We’re gearing up to launch Early Access for Lynked: Banner of the Spark on Tuesday, October 22. Before we do, we’d like to share an overview of the core components we’ve weaved together to bring you a blend of arcade-style combat, roguelite-inspired progression, and cozy town building.
What to Expect During Early Access
From day one of Early Access, you and your friends can dive into a large portion of the gameplay content we plan to add in the full release of the game at a later date. This includes four chapters of the campaign, each containing six missions. Early Access also allows you to take on a variety of replayable side missions, offering plenty of opportunities to experiment with your gear, abilities, upgrades, and combat builds. Additionally, you’ll encounter a wide variety of enemies to defeat, numerous characters to meet, and an abundance of buildings and décor items to help bring your town to life.
We’ll be closely monitoring the feedback our community shares as they play and discuss the game with us and each other. We want to hear your thoughts on Lynked so far so we can incorporate them when making adjustments and improvements throughout Early Access, leading up to launch and beyond.
Speaking of launch, our goal is to release a major content update as Early Access concludes, adding many more hours of gameplay. For instance, the campaign will expand to include five additional chapters, for a total of nine. We are currently aiming for a 2025 release for the 1.0 version of the game. That timeline may shift depending on development needs, but we’ll keep you updated if it does.
Bring the Fight to the Combots
At the outset of your journey, you’ll meet Interspecies Liaison Unibot, model BU-D118, or "Buddy," who is always ready to lend you a hand—literally. The "Lynk" you form with Buddy transforms him into an armored gauntlet that replaces your right arm and equips you with one of your most important tools: the Wyre, a versatile grappling hook. Use it to grab and fling small enemies and environmental objects across a room (or over cliffs), stun or pull in mid-size threats, execute spectacular combos, and interact with objective items.
Once you’ve got the Wyre “on hand,” it’s time to choose your weapon of choice as you brawl, slash, and dash your way through Combot forces to complete your missions. As you progress, you’ll unlock ten unique weapon classes. Each class offers several variants, and a plethora of upgrades to discover mid-run. Additionally, you can use a collectable resource called “Soulspark” to unlock and unleash Spark Powers coming in a variety of types, from offensive, crowd-control, defensive, support, and passive options. With a ton of weapon options, Wyre upgrades, and special abilities, combining these elements offers near-endless possibilities for experimenting with a fighting style uniquely your own.
Here’s a preview of just a few of the weapon classes you can bring into battle against the Combots:
Sword
The first weapon you unlock in Lynked; it offers balanced, short-range, quick attacks, along with a variety of special moves (depending on the sword), such as piercing strikes or a cyclonic spinning attack.
Battleboard
A weapon you can literally ride into battle. Carve through enemies in rapid succession, or wield the Battleboard as a melee weapon to strike Combots with quick, sweeping moves.
Blaster
Keep your distance from the deadly Combots and blast them away with one of the more powerful ranged weapons in Lynked. Special attacks vary from Blaster to Blaster, including a wave blast that pushes nearby enemies back or rapid fire that hits enemies in quick succession.
Head Home and Make it Your Own
After completing a mission, your ever-airborne ally Goodbot will fly you and Buddy back to the safety of your town. As you bring more allies home and your community grows, so do your options for building out and customizing your surroundings. Work together with the Unibots to tailor the town to your liking, construct new buildings, craft weapons and items, and unlock permanent upgrades for your gear.
You can also unwind with activities like farming, fishing, and gathering crafting materials—perfect for taking a break from the pressures of saving the world. When you’re ready, your next mission will be waiting for you.
Now that your fledgling town has been established, you can click here to learn more about some of the key Unibot allies you’ll encounter throughout your journey!
Team Up and Take ‘Em Down
Humans may be rare these days, but they’re not extinct! Among those who remain, many are willing to join forces in hopes of carving out a space for humanity to thrive again.
Grab a pair of friends who always have your back and take on challenging missions and boss battles in up to 3-player co-op. Solid teamwork adds a whole new dimension to combat, turning your team into a force to be reckoned with. Strategize, communicate, and plan out complementary gear, coordinate attacks, and maximize the impact of your abilities by timing them just right with your teammates.
When the dust settles, the three of you will return to your shared town, where you can trade resources, gather crafting materials, customize together, or prepare for your next mission. While combat missions support up to 3-player co-op, your town can host up to six players at once. From there, you can split up—some can take on missions while others stay in town to socialize and relax.
Thank you for joining us to learn more about the project we’ve poured so much love and dedication into. We hope you have as much fun playing our game as we’ve had crafting it for you when Early Access begins in October.
Don’t forget to add Lynked: Banner of the Spark to your Steam wishlist, and be sure to join us on Discord and your favorite social media platforms to stay up to date with the latest announcements throughout development!