Poncle Reveals Vampire Survivors: Legacy Of The Bloodmoon Expansion, New Japanese Studio Led By DMC Artist, And More

Developer-publisher Poncle released Vampire Survivors back in 2022, and since then, the studio has continued to expand with new games like this year’s Vampire Crawlers, expansions for existing games, and more. Now, Poncle is ready for the next stage of its growth as it has announced a new Vampire Survivors expansion, the creation of a Japan-based studio led by a lead Devil May Cry artist, and a brand new label to continue expanding its Vampire Survivors universe of games. 

The developer revealed all of this news during today’s Future Games Show Summer Showcase, leading with the upcoming Legacy of the Bloodmoon expansion for Vampire Survivors, the game that started it all. This expansion coincides with Vampire Survivors’ new name – Vampire Survivors – First Survivaton – and is being described as the “evil twin” to the Legacy of the Moonspell expansion. Legacy of the Bloodmoon is expected to launch this Summer on PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, PC, and mobile platforms (basically everywhere Vampire Survivors is playable). It will include 10 new characters, more than 16 weapons and evolutions, a new XL stage, and eight new music tracks. 

You might notice a strange word in that paragraph above – “Survivaton.” That’s the name of Poncle’s new label that will encompass any and all of its “Survivors-like projects,” according to a press release, and is short for “survive a ton.” Sure thing. “[The] label encompasses internally developed games that build on the foundation of the studio’s flagship title, Vampire Survivors, in collaboration with selected content partners,” the press release continues. “Each project will aim to introduce major gameplay changes, content expansions, or genre twists exploring ideas substantial enough to stand as their own games.” 

To celebrate the occasion, Poncle is releasing the free 1.15 Update Patch on Steam today for Vampire Survivors, and it includes a new stage, new characters, new weapons, and new Darkanas – the patch will hit other platforms by the end of the month. Plus, a Nintendo Switch 2 version of Vampire Survivors is on the way, though there’s no release date just yet. 

The final big piece of today’s Poncle update is Poncle Japan, a newly created Japan-based studio headed by Devil May Cry artist Sawaki Takeyasu. Poncle Japan will oversee local development initiatives and strategic partnerships across the country, and “the team will serve as a bridge between Poncle’s global operatives and Japanese players, creators, and industry partners, ensuring the studio’s games and initiatives resonate with local audiences while helping identify new opportunities for growth and collaboration,” according to the press release. 

For more, read Game Informer’s reviews for Vampire Survivors and Vampire Crawlers. 

How do you feel about all of these Poncle announcements? Let us know in the comments below!