Built on Unreal Engine 5 and made by the creators of Call of Duty and Dead Space, Immortals Of Aveum is set in an original fantasy universe engulfed in magic, rife with conflict, and on the verge of oblivion.

Players experience this visceral and cinematic, story-driven game through the eyes of Jak, as he joins an elite order of battlemages, masters all three colors of magic - blue, green, and red - and decimates legions of enemies with clever chained attacks and well-timed counters. Combining a modern story within a fantasy setting, the world of Aveum is filled with unforgettable characters, fast-paced action and spell-based combat that defies FPS conventions.

Having grown up powerless and destitute, Jak is what’s known as an Unforeseen – someone who unexpectedly manifests magical abilities later in life. With his newfound potential, Jak is recruited by General Kirkan to join the Order of the Immortals and is reluctantly thrust into mankind’s endless war for the control of magic. With powerful magic-wielders and legions of soldiers on both sides of the Everwar, Jak and his elite order of Immortals must uncover the mysteries of Aveum's troubled past, if there's any hope for saving its future. Immortals of Aveum’s cinematic campaign is brought to life by an incredibly talented cast of AAA celebrities like Darren Barnet (“Never Have I Ever,” “Road House,” “Gran Turismo”) as Jak, and Gina Torres ("Suits," "Pearson," "Firefly") as General Kirkan.

“I'm incredibly excited to finally show the world Immortals of Aveum. It's been a five year journey for us at Ascendant, and I'm so proud of the team and their commitment to making something great," said Bret Robbins, CEO and Game Director at Ascendant Studios. "We set out to create a cinematic, thrilling shooter set in a new fantasy world, with fast and fluid combat and an epic story. I can't wait for everyone to play it.”

“EA Originals champions individuals and teams who have disruptive creative visions for their games,” said Jeff Gamon, General Manager of EA Partners. “Ascendant had us hooked when we saw how they had woven magic so seamlessly through fast-paced FPS combat, set against an action packed story we just wanted to keep reading. Bret built an incredibly talented team whose unrelenting passion for creating original, AAA games, deep lore and telling imaginative new stories is on full display in Immortals of Aveum.”

The world of Aveum features a land torn apart—quite literally—by a millennium-long Everwar for control of magical leylines. As the conflict continues, a bottomless rift called “The Wound” grows ever-larger, with a mysterious, towering statue at its center seemingly staring down on everything. Here, you take control of Jak, an aspiring Immortal who was plucked from life as an orphan in the slums to become a Magnus battle mage. He has the rare ability to wield all three “colors” of magic: A Triarch, as he’s called. With these skills, he battles the forces of the almighty magic forces of Rasharn, a superpower warring for leyline control with Jak’s homeland of Lucium. But what long-buried mysteries and secrets is this Everwar obscuring?

What exactly is an Immortal? Despite the traditional definition, these Immortals do not possess eternal life. It’s a name meant to strike fear in the hearts of foes—after all, who is less afraid of death than a person the concept wouldn’t apply to?

“Basically, they’re like the Navy SEALS of our wizard world,” says Robbins. They’re taking on the forces of Rasharn, but human soldiers are far from the only threat they’ll face: Elementals, magically-animated Constructs, and terrifyingly resilient Archons. But some of the most memorable encounters will be battles against other expert spellslingers. According to Robbins, “When you have a wizard-on-wizard battle, that’s when things really get crazy.”

The setpieces in Aveum are stunning in visuals and gameplay intensity. You aren’t going to be a back-row wizard slinging spells behind a bigger, buffer unit—you’ll need to get up close and personal with waves of fierce enemies, all eager to maul an enemy Magnus. While the fantasy setting is different from the genre norm, longtime FPS players will find a lot of familiar-feeling skills in Jak’s arsenal of magic. For example:

• Breachfire acts similarly to a shotgun.
• Stormshards are rapid-firing homing projectiles.
• Javelins are chargeable projectiles you can hurl at enemies.

“The more you get to play with them and see how they work, the more depth, surprises, and fun you’ll find,” says Robbins. “The challenge (in design) was making these spells feel as good, or even better, as shooting a gun.”

Jak also has lots of ways to move around with panache, as Robbins explains. “You can double jump,  hover over enemies, use a Lash spell where you can latch onto anchors in an arena or pull enemies closer, and even teleport dodge.” Jak also has a shield spell for when you need some extra defense. “I didn’t want to make a cover shooter, where you’re hiding and shooting—I want players to feel more powerful, like a gunslinger,” Robbins continues. “You can walk into an arena, really assess it, and own it.”

Augmenting these magical abilities is an in-depth gear and character enhancement systems. Jak can find or buy Sigils, a crucial focus for his magical power. These Sigils grant stat boosts and buffs and can also alter how certain spells work, effectively changing loadouts. Totems are another piece of magical kit that apply various boosts, though they’re focused more on movement abilities. Magic Rings augment and transform the grenade-like Fury spells. Finally, there are Bracers, gauntlets that boost Jak’s defensive abilities. Combine all this gear with a Talent Tree to power up different magic colors, and you’re looking at a considerable amount of customization.

But finding everything will take careful exploration—the stages are packed with secrets, puzzles, and hidden areas, so you’ll want to take time to look around. Robbins was eager to tell us all about Aevum’s hidden treasures. “When you get a new spell, you can return to previous areas and unlock new things. We’ve also got the Shroudfanes: mini-dungeons hidden throughout the game that have specific challenges or unique bosses—they have some of the best gear in the game.”

Ultimately, all of the gameplay and story elements are in service of creating a unique fantasy gaming experience unlike anything else. “I want players to really fall in love with the world,” says Robbins. “We’ve created a great story and a great combat system, all wrapped under the umbrella of Aveum. I truly hope the players will come to enjoy this world and the story and characters we’ve written.”

Pre-orders are available now and include the Purified Arclight sigil, which increases the power of Jak’s spells*. Players who purchase the Deluxe Edition for $69.99 USD (PC) and $79.99 USD (consoles) will receive a unique sigil, three rings, two bracers and three totems; all valuable pieces of gear in the fight to save Aveum. EA Play Pro members will get access to the Deluxe edition on EA App starting July 20, 2023.

Immortals Of Aveum is coming to PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC on July 20, 2023 for $59.99 USD (PC) and $69.99 USD (consoles).