Mistfall Hunter, Bellring Games' bleak dark fantasy world PvPvE extraction ARPG, launched July 29 across Xbox, PC, and PS5, arriving day one on Xbox Game Pass. Set in a forbidden realm consumed by the Gyldenmist, Gyldhunters harvest precious Gyldenblood through desperate extractions and deadly combat across a bleak world turned brutal battleground. The open beta test drew 430,000 players. Reviews sit at Mixed on Steam as of launch, praised for visceral action but criticized for server issues.
Xbox Wire confirms the premise: fallen gods, a corrupting Gyldenmist, and a Gyldhunter revived by a mysterious girl named Dew to mend the shattered Web of Fate through a brutal cycle of survival, bringing a flicker of hope back to this forbidden land. Zero pay-to-win mechanics and no paid stat boosts mean mastery of the hunt, not purchases, decides who gains the upper hand in every encounter. Matches end in extraction or total loss, setting the rules of your hunt where the rules of survival shift with every single run.
Standard costs $24.99, while the Deluxe Edition costs $39.99 with cosmetics only and no gameplay edge. Both carry a 10% discount through August 12, dropping Standard to roughly $22.49. Season content will add new classes, expanding the diverse arsenal of tactical items across the six distinct classes already available at launch, from frontline melee to ranged and support roles.
80.lv frames Mistfall Hunter as Dark Souls meets Arc Raiders, pairing melee skirmishes and crowd control with an extraction loop set in an intricate dark fantasy world. Stamina replaces an earlier energy system, rewarding patient reads over spamming. Six classes, including the Withered Knight and Seer, add profound depth, with combat favoring deliberate decision-making on every deadly gamble over raw speed, closer to From Software's philosophy than shooter-driven rivals like Arc Raiders or Marathon. Each run ends by defeating a Returner Woodling boss to open the extraction portal home.
Yes, GamesRadar and PCGamesN published open beta hands-on coverage detailing specific class builds, the boss-summoning bell extraction mechanic, and how stamina recovery shapes both PvE and PvP combat, offering a genuine gameplay deep dive ahead of launch.
Pure Xbox found Mistfall Hunter Mixed on Steam, 57 percent positive, praising visceral action against cunning rival Gyldhunters despite complaints over stuttering, latency, and missing OCE servers. One Steam reviewer specifically praised the game's blend of Elden Ring-style combat with extraction tension, while another described a choppy launch that stabilized within hours. Reviewers largely agree the interface offers a smooth user experience even amid early bugs, and additional notes from the developer roadmap suggest patches should bring a better gaming experience soon.
Available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S with full cross-play support. Xbox Play Anywhere lets one purchase carry across devices. PC requirements list AMD Ryzen and Intel processors, though PS5 owners must buy outright since there is no Game Pass equivalent to gain access day one.
Season 1: Soul Hunt adds the Solemn Needles map, new bosses, and a free Battle Pass, continuing Bellring Games' brutal clash of heavy steel across a live-service roadmap built for greater glory and long-term replay value. Developer communications also point to a future combat overhaul and dedicated practice modes for both PvE and PvP, suggesting Bellring Games plans regular content drops well beyond launch.
Xbox Wire points Gyldhunters to the official Mistfall Hunter Discord, X account, and YouTube channel for the latest news and discussion. Steam's own review and discussion sections also host active launch-week conversation about classes, builds, and the safety of your camp against rival hunting parties out in the field.
Mistfall Hunter enters a crowded field. Arc Raiders won Best Multiplayer at The Game Awards 2025 and remains a dominant reference point in the space. Marathon arrived with hero-shooter mechanics in March 2026. Dark and Darker remains its closest fantasy-extraction rival, while Hunt: Showdown and Escape from Tarkov continue holding their own established player bases. Against that bloody path of competitors, Mistfall Hunter's ultimate dark fantasy survival test, layering Soulslike combat onto extraction, may be the surest way to stand out this year, with its bleak dark fantasy aesthetics setting it apart from the rest of the dark fantasy world it now competes in.
Alice Robbins · Editor
Editor
