Deepward blends Doom-style FPS with roguelite permadeath — and it looks like one to watch

Deepward is a fast-paced first-person shooter with roguelite mechanics where death is permanent — every wound counts, and a fatal encounter ends your run for good. It's drawing comparisons to Doom, BioShock, and Overwatch, and has quickly landed on the radar of FPS fans looking for something fresh.

The game arrives in the spotlight partly by circumstance. On July 7, Doom: The Dark Ages launched its Revelations expansion to strong praise from players and critics. The day before, Microsoft announced sweeping layoffs that cut nearly half of id Software's staff — a gut punch that overshadowed what should have been a celebratory moment for the studio. Id Software followed up with a statement assuring fans it still has "the crew we need to build the games and tech we're known for," but the damage to morale — and the community's mood — was done.

For Doom fans rattled by the id Software news and hungry for something to be excited about, Deepward is being flagged as exactly that kind of game. Its permadeath structure puts real stakes behind every firefight, pushing it beyond the typical run-and-gun loop into territory where positioning and risk management actually matter.