Round8 Studios Abandons Soulslike and Moves to Horror: What Comes After Lies of P?

The South Korean studio Round8 Studio has decided to take a bold step in its next project. After conquering millions with the success of Lies of P, the studio now sets its sights on the genre of sci-fi survival horror, temporarily setting aside the world of soulslike. The news was revealed by the Korean site EBN, confirming that the game will be developed in Unreal Engine 5 and will be released for PC and consoles.

The genre change is no small feat, especially considering that Lies of P sold over one million copies in less than a month after its release in October of last year and surpassed seven million players by March of this year — an impressive feat for any developer that isn't From Software.

In the meantime, fans of the dark Pinocchio story can get ready: the DLC for Lies of P is scheduled for the first quarter of 2025. Publisher Neowiz confirmed that the content is in production, but avoided detailing the progress. So far, all that is known is that the DLC will involve a ship, as revealed in a conceptual art. Director Ji Won Choi has already issued a warning: "What we have shown is just the tip of the iceberg."

Furthermore, a sequel to Lies of P has been confirmed by Choi himself, stating that the team is focused on both the DLC and the new entry in the franchise. It remains to be seen which fairy tale will be next to receive the soulslike treatment, following the success of Pinocchio's reinvention.

Meanwhile, the studio aims to position itself as one of the leaders in the South Korean gaming industry, expanding its presence to multiple PC and console projects. We will have to wait and see if the foray into sci-fi horror will be as successful as their adventure in the world of killer puppets.