Absolum's first update dares you to unravel the threads of fate, introducing rule modifiers, corrupted biomes and improved mounts into 2025's best beat 'em up

Absolum’s first update dares you to unravel the threads of fate, introducing rule modifiers, corrupted biomes and improved mounts into 2025’s best beat ‘em up | PC Gamer Skip to main content Open menu Close main menu PC Gamer THE GLOBAL AUTHORITY ON PC GAMES US Edition UK US Canada Australia Subscribe Sign in View Profile Sign out Search Search PC Gamer Games Hardware News Reviews Guides Video Forum More PC Gaming Show Software Movies & TV Codes Coupons Magazine Newsletter Affiliate links Meet the team Community guidelines About PC Gamer PC Gamer Magazine SubscriptionWhy subscribe?Subscribe to the world’s #1 PC gaming magTry a single issue or save on a subscriptionIssues delivered straight to your door or device From$1Subscribe now Don’t miss these Third Person Shooter Nobody is doing live service better than Helldivers 2 because Arrowhead makes expansions, not just updates Roguelike Cult of the Lamb Woolhaven presented a great opportunity to make the game harder, but the devs promise they weren’t ‘necessarily trying to stress players out’ Action Underrated hack ‘n’ slash Blades of Fire heads to Steam with a 2.0 update, bringing new game plus and ‘expanded death and mutilation variations’ for you sickos out there Games PC Gamer’s Game of the Year Awards 2025 Roguelike Cult of the Lamb’s Woolhaven is inspired by the likes of The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine and Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree: ‘We wanted to make it a real chunky experience’ Games The best laptop games Games The best indie games on PC RPG The best Elder Scrolls game that isn’t an Elder Scrolls game is getting a big patch in February and free DLC in March Action Hell is Us review: a gorgeous adventure that gets in its own way a little too often Roguelike Cult of the Lamb’s Woolhaven DLC is everything I could’ve wanted and more, with brilliant fights, lethal weather, and of course, heaps of cute little critters MOBA Deadlock’s new Street Brawl mode is like a better version of the infamous MOBA ‘All Random, All Mid,’ but I think it could stand to be even more chaotic Card Game The Monster Train 2 DLC is very good: the Railforged, a challenging new mode, and a mechanical spider factory FPS After playing Deadlock’s new ‘Oops, All Teamfights’ mode, Highguard’s kitchen-sink ruleset feels overwrought Survival & Crafting It was a good year for survival crafting sickos, and I’ll be playing some of these well into 2026 Roguelike Roguelike beat-‘em-up Absolum’s new update is adding even more variety to 2025’s most replayable game PopularArc RaidersBest PC gearFalloutHelldivers 2PC Gamer Quizzes! Games Action Absolum Absolum’s first update dares you to unravel the threads of fate, introducing rule modifiers, corrupted biomes and improved mounts into 2025’s best beat ‘em up News By Rick Lane published 15 February 2026 Play new game presets or create your own in Guard Crush Games’ stunning slugfest. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Guard Crush / Dotemu) Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter PC Gamer Get the PC Gamer Newsletter Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Want to add more newsletters? Every Friday GamesRadar+ Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you’re going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them. Signup + Every Thursday GTA 6 O’clock Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O’clock experts. Signup + Every Friday Knowledge From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what’s on the horizon. Signup + Every Thursday The Setup Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more. Signup + Every Wednesday Switch 2 Spotlight Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo’s new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play. Signup + Every Saturday The Watchlist Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we’ve got you covered. Signup + Once a month SFX Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month! Signup + An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter It’s a testament to the quality and inventiveness of Absolum that it stood out as strongly as it did when it released in October last year, a month that also brought us Battlefield 6, Bloodlines 2, and a little game called Arc Raiders. Absolum’s roguelite twist on a classic beat ‘em up format was exactly the citrus twist the genre needed, yielding glowing reviews and, as of 17 days ago, half a million players.Slightly belatedly, developer Guard Crush Games (who were co-devs on Streets of Rage 4 alongside LizardCube) released Absolum’s first major update Threads of Fate, which pistons a fistful of new features straight into the base game’s jaw.Among the flecks of spittle and flying teeth, the most prominent addition is the all-new mystic ordeals. This range of modifiers lets players tailor Absolum’s challenge more specifically to their liking. There’s a range of preset ordeals including boss run, horde mode and multiplayer trials. If none of that sounds to your liking, you can also create your own ordeal and share it with your friends (something I do on a daily basis, which is why none of them speak to me anymore). Related articles Roguelike beat-‘em-up Absolum’s new update is adding even more variety to 2025’s most replayable game We’re living in the new golden age of 2D beat-‘em-ups—but the best one released this year had one foot in a different genre entirely This roguelike take on Geometry Wars is the best game I’ve played this month, and the latest to become a permanent fixture on my Steam Deck Alongside this, Guard Crush has replaced Absolum’s rifts with a new system that throws corrupted biomes at you. These randomised areas are visible at the outset of each run, and you can choose to attack them for an additional challenge and the potential for more substantial rewards. Corrupted biomes also fold into the mystic ordeals