Wielders of the Essence, the new game from Coffee Stain Publishing and Lavapotion, is set to release on November 5, 2026. It is a new project set in the fantasy strategy world of Songs of Conquest, but with a completely different approach to gameplay. Instead of classic strategy, Wielders of the Essence combines incremental progression, bullet heaven action, and base building.
Players embark on a randomly generated adventure map, fighting enemies and collecting resources until victory or death. The collected resources are used to upgrade the base, and each new building unlocks additional possibilities. This includes new skills, special powers, and new Wielders, gradually expanding and diversifying each subsequent playthrough.
Since the release of the demo version in February, Lavapotion has added and announced a series of new elements to the game. Among them are new trinkets and spells, upcoming superpowers that change build behavior, integration with Twitch chat for upgrade suggestions, clearer end statistics, and improved visuals and animations.
Wielders of the Essence has already gathered over 25,000 wishlist additions, and the development team continues to refine the game based on community feedback. Lavapotion states that this is a new way to explore the world of Aerbora, aimed at existing fans of Songs of Conquest, as well as players who enjoy bullet heaven and games with a clear sense of progression.
