization errors.
• Fixed an issue where rebinding the cancel key leaves the menu.
• Fixed an issue where the game could not be paused at the end of 5-3 under certain conditions.
• Fixed an issue where certain chronicle entries would not scroll.
• Fixed an issue where the golden trooper’s escape timer would run while the game is paused.
• Fixed numerous instances of errors with low detail geometry.
• Fixed a bug where the voice language would revert to English in level 4-5 if set to Japanese.
• Fixed a bug where taunt rebinding didn’t save
• Fixed a bug where directional recovery didn’t work after rebinding the movement keys
• Fixed a bug where it was possible to unpause while rewatching the tutorial.

We hope you enjoy these updates! For any questions or feedback, find us in the Community Hub main forum. For reporting or troubleshooting any issues you encounter in the game, please visit the Bug Reporting forum. Poppy Works and Team Ziggurat

The patch to version S1.03 is now live! The Steam build ID for this patch is 13717025. Included in this patch are the following updates and changes: Stability improvements

• A fix has been added to address a crash which could occur when pressing certain buttons simultaneously.
• A crash which could occur when using certain EX attacks in rapid succession has been fixed.
• A crash which could occur on stage 4-5 has been fixed.

Visual fixes and improvements

• Sprites which could occasionally render incorrectly have been fixed to render correctly.
• Grabbing an enemy in the air will now flip their sprite!

Game balance changes

• The parry window has been increased by 1 frame.
• The number of invulnerable frames while dodging has been increased by 1 frame.
• The hitbox of the Superheavy’s charging grab has been reduced in size; players will now be able to jump over it more consistently
• The total health of the final boss of stage 6-4 has been reduced by 15%.

Quality of life Improvements

• Menus can now be exited with the ‘Cancel’ button.
• The Tutorial can now be accessed from the game’s Options menu, as well as from the pause menu in Training mode.
• The Customization menu now displays a preview of the Palette or Shader you’re buying before you buy.
• Empty grenade slots are now skipped over when changing ordnance during gameplay.

Other fixes

• The ‘Taunt’ button can now be rebound from the Keyboard controls menu.
• Fixed an issue where Directional attacks would not work when rebinding the movement keys.
• Fixed the ‘Max Framerate’ setting in Video Options not saving between sessions.
• Fixes were made to issues which could cause loss of unlocked upgrades or other save data.
• A new menu option was added allowing the player to rebind a single gamepad input from the Controller Binds menu. The option to rebind all controls at once is still present.
• Fixed issue where Chronicle entries would not scroll properly.
• Issues with the Dark Historian achievement have been fixed.
• Fixed a bug where the achievement Getting Into Knives wouldn’t trigger. For players missing the achievement who have already purchased all ordnance upgrades, making any shop purchase will unlock the achievement.

This is just the beginning of our ongoing support and improvements in the works for the game. We welcome any feedback or reports you'd like to share with us in the forums, and we appreciate your support! Enjoy! Poppy Works and Team Ziggurat

Tell us about yourself! Hi, I am James Greenwood and I'm from Tampa, Florida. My background is in commercial art and higher education, being a graphic design instructor/department chair for many years, as well as working in the advertising industry. My industry medium of choice is Trenchbroom, a cross platform level editor for Quake-engine based games; however, my earlier artistic focus was in drawing & stone lithography. I am the lead level designer on Slave Zero X. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42531528/e1ee08e65b10afa375731b8db211b45540e9f8e7.png How did you get started working on Slave Zero X or for Poppy Works? I noticed a recruitment post in the Quake Mapping Discord & applied. At the time, I was employed with another company in a part-time, paid-upon-completion, basis & it seemed like an exciting opportunity. Luckily, the company where I was employed was extremely understanding and supported my decision to venture elsewhere. My experience in the industry has been very positive, with folks that I have been quite professional. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42531528/fd20293c00357c473747f9c79b7504e3ad2963cc.png What sparked your interest to work on Slave Zero X? Probably the thing that sparked my interest was the project itself, which was extremely intriguing: using the tools of a 3-D first person shooter (FPS) to create a hack-and-slash, traditional 2-D side-scrolling type of game (albeit with real depth of field, instead of employing normal, old-school parallax scrolling) and then porting those 3-D maps into a very established, typically 2-D, cross-platform game engine. I mean, who the heck thinks of doing that in the first place? Talk about venturing into "undiscovered territory" :) Seriously, the challenge of mapping "in profile," rather than "in the eyes of the protagonist," sounded like a fun challenge & something new and interesting (and it was). {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42531528/e1e2482097b6173c71206d4453ab1c1f383ae9d7.png What do you enjoy most about working on Slave Zero X? Probably the support and camaraderie is what I enjoyed most about working on Slave Zero X. Everyone on the team was quite enthusiastic to contribute to the cohesive vision that was established at the very beginning, to create an interesting prequel to the 1999 fan favorite. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42531528/0cd0a2a505cd37ed32cc09cf035662d238fc6284.png How would you describe the world of Slave Zero X? How did that World influence the art style? Slave Zero X is a world of grimy, cyberpunk goodness & "bioengineered meat circuitry." The result of which creates the environment of a dystopian futuristic setting coupled with creepy, high-tech viscera. It's kind of like an unholy marriage between Syd Mead & H.R. Giger. What has been a challenge you over came working on Slave Zero X? An art piece you wrestled with? The pipeline? Or whatever comes to mind. Probably the biggest challenge has been purely technical. Quake, being the first true 3-D FPS game, was never really known for incorporating a glut of intricate external models. The bulk of its environment was built via lovely, chunky geometry in the editor. However, trying to incorporate lots of visceral imagery & complex curves is not really something that is easily accomplished in Quake without said external models. Luckily, the coding geniuses at Poppy Works were able to tackle it without issue! What skill has helped you most on this project? Undoubtedly, the years of working in custom Quake content has helped me understand the advantages and limitations when it comes to brush-based world building. Of course, Slave Zero X isn't exactly Quake, since it uses an entirely different engine; however, having a prior knowledge of "what works & works well" helps immensely in this scenario too! Poppy Works has been completely work-from-home since 2012. They are a global company in the sense that they hire any one qualified from all over the world. What has it been like working with such a diverse group of people? Working with a very eclectic staff, with folks from the all over the globe, is wonderful. You get a really robust mixture of input, due to people's varied background and culture, while still keeping the unified vision of the project, due to the influence of western entertainment. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42531528/1598726ee883545b33cc6077338450b95485715c.jpg Tell us something fun about working with the Slave Zero X team, a funny moment, something special that stands out to you about the team, or something you would like the world to know about this experience. Probably what I thought was brilliant about working with the Slave Zero X team was how the management quickly spotted an individual's strength and maneuvered them into positions where they flourished. For example, if someone might be more particularly skilled in detailing or texturing, then they could have a focus in a that, where they could excel. What has been your favorite piece to work on? That's a tough one, since it all has been rather interesting. Maybe the concept of the "Bloody Palace" levels, since they are loosely based on some of my favorite action movies of the 80s. I was given a bit more freedom on those. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42531528/26f4fc01273f40bab5870792f2dd369e48bc7619.png Was anything cut from the project you wish had stayed in? No, I cannot recall anything that was cut that was cool. However, I might have been focused on the maps & might've missed something :) How did you get started in this industry? Any suggestions for up and coming artists who would like your job? I got started in the industry from the result of being a prolific custom Quake mapper. I always wanted to create my very own FPS environments & it was simply a decision of going the route of Doom Builder (for custom Doom maps) or Trenchbroom (for custom Quake maps). A fellow custom Quake mapper, who happened to work in the industry, noticed how active I was in the Quake mapping community. They reached out & informed of an opportunity over at the company where they were employed and the rest is history. My suggestion for up and coming artists is to simply produce content, gather feedback from as many fellow enthusiasts as possible, and continue to refine your efforts. I think that one of the biggest hurdles that mappers face is that they hardly release any content, in fear of public scrutiny. Like most things in life, practice makes perfect! Final thoughts? I enjoyed my experience with Poppy Works & Slave Zero X. The folks working there were supportive and enthusiastic, things were efficiently ran & organized, and the overall vision of the project was quite cohesive and never was compromised. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42531528/f1f6c90a39238df241aad05a0926d437755e77db.png

The Digital Deluxe Edition includes:

• PC-themed Shou skin
• Digital Soundtrack
• Digital Comic and Artbook

https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/36330/Slave_Zero_X_Digital_Deluxe_Edition/ Already own the game? Complete the set as DLC - found on the Slave Zero X gamepage. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1903910/Slave_Zero_X/ Comic & Artbook Enjoy dozens of previously unreleased art pieces by Art Director Francine Bridge including concept art, in-game versions, and promotional art. PC-themed Shou Skin 'Blacksite' Color Palette for Shou Digital Soundtrack Features 21 songs from the original score composed by PROTODOME.

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42531528/f172f905233be566a90bad81e56fbf441d16bf1b.gif Tell us about yourself! Hello, I'm Kebby from the United States and the 3D technical artist for Slave Zero X. I've always enjoyed drawing detailed schematics on paper and eventually got into computer technologies. I can create 2D and 3D animations, high or low poly models in Blender, paint textures, make maps and even some programming. I've been combining these interests to create mods for Quake and discovering it's unique engine limitations. It can be a challenging process to design new weapons or enemies, but it's very rewarding once it all works! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42531528/2e2427cc66be3d869acec55c79e75cdc7104154c.jpg How did you get started working on Slave Zero X or for Poppy Works? I was hired by Poppy Works thanks to Greenwood, he recommended me based on my work within the Quake community. When I first played Quake I really enjoyed it's moody atmosphere and fast gameplay. I tried out some overhaul mods like Alkaline and Arcane Dimensions, then wanted to try making something myself. I had some previous mapping experience thanks to Doom and Source Engine games. Quake's welcoming community made it easy for me find tutorials and get started. I began figuring game limits, how models are animated, palettizing textures and eventually began writing code to make my own mods. I posted my work to the Quake Mapping Discord and got the attention of some fantastic people that had their own big projects. That's how I met Greenwood and bmFbr, the leaders of the Alkaline mod. I did some work cleaning up older models, animation fixes, texturing alternate skins and made brand new enemies. Eventually Greenwood approached me about Poppy Works, and this cool new game him and bmFbr had been working on. The levels and assets were made using familiar Quake tools, and was a big opportunity for me to get into making games. I took the interview, showcased my work, and I got the job! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42531528/231c0ec8ec532b763c73ee81691c2a744f0784ac.png What sparked your interest to work on Slave Zero X? I've always been interested in game development my whole life, planning out concepts and testing new ideas. Finally working on a game like Slave Zero X has given me the chance to vastly improve my Blender knowledge. I've discovered so many new useful programs since getting the job, it's great being able to work with artists like this and learn from them! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42531528/839d9757d0570bdab72ab9bf3fe24580769361b0.jpg What do you enjoy most about working on Slave Zero X? My favorite part of Slave Zero X, and what I'll miss most, is being part of a team. Everyone here is a passionate creator, we have incredible artists, animators, mappers, modelers, programmers, writers and musicians all working together. It's very refreshing after working alone for so long. Sharing new ideas, helping someone find a solution or having meetings where we discuss topics as a group. The best part is when you get assigned a really awesome task by one of our concept artists. The challenge is turning that idea into a finished textured 3D model, but after it's done you get to hear their reactions. It's always a positive surprise during the big reveal when their vision becomes part of the game. It makes all the time spent worth it, and is a joy that never got old while working! How would you describe the world of Slave Zero X? How did that World influence the art style? Slave Zero X is a combination of my favorite science fiction stories like Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Deus Ex or Half Life 2. It's a dark and twisted mega city ruled by an all powerful, seemingly omnipotent, techno wizard who controls everything and everyone around him. Francine's incredible art direction has always motivated me to go above and beyond in everything I create to match that level of detail. Capturing the gritty decaying structures, wires crawling across buildings like veins, bio-growth masses of who know what, intricate metal workings and fantastical dark machinery with tubes everywhere! What has been a challenge you over came working on Slave Zero X? An art piece you wrestled with? The pipeline? Or whatever comes to mind. One of our biggest hurdles was at the start of development, we needed to decide on the texel density for the entire game. It dictated what resolution the environment textures would need to be and impacted every asset in the game. We also needed to be consistent with how our art style was presented for both 2D sprites and 3D models. Since I already had experience with Quake's workflow and limitations, I was able to work with the mappers and programmers to provide some processing solutions. They were able to engineer custom tools to aid us in asset production and I ended up writing a massive design document for our final pipeline. This led to me getting a promotion from part-time 3D artist to full-time 3D technical artist! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42531528/3e64c3c2fc3d385aa8bcc74a7a52c45b553a2952.jpg What skill has helped you most on this project? Blender's texture baking tools were a must have for this project. It allowed me to use Francine's concept art directly as a material texture while 3D modeling. I could then go back and add any necessary texture details, lighting and shading as needed to stay faithful to the original idea. This sped up development significantly since I could reuse smaller model pieces to create larger complex structures. I then spent the saved time iterating new designs to create a wider variety of similar themed assets. Francine really enjoyed seeing her work shine through the new models when they were complete! Poppy Works has been completely work-from-home since 2012. They are a global company in the sense that they hire any one qualified from all over the world. What has it been like working with such a diverse group of people? It's been a wonderful experience working exclusively online, it's easy to forget that the people we talk with online can be halfway around the world. Usually the only problems we have are time zones and someone might miss a meeting because they're sleeping. I've been very grateful for the opportunity to work from home and it's definitely saved me time, money and stress from driving around each day! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42531528/c1a0f7366e9aa9c98b75ff3df7e381d12e3885e5.jpg Tell us something fun about working with the Slave Zero X team, a funny moment, something special that stands out to you about the team, or something you would like the world to know about this experience. The occasional memes were a personal highlight for me. We'd have our meetings or discussions and someone would mention a silly idea or make a joke, but I'd turn it into a picture and post it as fast as I could. Always really funny to hear the reactions in real time, not sure how many of those made it in as easter eggs. Lots of the in-jokes won't make sense out of context, but sometimes without warning, the three little dots appear! What has been your favorite piece to work on? My favorite assignment by far is the Zone 5 military assets. This was late in the project so I had gotten more experienced with the modeling process. Using projection mapping and symmetrical designs I was able to create over 100 modular pieces very quicky for our mappers to decorate the environment. It was really fun to play around with all the parts like Lego, I eventually ended up making a mini-mega-city mockup in Blender. The same city construction was reused for a 3D skybox in Episode Enyo. Another favorite is the huge enclosed boss arena, I was in charge of the design, modeling and textures for the entire chamber. I didn't have much concept reference to go off of, but Francine was able to guide the art direction for how it should look. It took almost two weeks to finish and lots of scraped attempts, but the final result was worth the extra effort! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42531528/a0fcab6a4cf9a778378b14f064c692d736cb41df.jpg Was anything cut from the project you wish had stayed in? We really wanted to include a section where you pilot a giant mech, if only for a single level. I understand why it was cut, we'd need a lot of programming work for a whole new movement system, engine rewrites and camera systems. Not to mention all the new 3D art assets, animations for enemies, gameplay encounters and larger environment textures. It'd be like trying to create a whole new game from scratch. There were also a bunch of enemies that we didn't have time to finalize, hopefully they make it into the art book so curious fans can see! How did you get started in this industry? Any suggestions for up and coming artists who would like your job? I've always wanted to work on video games and it's hard to believe it's actually happened. To be honest, this has been my first real job as a 3D artist. I had tried doing freelance work after college but that ended up not being finacially viable. I ended up working retail for a couple years, but never gave up learning new tools and programs to improve my Blender skills. My suggestion for new artists is to keep the creative dream alive, always try to teach yourself something new that challenges your abilities. It can take a long time, but you never know when you'll finally be able to do all the things you really enjoy! Final thoughts? Poppy Works has been a dream come true, I am incredibly thankful for everyone here! Thank you so very much, from Kebby : ) {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42531528/e1430f4b9e11dfb08186843b97769aac92d6a8b5.jpg

This patch fixes a crash which could occur on stage 4-1 when dying in a particular way. The Steam build ID for the new version with this fix is 13522645.

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42531528/874d0bd52a49f04c96e749ab7171f07d5a2bce13.jpg Play the game that inspired Slave Zero X. From now until February 28th, receive a free copy of the original Slave Zero with purchase of Slave Zero X. Slave Zero Originally published in 1999 by Infogrames and salvaged from the depths in partnership with Nightdive Studios, Slave Zero is a cyberpunk, 3rd-person mech shooter from the Dreamcast era. Stomp your way through a sprawling Megacity, ruled by the evil Sovkhan as you unleash bullets upon his mechanical minions. "It's 500 years in the future. Man and machine are virtually one, and the greatest megacity in the world is locked in a brutal war. Your mission: steal the largest, most sophisticated bio-mechanical attack weapon ever designed...and kick some serious ass!" Slave Zero X Slave Zero X is a stylish 2.5D character action game set in the biopunk world of Slave Zero (1999). Run & Slash your way through a dystopian future in this character action game which will resonate with fans of Devil May Cry, Strider, and Guilty Gear. "From the top of Megacity S1-9, the Sovereign Khan rules with fists of iron and flesh. Beneath the city’s rotting foundations, a vengeful warrior embarks on a journey to murder him. 4 years prior to the events of Slave Zero, Slave Zero X brings new life to a world where horrific, living machines known as Slaves are primed to become the latest tools of war in humanity’s long and bloody history. A secret band of warriors known as The Guardians hope to stop these biomecha from being unleashed upon the world, but one swordsman among their ranks has a different idea: use the enemy’s own weapon against them. By merging with a stolen Slave Unit Prototype, Shou will become a furious Devil in pursuit of killing a false God."

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42531528/bdf058e8e9fc4f83481b7de08dc7d4761136ceaa.png Check out gameplay from Slave Zero X - launching in full on February 21st! Streaming daily through launch, right here on Steam. https://steamcommunity.com/broadcast/watch/76561198136036271 https://store.steampowered.com/app/1903910/Slave_Zero_X/?beta=1

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42531528/bdf058e8e9fc4f83481b7de08dc7d4761136ceaa.png Crunch those combos and practice those i-frame dodges cause the Slave Zero X demo is leaving the Steam storefront on Wednesday, February 14th at 11:59 pm PST. Then it'll be only ONE WEEK TILL SLAVE ZERO X IS OUT! We can't wait to see you explore the Megacity. Full game release on February 21st at 9 am EST. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42531528/9710bb0801f332697264f2d7075e2e9d06c9b25e.jpg

Brace yourselves for an adrenaline-pumping experience with Slave Zero X: Episode Enyo, an all-new, free Quake campaign set in the captivating world of Slave Zero. Play it now on PC, PlayStation, Switch or Xbox - found directly in Quake's downloadable content. 🌐 Journey into the Past: Slave Zero X: Episode Enyo serves as a riveting prequel to the 1999 Dreamcast and PC cult classic Slave Zero. Dive into the immersive narrative that unfolds before the events of Slave Zero X, experiencing the intense story from the perspective of one of the game’s main antagonists, the elite assassin Enyo. 🚀 The Warpath Unveiled: Armed to the teeth and fueled by vengeance, Enyo embarks on a warpath to bring down her most formidable target yet: the Sovereign Khan. Prepare for heart-pounding action and strategic gameplay as you navigate through six gripping levels of relentless combat. 🎮 Features That Pack a Punch:

• 6 Campaign Levels: Immerse yourself in the rich storyline through six meticulously crafted levels.
• 1 Deathmatch Arena: Test your skills against friends or foes in a dynamic deathmatch arena.
• 8 New Weapons + 1 Secret Weapon: Arm yourself with an arsenal of new and powerful weapons, including a secret weapon for those who dare to uncover it.
• 13 New Enemies: Face off against a diverse range of enemies, each with unique challenges and combat styles.
• 1 New Powerup: Discover a game-changing powerup that adds a new layer of strategy to your gameplay.
• Original Soundtrack by Aleks Kmiec: Immerse yourself in the world of Episode Enyo with an original soundtrack crafted by the talented Aleks Kmiec.

🔗 Dive Deeper: For an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the development process, check out the developer interview with Poppy Works and Ironwood Software at Slayers Club. 🎁 Play for Free: Experience the action-packed Episode Enyo for free directly inside Quake on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation and Xbox platforms. 💾 Stand Alone Package: For those who prefer a standalone experience, a special package is available for download. Compatible with open-source versions of Quake like Ironwail, Quakespasm, vkQuake, and more, this standalone version offers flexibility and accessibility for all players. 🚀 Download Now and Conquer the Warpath HERE

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42531528/bdf058e8e9fc4f83481b7de08dc7d4761136ceaa.png Calling all streamers! The Slave Zero X Demo is now on DareDrop. Slash your way through the Megacity and earn prizes for your combo skills as we countdown the days till launch. Check out our list of dares and see if you can take down the legendary Atavaka (we promise it IS possible), get a combo over 30, or play the demo using a DDR controller (omg please someone do this!). We can't wait to see the antics you get into. Full game coming February 21st, 2024. Drops end January 23rd. Sign up for DareDrop Here Not a streamer? Check out more gameplay on Twitch

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42531528/6e036f2a3f97cdfe5c355db66e3abc77e6f90871.png We're pleased to announce that complete Japanese VO will be available in Slave Zero X~!

Check out the gore and horror that populates the world of Slave Zero X.

Slave Zero X is launching on PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch on February 21, 2024. Made in partnership with Poppy Works and the team behind the renowned Devil Engine, Slave Zero X is a stylish 2.5D character action game set in the biopunk world of Slave Zero (1999). The newest title in the classic Dreamcast Slave Zero™ franchise will bring a whole new side-scrolling hack-and-slash experience to fans of the original game. A satisfyingly punishing game, Slave Zero™ X sees the protagonist, Shou, merging with a stolen Slave Unit Prototype, becoming a furious Devil in pursuit of killing a false God. Take up arms and do battle against the violent forces of the tyrannical SovKhan, the violent dictator who rules Megacity S1-9 with fists of iron and flesh. Featuring multiple gameplay modes and a variety of futuristic 2.5D dystopian urban levels to battle through, players will string together brutal combos and fight through waves of genetically enhanced biopunk opponents — all to the tune of a gnarly synth soundtrack. Run & slash your way through a dystopian future in this character action game which will resonate with fans of action and fighting game favorites Devil May Cry, Strider, and Guilty Gear. Key Features of Slave Zero™ X include:

• Different Modes to Mutilate: Play through the story, build your combo-crushing skills in training mode, or test your might in the post-story Bloody Palace mode
• Hack-n-Slash ‘n Slash ‘n Slash…: Chain together lethal attack combos with your sword and an array of explosive ordinance while leaping, sprinting, and flipping your way through a grim biopunk world
• A 2.5D Environment Worthy of H.R. Giger: Battle your way through massive levels and boss-rushes in a lo-fi blend of 2D and 3D art reminiscent of the 90s Dreamcast era.
• Brutal Battles and Cutthroat Stages: Conquer mini-bosses and climactic arch-villains in unforgettable combat sequences
• Blood-Soaked and Synth-Soaked: Immerse yourself in a world of heavy Drum ‘n Bass and industrial tracks that get more intense as the action heats up

Slave Zero™ X is available to wishlist now on Steam, GOG, and PlayStation and you can play through the demo on Steam.

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42531528/beb76115d6885d1d81168c4c80fbbd8436cefb6c.png We were thrilled to debut a new Slave Zero X trailer at the 2023 OTK Games Expo! This trailer focuses on the SovKhan's most powerful and formidable servants, known as the Calamities. https://youtu.be/J_wZlu1R8dA Try out the game's demo at the link below, and tell all your friends and enemies to wishlist and follow the game to keep up with the latest announcements and updates! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1903910/Slave_Zero_X/

https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/42531528/197fc446d4b760633689d751905a7fa75c645fbd.png An update to the Slave Zero X Demo has been released! In this updated demo (Build ID 11428315), you’ll find:

• Training Room mode added
• Opening cutscene added
• Button command to skip cutscenes added
• Changes and additions to Shou’s attacks (find the new secret super move!)
• Lighting improvements and graphical polish
• Performance improvements and bug fixes

We hope you enjoy the demo! Please refer to the FAQ and Support threads with any questions. And wishlist the game, will ya?

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42531528/2bfb4acf05ab0cd6a15e5fc2a408f40326a7c429.png The third full trailer for Slave Zero X debuted today at Indie3 2023! This trailer gives a first look at attacks, abilities, and enemies never before revealed, plus many new environments. Watch it now to also get a first glimpse at in-game footage of Hercules J. Thorman, one the SovKhan's five Calamities. https://youtu.be/c52TprrHFKI There is more to come this week, so be sure to wishlist and follow the game to keep up with the latest announcements and updates! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1903910/Slave_Zero_X/

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42531528/f969129c3add1621c1a3e9afab6a572b51e67f38.png

Tia Rohrer

Artist Focus: Concept and Character Artist So, tell us about yourself! I'm Tia Rohrer- I go by TK in some places, and Irischroma is my username in many other spaces online. I am a digital artist, primarily versed in Photoshop and a few other programs like Art Rage and a tiny bit of Procreate. At Poppy Works, I do quite a few things now. My tasks vary significantly from project to project, haha! ...But you'll often find me making some sort of Artwork now, I'm sure. I've been doing digital art since I discovered PaintBBS + Oekaki Boards in the mid-late 2000's! How did you start working on Slave Zero X for Poppy Works? I was brought on in 2021 to make a bunch of posters initially! The scope increased to a few more assets here and there and two character designs! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42531528/288e7b07500ea9d6cda2fba112c93a6716979046.png What sparked your interest to work on SZX? When I was brought on, I saw all the fantastic work the SZX team had been doing. I remember my heart skipping a beat from how absolutely cool it was, a type of game I have always wanted to do work for! What do you enjoy most about working on SZX? The team. I loved working on the artwork itself, of course, but the people here really mean a lot to me. They made me feel incredibly welcome right away. It's already one of the things I miss the most since my part for SZX was over! How would you describe the world of SZX? How did that World influence the art style? I would say it's rather... Intense. There's a lot there that feels incredibly uncanny and quite frightening in retrospect. The types of people and things that live within the world of SZX would be pretty frightening to see in our lives but are normal to everyone living there. The feel of the world is a bit nostalgic for me, outside of the graphical style itself! It's a grand mishmash of things we once thought to be hyper-futuristic and the pinnacle of technology, and something that feels so otherworldly and alien, far beyond our reach through technological advancements. Despite the advancements and scary things within SZX, some ordinary people live there, tormented by the hyper-capitalist Mega City. Many things there are very much rooted within our own reality that surrounds many people in their daily lives. People that wish for better lives, to live more comfortably- things that the Mega City does not truly provide to them. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42531528/3d82d1a334bec788e5bd85e35f2b7927f93e9759.png With the Frankenstein-like biopunk technology that SZX touts with pride, the horrors that live within the walls, and the people that face the same hardships we do- This influenced me to create works that branched out in terms of presentation. Some posters may feel very amateur, some feeling rather expensive. There is a character we have become very fond of; you may see her in a few places. Her design was influenced by many 40's-60's retro cartoons and how many toys and merchandise have rotted over time, looking quite unsettling. I wanted to create a mix of uneasiness and fake qualities, giving the world a not-so-trustworthy look, despite the subjects they may pertain to! Some images appear much happier than they ought to be; some are performative, and some are genuine! Such is normalcy within the world of SZX. I wanted to portray those feelings. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42531528/7860386bece1fd4e04f2ec9dae2dd5f74462f947.png What has been a challenge you overcame working on SZX? An art piece you wrestled with? The complex pipeline? The greatest challenge was probably my brain and the fact I was working in a freezing basement for most of this. My fingers and joints would hurt so much due to the cold, so some pieces are probably not as nicely rendered as I could have provided... I eventually got a small portable heater, but this could only provide so much for myself! Oh no! Are you in a better situation now? I am in a much better place now, lol Because of the job here, I could escape that bad situation and move into a much better place. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42531528/cea809341425b213f2967895eb75cd5744677b77.png What skill has helped you most on this project? I like multitasking a bit. Having multiple things to draw and bounce between, mainly so I can try to keep my eyes fresh and not overwork one picture into a mess I end up not liking at all. Poppy Works has been completely work-from-home since 2012. They are a global company in the sense that they hire anyone qualified from all over the world. What has it been like working with such a diverse group of people? It's been so wonderful! There's a great variety of people that I've had the chance to work with, and I would absolutely do it all over again. I love these guys. I'm also thankful that I can work from home and wear my wonderful fuzzy kitty paw slippers in total comfort! (: Tell us something fun about working with the SZX team, a funny moment, something special that stands out to you about the team, or something you would like the world to know about this experience. These people really like Sonic the Hedgehog. What has been your favorite piece to work on? This is quite hard to decide... I am so fickle with my work that looking back at most pictures I made even a month ago, I feel I could have done so much better. I find myself unsatisfied quite often. One I recall having a good time working on, however, I think, was the Smiling Twins image. I was trying out a slightly different rendering style. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42531528/b2bd04a61045d9fbb97de7af1a830243c4c15fe3.png Was anything cut from the project you wish had stayed in? I miss him every day. The snake.... How did you get started in this industry? Any suggestions for up and coming artists who would like your job? I originally created comics for two different people for 3 years. I was getting burnt out massively, and the pay was not enough to support myself to live on my own. I injured my wrists and fingers quite a bit due to the workload I took on, and I would highly... Highly recommend taking care of yourself. Please. Wear a brace, stretch, and as soon as anything hurts, please stop. Find out if you need a different grip, get a chair that supports you, and make sure your setup isn't causing you any pain you can prevent... Anything to make sure your work isn't damaging your health in the long run. It's not worth it. Outside of the unfortunate pain of artistry, I would recommend drawing things as if they were already going into a video game. Make a small plan, but not a full-on project as if you were going to develop this game in full. Take the idea of "What sort of plants would live in a certain setting?" "What imagery would be present in the city/towns, and would they vary greatly?" Etc. You can get ideas for this by browsing various art books and seeing concepts that may or may not have ended up in the end product. Replicate these things! Create items a player could find/use/discover/collect, and a concept of what sort of shirts NPCs could wear! Be sure to have rendered images and roughs to show your concept skills. These will help people figure out if you could fit into their pipeline and if you have the knowledge that could aid the rest of the group in moving forward! Final thoughts I love this team. Everything Poppy Works has done for me as a whole has changed my life and made it possible for me to be happier and healthier. I Want to make Slave Zero X 2. Or Slave Zero 2. Or anything. I don't know-- I just know I still love video games. I want to help make more. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42531528/71515cf1bb78e3f0fbf761243990a62b5807422a.png

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42531528/e6203b509606b9bd38fc4ca1ac9dd0d75a8e61d0.png {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42531528/ba0f78d1d910a19a030f50f0d6b7c08b81d90f13.png

Barbera Boone

Artist Focus: 2D FX and Animator So, tell us about yourself! Howdy! My name is Barbera Boone, AKA Dieselbrain. I'm the 2D fx artist on Slave Zero X, though I also handled much of the UI assets and even some character animation as well!. I'm a queer artist who has spent over 10 years working freelance, primarily focusing on erotic art (something I'm still very passionate about).I'm currently living in Toronto Canada (working on immigrating!) but I'm originally from Virginia in the USA. My mediums of choice are primarily digital art and animation, often focusing on themes of body horror, LGBT sexuality, Americana, and big fucking tiddies. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42531528/580c1b74b7ffb1838112e8fd683d193a8a8b1263.png How did you get started working on Slave Zero X for Poppy Works? I was notified of an opening by a friend who felt I would be a good fit for the project, and thankfully it appears the team agreed. What sparked your interest to work on SZX? I had been dealing with severe creative burnout from working freelance, and working on SZX gave me the opportunity to change gears for a while so to speak, while still letting me use my primary creative skills. It's helped me heal a lot. What do you enjoy most about working on SZX? I enjoy my coworkers, they've all been delights to work with. I've also really appreciated how much the team trusted my creative judgment as the FX animator, it's something that made me feel very appreciated. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42531528/a6944699fb62914a42f6fbfd2dffb4a6f7ae807d.png How would you describe the world of SZX? How did that World influence the art style? I would describe the world of SZX as bleak and dark, with a little bit of 90s cyberpunk edge. I think that style really encouraged the whole art team to want to lean in and make something that would feel right at home on gaming consoles a few decades ago. What has been a challenge you overcame working on SZX? An art piece you wrestled with? The complex pipeline? A major personal challenge was unlearning certain unhealthy expectations of myself that were a holdover from a previous game project. I've been able to tackle SZX in a healthier manner while still delivering quality assets that the team needs and I thank my superiors and coworkers for helping me with that. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42531528/44a98c84e1afd3a92dfe5a87df93beb5ce460ef2.png What skill has helped you most on this project? My skills with Aseprite were invaluable of course, but I was also able to do some character animation due to my past experience focusing more on characters on past projects. Poppy Works has been completely work-from-home since 2012. They are a global company in the sense that they hire anyone qualified from all over the world. What has it been like working with such a diverse group of people? Barbera: It's been great. my coworkers have been fantastic to work alongside, and I greatly admire their skill and experience. It's been particularly amazing seeing my fellow animators improve and really flex what they can do more and more as the project went on. Tell us something fun about working with the SZX team, a funny moment, something special that stands out to you about the team, or something you would like the world to know about this experience. Seeing the little jokes team members would come up with or little shitpost memes they'd make with Shou or other characters always put a smile on my face {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42531528/7e31623380d1f02115b0b6401fe0026ab3d0c77c.png What has been your favorite piece to work on? My favorite piece I worked on was probably FistFucker, as it was both a personal challenge to move on to working with a character rather than fx, but also because the amount of trust the team had in me when I worked on him made me feel appreciated. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42531528/aa661c1505a00604e5180ef98ce00c8e34a867d2.png Was anything cut from the project you wish had stayed in? R.I.P. DICKSNAKE {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42531528/a8c94fa0af04875f9516898af368dcb8c3261e55.png How did you get started in this industry? Any suggestions for up-and-coming artists who would like your job? I had been on a few false start projects for a few years fresh out of college but the first project that truly put me in the industry was when I was brought on as the Lead Animator on an indie NSFW project back in 2017. For any up-and-coming artists, I think one of the things that will translate best to a professional game project is the ability to bring your work to a completion. Skill and talent is important but the discipline to look at something and say ""it's done"" is an invaluable one I feel, particularly when others are depending on you. Final thoughts I don't have much else to say other than I’m proud of my work on SZX and I hope I can continue to work with this animation team on future projects with Poppy Works. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42531528/28e26b1d3f674364b7903de134a6ea6cb8c61322.png"""

Join Ziggurat Interactive today at 4pm EST here on Steam for a first look at the Slave Zero X Demo. It's time to slash our way through some baddies and show (Shou haha) the world what we're made of! Slave Zero X is a stylish 2.5D character action game set in the biopunk world of Slave Zero (1999). Run & Slash your way through a dystopian future in this character action game which will resonate with fans of Devil May Cry, Strider, and Guilty Gear. From the top of Megacity S1-9, the Sovereign Khan rules with fists of iron and flesh. Beneath the city’s rotting foundations, a vengeful warrior embarks on a journey to murder him. 4 years prior to the events of Slave Zero, Slave Zero X brings new life to a world where horrific, living machines known as Slaves are primed to become the latest tools of war in humanity’s long and bloody history. A secret band of warriors known as The Guardians hope to stop these biomecha from being unleashed upon the world, but one swordsman among their ranks has a different idea: use the enemy’s own weapon against them. By merging with a stolen Slave Unit Prototype, Shou will become a furious Devil in pursuit of killing a false God.

• KILLER COMBOS: Use swift swordplay, explosive ordnance, and stylish combos against an army of meat and metal.
• DEATH FROM ABOVE: Air juggling, dashes, and frequent target switching allow for you to take down foes of any size while wall-jumping and platforming can help you outmaneuver your enemies.
• FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE: Conquer mini-bosses, set pieces, and climactic 1-on-1 encounters that offer intense challenges against unforgettable villains.
• STRENGTH IS NOTHING WITHOUT CONTROL: Use the Training Room to hone precise and powerful moves to string together devastating attack sequences.
• BATTLE TO THE BEAT: A 90s-inspired soundtrack features heavy Drum’n’Bass and funky industrial music that adds to the thrill of combat.
• FEAST YOUR EYES: A unique visual aesthetic combines nostalgic 2D sprites with an advanced lighting system and stylized 3D environments.

Contains animated depictions of violent and gory content that may not be appropriate for all audiences.

Join Ziggurat Interactive today at 4pm EST here on Steam for a first look at the Slave Zero X Demo. It's time to slash our way through some baddies and show (Shou haha) the world what we're made of! Slave Zero X is a stylish 2.5D character action game set in the biopunk world of Slave Zero (1999). Run & Slash your way through a dystopian future in this character action game which will resonate with fans of Devil May Cry, Strider, and Guilty Gear. From the top of Megacity S1-9, the Sovereign Khan rules with fists of iron and flesh. Beneath the city’s rotting foundations, a vengeful warrior embarks on a journey to murder him. 4 years prior to the events of Slave Zero, Slave Zero X brings new life to a world where horrific, living machines known as Slaves are primed to become the latest tools of war in humanity’s long and bloody history. A secret band of warriors known as The Guardians hope to stop these biomecha from being unleashed upon the world, but one swordsman among their ranks has a different idea: use the enemy’s own weapon against them. By merging with a stolen Slave Unit Prototype, Shou will become a furious Devil in pursuit of killing a false God.

• KILLER COMBOS: Use swift swordplay, explosive ordnance, and stylish combos against an army of meat and metal.
• DEATH FROM ABOVE: Air juggling, dashes, and frequent target switching allow for you to take down foes of any size while wall-jumping and platforming can help you outmaneuver your enemies.
• FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE: Conquer mini-bosses, set pieces, and climactic 1-on-1 encounters that offer intense challenges against unforgettable villains.
• STRENGTH IS NOTHING WITHOUT CONTROL: Use the Training Room to hone precise and powerful moves to string together devastating attack sequences.
• BATTLE TO THE BEAT: A 90s-inspired soundtrack features heavy Drum’n’Bass and funky industrial music that adds to the thrill of combat.
• FEAST YOUR EYES: A unique visual aesthetic combines nostalgic 2D sprites with an advanced lighting system and stylized 3D environments.

Contains animated depictions of violent and gory content that may not be appropriate for all audiences.

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42531528/5bd21f5860a700869a07169a89ac727a81c55287.png

Scott Brown

Artist Focus: Animator So, tell us about yourself! I'm Scott Brown, AnimatedTako online. I grew up in Virginia, currently living in Georgia. My art style is aggressively shaped by American 80s toy-centric cartoons, late 90s action anime, action figures and 16-bit arcade classics. Pretty much, I love toyetic characters with functional designs, tightly controlled color schemes and cool, saturated shadows. I have the most fun animating fighting game scale pixel art because there's a duality to working in a rigid grid that's comforting in it's structure but challenging to find unique expressions with. Certain lines and curves just aren't possible to render literally, so you have to start implying them instead between pixels and I find that sort of interpretive element to be extremely engaging both to make and to look at. I'm an animator on SZX, working on all the pixel art sprite based aspects of the project. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42531528/a2adbb1f7a6906a60580f169e19c61378ba10d63.png How did you get started working on Slave Zero X for Poppy Works? Wolfgang messaged me out of the blue about it on twitter around October 2021. I signed some stuff and we had a call where he showed me what was being cooked up and I thought it had awesome potential. I still had some full time work to finish on other games at the time. A few months later, I started working on SZX in early 2022. What sparked your interest to work on SZX? Even in the earliest form I saw it in, SZX looked like something I wanted to play. The action was crisp, Shou looked like fun to animate, and the dark dystopian setting felt like a fun playground for violence. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42531528/33771840dbfb1bd477b492dd8a14ae172603e218.png What do you enjoy most about working on SZX? Trust, freedom and synchronization on the team. Francine empowers us to go wild with action and posing, adapting her characters to pixels. Tristan is open and receptive to any attack ideas or animation flourishes we come up with. We all mesh well on the animation team passing the characters back and forth, we're pretty much on the same page about what kind of acting and posing to use and any time we aren't, we pretty easily come to a consensus after weighing the pros, cons, and efficiency of different decisions. It's just really nice to be doing your best with very little friction in the way, and I think that shines through in our work. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42531528/edafa1fe3b1f7eaa3a09b6f0e5a4ba6c0a5259fb.png How would you describe the world of SZX? How did that World influence the art style? It's a dark oppressive world tailor made to keep you down with a protagonist and combat built around pushing past your limits, and finally doing something about that problem everyone has been telling you're too weak to solve. At least, that's how I see it and think about it when animating the characters. Even though Shou has tremendous power via X, He's finally putting all this pent up emotion inside him to use with a singular goal in mind, so no effort is spared. Every action is carried out with 100% intensity and effort. It's really fun to animate a character that's just exerting themselves so frankly. I feel the same about the various enemies in the game. They're all cogs in SovKhan's grand machine, little micro machines shaped for a specific purpose to keep the mega city functioning. They've ruled unchallenged as a power that's never tasted loss, and their entire lives are shaped around performing their particular combat role. So, we make their attacks very measured and practiced, but their hit reactions are messy and inelegant - They're not used to the resistance. What has been a challenge you overcame working on SZX? An art piece you wrestled with? The complex pipeline? Mostly just having to wrestle with cutting certain ideas because of time constraints. There were a couple times where we had to finish animating a character before they were implemented in a rough state, so I think we didn't take some risks we could have if we knew we had time to adjust them based on some testing in game. What skill has helped you most on this project? It's a cornball answer but it's true, communication is the key, and not having an ego helps even more. Anything I couldn't solve on my own I just brought to the table and talked it out with the team and we either knocked our heads together to come up with an easier approach or way to divide the work. Just keeping each other up to date and sharing sprites saves you so much time in small little ways. On a character like Enyo for example, she has a lot of props and wings. We saved each other so much time by making sure we shared reusable wing poses, sharing sprites every time we drew a prop for a new angle, etc. A leg here, an arm there. That's one of the best parts about working in pixel art as a team and it goes a long way to maximize your output as a group. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42531528/d93b5769a6f8e3ab9f18d18f47a0f7338dd26d46.png Poppy Works has been completely work-from-home since 2012. They are a global company in the sense that they hire anyone qualified from all over the world. What has it been like working with such a diverse group of people? It's been awesome. Everyone has that unique little extra chance of adding a flourish I might not have thought about. The timezone coverage is pretty nice too - when I wake up there's already some awesome work posted in the team discord that was done somewhere else in the world while I was asleep. It's great to start the day off inspired like that. Tell us something fun about working with the SZX team, a funny moment, something special that stands out to you about the team, or something you would like the world to know about this experience. Building a game is a challenge of course - but especially one bolted together with tools that weren't necessarily meant to be used the way we use them. The team has a pretty good sense of humor about it when things go a little sideways and it's spawned some pretty incredible internal memes in the team discord. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42531528/2b14b3439d41ab569c010656322888bfd268d0a4.png What has been your favorite piece to work on? I think the hammer wielding Heavy has been my favorite character to work on. He was the first character on the game I got to work on the majority of sprites for a few weeks in as I was starting to feel comfortable on the team and really started to get into the swing of things. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42531528/99bcfb08f37e9570083ec9ee93ed1a530ce0880a.png So, I'm both happy with how he turned out and nostalgic for the time I was working on him, getting to know the team and starting to feel confident this game was going to be something special! Was anything cut from the project you wish had stayed in? We got really excited collectively about a third, final "perfect god" form for SovKhan where he would be fighting you without any of his armor and minimal powers, just buff naked martial arts. After a long march animating mecha-like characters with rigid armor and huge mutants, I thought a final sprint focusing on just an idealized human anatomical figure would be a fun cool down and neat climax as SovKhan eventually has nothing left to fend off Shou and X with. We ended up cutting it in favor of focusing on more new content for the middle of the game, but it would have been nice to get to. How did you get started in this industry? Any suggestions for up and coming artists who would like your job? It took awhile working on small game projects in my spare time while doing animation in other fields before I was able to cross over into games full time. Experience on a team is important, and having a personal project you can work on to build a portfolio is great. The most important thing with animation in games with fighting game inspiration like this is having enough example work on one character to show you can draw them consistently doing a wide variety of stuff, especially doing a backflip and landing on their face after eating a nasty attack. Really, you'd be surprised. I think I've animated a backflip on every single game I've been on. Walk cycles, run cycles and back flips. Make that your life. Final thoughts I've really had a great time working on SZX at Poppy Works, I can't wait for people to get their hands on the game!{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42531528/dadde9a297f599c3c869a25696fb5e65bb6a6d1c.png