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Quantic Dream making a multiplayer MOBA wasn't on anyone's bingo card for 2025, yet here we are. The studio behind Detroit: Become Human and Heavy Rain has swapped branching narratives for 3v3 aerial battles, and after an hour with the game ahead of its December 4th closed beta, I'm pleasantly surprised by how well they've stuck the landing.
Flying Changes Everything
Spellcasters Chronicles borrows the familiar MOBA framework, which includes three lanes, minion waves, and bases to destroy, but tosses in a flight mechanic that genuinely reshapes how matches play out. During my preview, everyone spent most of their time airborne, and for good reason. The elevated perspective gives you a proper view of the battlefield, and the freedom to zip between lanes means flanking opportunities are everywhere. If you're getting stonewalled head-on, there's usually a route around or over the enemy's position.
The real payoff comes during player-versus-player scraps. Fights have this Dragon Ball Z feel as you're hovering above the map, hurling massive spells at each other whilst trying to dodge incoming fire. It's visually spectacular and genuinely fun, though whether the flight system stays balanced remains to be seen. In my limited session, it didn't feel bad, quite the contrary, but I imagine competitive players will give this one a proper test.
Behemoths and Deck Building
What sets Spellcasters Chronicles apart from the usual MOBA suspects are the behemoths, which are these towering creatures you can summon once you've earned enough experience. These things are absolute units. They're tough to bring down and can swing a match in your favour if you get one out before the opposition does. Watching two behemoths clash in the middle of the arena is properly impressive, and the chaos they create can sometimes give you opportunities to strike somewhere else on the map, while everyone is focused on supporting their behemoths.
The game leans heavily into its deck-building system. As you level up during a match by slaying monsters and enemy players, you'll unlock new spells and summons from your pre-built deck. The upcoming beta will offer 11 creatures, 8 spells, 2 buildings, and 2 titans to experiment with, though the full game promises over 50 options. Each of the six playable Spellcasters has their own archetype, the Swamp Witch excels with swarm tactics, the Astral Monk dishes out burst damage, the Iron Sorcerer controls lanes with structures, so there's scope for varied strategies once you dig into the system.
I didn't have time to properly test every spell combination, but what I used felt flashy and responsive. The abilities are colourful, over-the-top, and satisfying to unleash, which is half the appeal of these games anyway (for me at least).
A Bold New Direction
The map I played on is like a jungle canyon dotted with ancient ruins and I have to say it looked fantastic. Quantic Dream's art team has nailed the stylised aesthetic whilst keeping everything visually readable during the chaos. The character designs follow familiar MOBA archetypes (tank, healer, DPS), but they're distinct and well-realised. Some will inevitably rise to the top of the tier lists, but that's par for the course in this genre.
What's most impressive is how confidently Quantic Dream has shifted gears. This is a studio known for cinematic, story-driven experiences, not competitive multiplayer games. Yet the movement feels tight, the combat is dynamic, and the overall gameplay loop works. If I hadn't known Quantic Dream was behind it, they'd be the last developer I'd guess. Credit where it's due, the studio has dived into unfamiliar territory and emerged with something genuinely solid.
Beta details
The closed beta kicks off on December 4th at 3 pm UTC and runs until December 8th on Steam. Registration is open now on the game's Steam page, and even if you don't get into this first wave, you'll remain eligible for future tests. Spellcasters Chronicles is free-to-play, so there's no barrier to entry once it hits Early Access next year.
It's too early to say whether Spellcasters Chronicles will carve out a lasting space in the crowded MOBA market, but the fundamentals are there. The flight mechanic adds a fresh wrinkle, the behemoths provide proper spectacle, and the deck-building system offers enough depth to keep things interesting. For a first attempt at this genre, Quantic Dream has shown they can do more than just tell stories - they can build a competitive arena worth fighting in.
