Vampire Survivors dev is "so focused" on its hit roguelike that it doesn't know what it's doing next

Vampire Survivors
(Image credit: poncle)

Vampire Survivors' developer has been so preoccupied with its hit roguelike that it's not given much thought to what its next project will be. 

The indie roguelike is one of the biggest success stories in recent years, managing to rack up huge player numbers and beat out huge titles like Elden Ring and God of War Ragnarok to claim BAFTA's Game of the Year Award. Its basic yet immensely challenging mechanics are so absorbing that even Xbox boss Phil Spencer couldn't put it down. But despite the game's overwhelming popularity, developer Poncle currently has no plans to follow it up with a sequel.

In a recent AMA on the Nintendo Switch subreddit, the developer was asked about its next game and whether it will opt for a follow-up to Vampire Survivors or branch out into a whole new genre. "We're so focused on Vampire survivors we've not really thought of what we do next, would be something we know the players would enjoy though!" replied lead QA engineer Mathew Gurunlian. "Personally I've always been a big fan of platformers like banjo-kazooie so would love to work on something like that one day."

There may be no sign of a sequel, but Ponch has no intention of calling it a day on Vampire Survivors anytime soon, either. When quizzed on the topic of updates and DLC, Gurunlian responded, "As long as Luca [Galante, game creator] has ideas we'll keep updating the game!"

A major new update for Vampire Survivors arrived last month, alongside the Nintendo Switch version, which introduced couch co-op to the roguelike, allowing you to take on wave after wave of nightmarish creatures with friends by your side. 

"With the way Vampire Survivors is designed, we can deliver both new content and new game mechanics on the existing game, so why make a sequel?" Galante said in an interview back in March. "I think that if we make a sequel or a spiritual successor, then we should offer something radically new." 

For now, why not test your survival skills with our pick of the best roguelikes

Anne-Marie Ostler
Freelance Writer

Originally from Ireland, I moved to the UK in 2014 to pursue a Games Journalism and PR degree at Staffordshire University. Following that, I've freelanced for GamesMaster, Games TM, Official PlayStation Magazine and, more recently, Play and GamesRadar+. My love of gaming sprang from successfully defeating that first Goomba in Super Mario Bros on the NES. These days, PlayStation is my jam. When not gaming or writing, I can usually be found scouring the internet for anything Tomb Raider related to add to my out of control memorabilia collection.