Ashbane is a turn-based tactics RPG about running a mercenary guild, with permadeath and six-player co-op

Ottawa-based indie studio Shiverblade Studios is developing Ashbane – a turn-based tactics RPG where you build a mercenary guild from nothing and turn a handful of fighters into a force to be reckoned with.

The core loop revolves around expeditions. You recruit Freeblades, assemble a warband of six, and head out to take contracts or launch raids of your own. Routes branch, threats and rewards shift with each deployment, and procedural encounters mean no two expeditions play out the same way.

Combat is built around positioning and timing. Claiming angles, controlling space, setting up decisive turns – it all matters. Abilities punish tight formations and can swing a fight in your favor. And if things go south, you can retreat or surrender, because death in Ashbane is permanent.

The roster is built around 40 unique classes. Fighters can be outfitted with gear, have their attributes developed, and spend ability points to unlock new skills. Between contracts you upgrade the Guildhouse, and out in the field, campsites keep the warband going.

The story side offers three campaigns, each with its own conflicts and consequences. The Oathbound are a disciplined force holding the line against the Dreadforged. The Dreadforged are outcasts who've returned to break the world that broke them. The Unsworn are an independent guild that plays both sides and answers only to profit. According to the lore, the Adurans cast the Shade into exile for their necromancy – now the exiled return, and death marches with them.

Multiplayer supports up to six players in co-op, either local or online. There's also a PvP mode with matchmaking, the ability to challenge friends directly, and leaderboards to climb.

Ashbane is also built with modding in mind – you can create new classes, traits, skills, items, and expedition maps.

Release is planned for 2026, and there's already a Steam page.