End of Abyss launches October 1 on Xbox Series X|S

End of Abyss, a sci-fi action adventure from Section 9 Interactive, launches October 1 for Xbox Series X|S. The game costs $29.99.

Players take on the role of Cel, a young combat technician, exploring a massive broken-down facility underground. The studio describes the experience as a top-down metroidvania with action horror elements. You upgrade Cel's gear, discover tools, and navigate branching paths to progress deeper into the structure while confronting creatures that inhabit it.

Section 9 Interactive, based in Malmö, Sweden, was founded by three former Tarsier Studios members. The studio spent considerable time developing End of Abyss from an early prototype. What began as an action-based top-down shooter evolved into a slower, more atmospheric experience focused on exploration and tension.

The visual identity draws from 1980s and 1990s media including films, games, comic books and anime. The studio sought to capture the "weathered look and feel" of that era's manually created effects while balancing realism with stylised scale and creature design. The facility itself feels worn down and abandoned, with some areas frozen in time after prolonged decay.

Enemy design prioritised gameplay function first. The studio sketched concepts, created rough animation mockups, and prototyped enemies in Unreal Engine to develop variety across the game's enemies and bosses. Some designs draw from familiar video game tropes while others were created from scratch, with each creature designed to feel like it belongs in the world while remaining engaging to fight.

Epic Games Publishing is handling distribution. The game is available for pre-order on Xbox.