In Alterstone Kingdom, captured criminals face two choices for their punishment: death or service. Most opt for execution, but a brave few choose to live life in penance as Marked Inquisitors. These wandering wrongdoers hunt wicked Mages, devouring their hearts to prevent them from terrorizing the Kingdom any further. 

Customize a Marked Inquisitor’s crime, look, and class. Choose from one of eight starting classes — Highblade, Paladin, Assassin, Cleric, Dualist, Fighter, Ranger, or Sage — then partake in the Magebane Rite. Imbibe the sacred drink, speak the words, and come away from the rite Spellmarked, in a flux state between life and death. Free from mortal fears, the Inquisitors vow to spill the blood of Mages to put an end to their cruelty. 

Prepare for each excursion at Pardoner’s Vale, a hub filled with friendly Inquisitors. Set out and roam eerie villages, tomb temples, and swamp kingdoms in single player or drop-in drop-out online co-op. Find clues and track down more than 20 types of Mages, including scorching Pyromancers, toxic Venomancers, and abominable Corpumancers. Wield grappling hooks and pursue them, then slay them in brawler-style side scrolling combat. 

Pillage the remains of Mages to craft new equipment with Runic Arts, granting Inquisitors unprecedented new abilities. Search every decrepit corner across multiple maps for powerful melee weapons, deadly ranged weapons, and protective armor and charms. Join multiplayer factions, including the cooperation-focused Dawnlight Order and the player-killing Shroud Alliance.

Ska Studios brings back its signature hand-drawn look, providing each candlelit cave and foggy forest with a personal feel. The expansive Bestiary features more than 100 monsters, many inspired by Scandinavian folklore. James Silva’s haunting score injects a sense of foreboding throughout the entire journey.

Death or servitude as a Marked Inquisitor are the only options for criminals unlucky enough to get caught in the act. As a Marked Inquisitor, hunt down mages and devour their hearts to cleanse the corrupted Altarstone Kingdom, but beware of invaders from another world trying to halt the purification process...or invite the player-controlled interlopers to trial by combat.

After creating a Marked Inquisitor’s appearance, class, and past crime, you’ll embark on your cursed hunt, but there’s no sense in suffering alone. Join a variety of factions for multiplayer combat and online interactions. Revealed in a gameplay trailer highlighting Salt and Sacrifice’s multiplayer features are two such factions: the Shroud Alliance, with a focus on pure PvP combat, and the Blueheart Runners, an invading PvE cadre of arcane smugglers who wreak chaos in a host’s realm.

Consume a Guiltless Shard to temporarily disable the Spellmark, strange magic that binds Marked Inquisitors to their Kingdom, opening the world to invaders seeking riches and blood. Although invaders are other players seeking PvP encounters, the magic that binds them provides ample opportunity for balance. Oathbound Watchers are drawn into worlds threatened by invaders to protect their hosts, and Sheriff Inquisitors are summoned to police realms defiled by Blueheart Runners.

Solo players desiring a pure-PvE experience can avoid the threat of otherworldly invaders simply by never summoning an ally. Those seeking friendly cooperation and exploration may use a password system to grant allies easy access to their game world for epic, mage-slaying adventures.

The eight starting classes, Highblade, Paladin, Assassin, Cleric, Dualist, Fighter, Ranger, and Sage, give PvP matchups a wide variety of strategies and depth. Claim victory in the name of multiple factions like the Dawnlight Order or Shroud Alliance. Finish each fight in style with gruesome finishers to rid the realm of your faction’s enemies.

Experiencing the dark tale of Salt and Sacrifice goes beyond a challenging single-player campaign, utilizing fan-favorite mechanics from soulslikes of the past and deadly multiplayer PvP for a gripping journey that never relents.

“After the success of Salt and Sanctuary’s single-player adventure, we knew that we had to deliver something that continued to raise the bar of quality,” said James Silva, founder, Ska Studios. “We felt that the iconic soulslike multiplayer experience was the best way to do that. We really can’t wait to see what kind of community forms around it. Don’t be surprised if the development team joins a few online fight clubs!”

Salt And Sacrifice will be available for PS5 and PC in Q1 2022 at USD $19.99.