Hand of Fate: Hordes release to bring its dark-fantasy bullet heaven auto-shooter chaos to Linux, Mac, and Windows and the Dealer’s deadly games. Spitfire Interactive keeps proving it knows how to build titles that feel bold, strange, and hard to put down.. Due to make its way onto Steam Early Access.
The Dealer is back, and this time we are not just flipping cards at a table. We are trapped beyond the 13th Gate, surrounded by monsters, bad odds, and just enough power to believe we might actually survive.
The Hand of Fate: Hordes release is now set for July 22nd, when Spitfire Interactive and Spicy Koala bring the game to Steam Early Access for Linux. For anyone who has been waiting for the Hand of Fate series to return in a fresh way, this one has that dangerous little spark. It looks familiar enough to hit the nostalgia button, but wild enough to feel like a new obsession.
Before that launch, players can get their hands on a demo during Steam Bullet Fest. The demo starts June 8th at 10:00 PDT, which is 19:00 CEST. So yes, we get a proper chance to test the chaos before the gates fully open.
The Dealer returns, and the stakes feel personal
Hand of Fate has always had a special kind of magic. It was never just about combat. It was about risk. Choice. That strange feeling when one card could save your run or ruin it completely.
Hand of Fate: Hordes takes that soul and releases it into a dark-fantasy bullet heaven auto-shooter. You are imprisoned inside the Shadow Vaults with the banished Dealer, fighting through endless enemies, strange dungeon runs, deadly quests, and brutal bosses. All of it takes place beyond the mysterious 13th Gate, where the world feels cursed from the moment you step in.
And yes, Anthony Skordi is back as the voice of the Dealer. That matters. His voice is a huge part of why the series stuck in people’s heads. Hearing that presence return gives this whole thing a sharper edge.
Hand of Fate: Hordes Deckbuilding releases survivor-style combat
The big hook ins this release is how Hand of Fate: Hordes blends survivor-like autoshooting with strategic deckbuilding. That sounds simple on paper, but it could be the thing that makes this stand out in a genre full of copycats.
Each run is shaped by cards. These can change encounters, grant blessings, unlock weapons, add modifiers, and bring fresh risk or reward. The more your deck grows, the more you start seeing new rarities, story encounters, treasure events, and run-changing twists.
That is the good stuff.
It means you are not just moving around a screen while enemies flood in. You are building your own trouble. You are choosing what kind of nightmare you want to survive.
Four heroes, four ways to cause problems
At launch into Early Access, players can master four heroes: Trickster, Goblin, Warrior, and Rebel. Each one has their own style across ranged, melee, and magical combat.
That variety matters for players who care about builds and performance. Some of us love clean ranged damage. Some want to get in close and bully the map. Others want weird magical nonsense that breaks the game in beautiful ways.
Every run offers new ways to stack abilities, weapons, buffs, and deck choices into something nasty. That is where I think the Hand of Fate: Hordes release could really shine. The best bullet heaven games make you feel weak at first, then slowly turn you into a walking disaster. Add smart deckbuilding to that loop, and suddenly every choice has weight.
Hand of Fate: Hordes – Early Access Release Trailer
A new Hand of Fate: Hordes name release with a clearer identity
The game was first announced as Hordes of Fate: A Hand of Fate Adventure. After community feedback, it has now been renamed to Hand of Fate: Hordes.
Honestly, that feels cleaner. It tells returning fans exactly what this is while still making room for the new bullet heaven direction. While it is still Hand of Fate. This release is just angrier, faster, and packed with more enemies than any sane person should want on screen.
Early Access should give this room to grow
Spitfire Interactive says this will be a true Early Access launch. That means Hand of Fate: Hordes is expected to keep evolving post release, with more heroes, quests, dungeons, bosses, weapons, and gameplay updates.
Creative Director Cade Franklin said the team is excited to bring back the series with Spicy Koala, combining survivor-style combat with the strategy, risk, and card-based gameplay that define Hand of Fate. The goal is to push the bullet heaven genre in a more strategic direction while building the title with player feedback throughout Early Access.
That is the kind of pitch PC players understand. Give us a strong core loop. Give us smart systems. Then keep tuning it with the community.
Linux players are not being left behind
The best part for our corner of the world is simple. The Hand of Fate: Hordes release is coming to Linux on Steam Early Access, alongside Mac and Windows.
That dark-fantasy bullet heaven auto-shooter is worth celebrating. Too many interesting indie games still treat Linux like an afterthought. Here, Linux players get to step beyond the 13th Gate at the same time as everyone else.
So mark July 22nd. Try the demo during Steam Bullet Fest starting June 8th. Then get ready to face the Dealer again.