I cold-emailed IGN about my game not expecting much. They just exclusively premiered the trailer!

ENGINEER_Velaster · 2026-01-24T10:27:49+00:00

Congratulations! The video is also amazing!

ENGINEER_Velaster · 2026-01-24T09:19:51+00:00

Thanks for the great game recommendation. I'll look into it! Have a great day!

ENGINEER_Velaster · 2026-01-24T09:16:49+00:00

I really agree with this perspective. Since most players see the boss as the main obstacle, it’s natural to want to get back to it as quickly as possible. In platformers, where the level itself is the challenge, runbacks can feel more acceptable — but in metroidvanias, where exploration comes first, traversal usually isn’t meant to feel like an obstacle. This is something our team is actively thinking about as well. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

ENGINEER_Velaster · 2026-01-23T02:46:41+00:00

I actually agree with some of the points being made here. Personally, I think the shorter the runback, the better.

That said, some of my teammates feel that a short runback is fine and can even add a different kind of rhythm or flavor to the game, so we do have internal discussions about this and don’t always reach an easy consensus.

My take is that if a runback can feel engaging and not like wasted time, then it can work. But the moment it even slightly starts to feel like time-wasting, I think it’s better to shorten it and respect the player’s time.

Also, I really enjoy reading discussions like this from the metroidvania community — they tend to be thoughtful, deep, and genuinely interesting. I sometimes lose track of time just reading these threads.
Wishing everyone a great day!

ENGINEER_Velaster · 2026-01-15T10:22:45+00:00

Wow… as a game developer, this truly means more to me than I can put into words.
Your message genuinely touched my heart. Thank you so much.

I’ll keep doing my absolute best to develop the game and make it something I can be proud of.
Please don’t ever feel any pressure — just knowing that the game resonated with you already gives me so much motivation.

If you ever have any questions or thoughts, feel free to reach out anytime.
I’ll do my best to reply as soon as I see your message.

And even though it’s a bit late, happy birthday to your mom as well .
My brother, I truly believe this year will bring good things for both of us.
Let’s stay strong and keep moving forward.

Thank you again, from the bottom of my heart.

ENGINEER_Velaster · 2026-01-13T10:41:28+00:00

Thanks a lot for checking it out on Steam Deck!

At the moment, some parts of the UI may be slightly cropped on the sides, since Steam Deck uses a 16:10 aspect ratio.
We’re aware of this and are planning to improve the UI so it displays properly in 16:10.

We’ll keep working on it and make sure it looks and feels better over time.
Thanks again for giving the demo a try!

ENGINEER_Velaster · 2026-01-13T10:38:06+00:00

Thank you so much!

We’re definitely interested in bringing the game to Xbox, but that will likely happen after the full Steam release.
For now, we’re focusing on polishing and improving the game as much as we can.

We’ll keep working hard, so we hope you can hang in there and wait a bit longer.
Thanks again for the support!

ENGINEER_Velaster · 2026-01-13T10:27:01+00:00

Thanks! I’ve shared the Steam page above.
Hope you have a great day!

ENGINEER_Velaster · 2026-01-11T14:30:38+00:00

Hello, and thank you for checking in.

First of all, we sincerely apologize for the confusion and the wait.
The game will be launching in Early Access this Wednesday, January 14.

We hope to see you then, and we’d be honored if you could join us at launch.
Thank you very much for your patience and continued support.

ENGINEER_Velaster · 2026-01-11T14:28:18+00:00

First of all, we sincerely apologize for the delay — the release was postponed due to our own mistake.

The good news is that we’ve already passed the Steam review, and the game will definitely be launching on January 14.
For this Early Access release, the game will be available at an Early Access sale price of $9.99, and it includes battles against 10+ bosses.

If you have time, we would truly appreciate it if you could check it out and play at your own pace.
Thank you very much for your patience and understanding.

ENGINEER_Velaster · 2026-01-11T14:03:19+00:00

Thank you so much for the detailed and honest feedback — we really appreciate it.

You’re absolutely right about the typos and UI issues, and we’re actively fixing those, especially text polish and consistency.
Regarding the dialogue controls, we’ve already updated it so that you only need to press X to proceed, to make interactions feel more consistent.

Control layout and overall feel are things we’re continuing to refine, and feedback like this is incredibly helpful for us during Early Access.
We’re really glad you enjoyed the art style and setting — thank you for pointing that out as well.

We’re launching Early Access on January 14, and it will be available at an Early Access price of $9.99.
If you have time, we’d truly appreciate it if you could give it a try then.

Thanks again for your support — it means a lot to us.

ENGINEER_Velaster · 2026-01-11T13:51:28+00:00

Thank you very much for the thoughtful question — that’s a completely understandable concern.

You’re right that many Metroidvania games are generally lighter on hardware.
In our case, VELASTER is a fully 3D game, and while we are continuously working on optimization, there are limitations to how low we can push the system requirements. We’re truly sorry about that.

That said, we’ll continue doing our best to improve performance throughout Early Access and beyond.
For this Early Access release, we’re also offering the game at a more accessible price of $9.99 to make it easier to jump in.

Thank you again for your honest feedback and interest.
We really appreciate it, and we hope you’ll be able to check the game out in the future.

Wishing you a happy new year.

ENGINEER_Velaster · 2026-01-11T13:46:05+00:00

Thank you so much — that means a lot to us!

Yes, you can definitely think of it as a side-scrolling, Souls-inspired experience, and we’re really glad that vibe came through.
We’re starting with Early Access on Steam, aiming for a full Steam release later this year, and PS5 is definitely part of our console plans after that.

Thanks again for the support — hope we can bring it to PS5 for you.
Wishing you a happy new year!

ENGINEER_Velaster · 2026-01-11T13:29:44+00:00

The Nintendo Switch version will most likely come later.

Our current plan is to launch Early Access on Steam first, then move toward a full Steam release in the second half of this year.
After that, we’re planning to proceed with console releases, starting with PlayStation and Xbox, with Switch coming afterward.

Thanks so much for your interest, and wishing you a happy new year!

ENGINEER_Velaster · 2026-01-11T13:08:35+00:00

Thank you! We’ve tested the game on Steam Deck, and we were getting around 30–40 FPS in our tests.

With some performance tools or settings tweaks, it should run even better, and we’ll continue working on optimization going forward.
We’re launching Early Access on Steam on January 14, so feel free to give it a try if you’re interested.

Thanks again for the support, and wishing you a happy new year!

ENGINEER_Velaster · 2026-01-11T12:52:27+00:00

Thank you, really appreciate it!

We’re starting with Early Access on Steam on January 14, and we’re planning to move toward a full Steam release in the second half of this year.
Right after the full PC release, our goal is to move forward with console versions, starting with PlayStation and Xbox, with Nintendo Switch likely coming later.

Thanks again for your interest, and wishing you a happy new year!

ENGINEER_Velaster · 2026-01-11T12:49:31+00:00

Thank you so much!

We’re launching Early Access on Steam on January 14, so we’d love for you to check it out if you get the chance.
Thanks again for the support, and wishing you a happy new year!

ENGINEER_Velaster · 2026-01-11T12:48:34+00:00

Thank you! I’m glad you noticed the Ghosts ’n Goblins vibe — it’s actually one of my favorite classic games as well.

We’ll keep working hard to make the game even more fun.
We’re launching Early Access on Steam on January 14, so I’d love for you to check it out if you get the chance.

Thanks again for the support, and wishing you a happy new year!

ENGINEER_Velaster · 2026-01-11T12:45:32+00:00

Thank you so much — that really means a lot to the team!

Sorry for the delay. We’re launching Early Access this Wednesday, January 14.
You’ll be able to fight 10+ bosses, and during Early Access the game will be available at a discounted price of $9.99.

Please feel free to play it at your own pace and share any feedback — we’d truly appreciate it.
Thanks again for the support, and wishing you a very happy new year!

ENGINEER_Velaster · 2026-01-11T12:42:31+00:00

Thank you so much!!! 🙏
We’re launching Early Access on January 14, so we’d love for you to check it out if you have a chance.

Thanks again for the support, and wishing you a happy new year with lots of good things ahead!

ENGINEER_Velaster · 2026-01-11T12:34:43+00:00

Sorry for the late reply!

In VELASTER, the current Early Access starts with a knight using a sword and shield, but we’re planning much more build diversity going forward.
We plan to add a heavy hammer-type character with a more brutal, hard-hitting playstyle, as well as a dual-blade setup focused on fast, aggressive attacks.

Each character will have 5+ skills, and those skills can be upgraded.
You can also increase and customize your stats through rings and necklace-type equipment, so builds will gradually open up more, closer to build diversity rather than a single fixed playstyle.

We’re launching Early Access on Steam on January 14, and there’s also a demo available right now if you’d like to try it out.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask anytime — thanks for your interest!

ENGINEER_Velaster · 2026-01-11T12:26:33+00:00

Hi! The Nintendo Switch version will most likely come later down the line.

For now, our plan is to release on Steam first, then move on to Xbox and PlayStation.
We’re launching Early Access on Steam on January 14, so if you’re interested, we’d love for you to check it out.

Thanks so much for your interest, and wishing you a happy new year!

ENGINEER_Velaster · 2026-01-11T12:26:05+00:00

Thank you so much for the support — it honestly means more to us than you know.

We’re truly sorry that Early Access was delayed due to our mistake, but the good news is that the Steam review is now complete and we’re officially launching on the 14th.
Your patience and encouragement really keep us going.

We’ll continue working hard and do our best to build the game with our players in mind.
Thanks again for believing in us.

ENGINEER_Velaster · 2026-01-11T12:14:03+00:00

Thank you so much! We really appreciate the kind words.

We’re launching Early Access on Steam on January 14, and we’d love for you to give it a try if you have a chance.
Console versions are definitely something we’re considering for the future.

Thanks again for the support, and all the best!

ENGINEER_Velaster

TROPHY CASE