Hey everyone! Hexborn recently crossed 2,500 wishlists and is now rapidly approaching 3,000 - a huge milestone and a massive motivator for me. Thank you all for the support. I’ve been laser-focused on preparing the first playable prototype, which will be available to try on-site at DreamHack Stockholm next week.
As the game grows, I’ll be using wishlist milestones to gauge interest and guide the next steps. But for now, here’s a look at one of the new systems going into the prototype: Active Perks.
⚡ What Are Active Perks?
Active Perks are a new perk type that give you explosive, high-impact abilities during combat. They’re powered by a Unified Power Meter that fills as you fight.
The Power Meter appears as a half-circle ring around your crosshair, and once it’s full, it enters a Ready state. Your next specific action automatically triggers the perk.
No new keys.
No cooldown timers.
No extra UI.
Active Perks stay completely woven into the FPS rhythm: you fight, the meter fills, and your next move unleashes something devastating. 
🔥 Feature Spotlight: Firestorm (Fire Archetype)
Firestorm is one of the first Active Perks available in the prototype.
It’s tied to the melee attack action. When your Power Meter is full, your next melee doesn’t swing, it summons a cursed spellbook that erupts into a spiraling fire vortex, ripping through everything around you.
Perfect for crowd clearing
Creates clutch “room wipe” moments
Rewards aggressive, up-close play
For a bit of backstory: the spellbook itself is a pulp-horror grimoire in the Necronomicon tradition, bound in leathery hide, etched with crude glyphs, and screaming with trapped faces. 
Concept art of the cursed spellbook
🔧 Why Active Perks Matter
Active Perks expand Hexborn’s buildcraft in a way that stays true to the boomer-shooter heart of the game:
Tactical timing without micromanagement
Synergies between perks, weapons, and player actions
Distinct build identities (jump-focused, melee-focused, dash-focused, etc.)
Big, satisfying spikes of power during arena combat
These perks are now part of the core experience and will be available in the first playable prototype.
Thanks for reading! And if you enjoy retro FPS combat mixed with roguelite progression, feel free to wishlist Hexborn, it really helps a lot.
See you in the next update!