'Surfpunk' is a new action RPG where up to four players cooperate to explore monster-infested islands and ride the waves. Built on hack-and-slash mechanics, it introduces a unique concept called 'Surf-and-slash.' Players take on the role of a pirate 'Raider,' riding boards between procedurally generated tropical islands. The primary goal is to complete thrilling missions, defeating waves of enemies and collecting loot before a massive tsunami hits.

Double Stallion is the developer that proved its action game expertise with 'Convergence: A League of Legends Story,' a 2D side-scrolling Metroidvania featuring 'Ekko' from the popular game 'League of Legends.' This new title retains the dynamic action of its predecessor while differentiating itself from other dark and violent games. It features a vibrant, 'shonen manga'-inspired color palette and humorous, lively animation-style art, creating a bright atmosphere that friends can enjoy together.

The core experience of 'Surfpunk' lies in multiplayer cooperation. Players must divide roles and create synergy using four distinct weapons (classes)—a sword, dual pistols, an anchor, and an electric guitar that attacks to the rhythm—to successfully complete missions. The game also includes management and progression systems that allow players to upgrade weapons and skill trees with collected loot. A demo is currently available on Steam. The developers emphasized the importance of their Korean fans, who showed great support for their previous work, and announced that official Korean subtitles will be supported for the upcoming Early Access launch.

Double Stallion set up a demo booth for 'Surfpunk' at 'BitSummit,' a global indie game festival held in Kyoto, Japan. INVEN met with Eric Angelillo, Creative Director at Double Stallion, at the event to discuss the game's direction and the story behind its development.

Q. Could you start with a brief introduction to 'Surfpunk'.

" 'Surfpunk' is a co-op-focused action RPG. Internally, we call it a 'Surf-and-slash' game. The core gameplay is based on hack-and-slash action similar to 'Ravenswatch,' 'Hades,' or 'League of Legends,' but the meta-game and management systems are designed more like 'Monster Hunter' or 'HELLDIVERS.' Players act as pirates called 'Raiders,' choosing missions from their ship before setting out. It is not a roguelike; it is mission-based with specific objectives. You can upgrade weapons and grow your skill tree with the treasure you find during missions.

Q. What inspired you to adopt the unique concept of 'surfing' in the game.

" We looked at several games in similar genres, and most had very dark and violent themes. We wanted to maintain intense action while creating a fun, lively atmosphere where friends could gather and joke around. That led us to a 'shonen manga' sensibility, like 'One Piece,' and we decided that the surfing theme was a perfect, exciting fit for those humorous elements.

Q. You emphasized multiplayer. How does it work?

" Up to four players can form a team to complete missions together. Each class has different strengths, so players must support one another and cooperate to succeed. It is a PvE mode where you fight against the environment, not a PVP mode. Every mission has a map with randomly accessible islands, where you can discover hidden objectives. The game was designed with multiplayer as the core experience, and we prepared a 4-player mode for the demo at the Graph booth here at BitSummit.

Q. How many weapons (classes) are there currently?

" Classes in 'Surfpunk' are defined by their weapons. At the time of the Early Access launch, we will provide the same four weapons currently in the demo: sword, dual pistols, guitar, and anchor.

Q. It's unique that a guitar is used as a weapon. What role does it play?

" It's an electric guitar-style weapon that acts as a sort of supporter class. It has many interesting skills and a rhythm-based attack mechanism. The anchor is closer to a tank, but it also allows for supporter play by throwing a hook to pull teammates up and assist with movement. We plan to increase the number of weapons to six or more after reflecting on community feedback during the Early Access period.

Q. What is the size of the development team and the duration of development for 'Surfunk'?

" There are eight full-time staff members working on it, and it has taken at least three years. Since our previous title, 'Convergence: A League of Legends Story,' was a 2D side-scrolling Metroidvania, we had to build entirely new technology from scratch for this project, which took quite a bit of time initially. We have been receiving feedback since releasing a demo on Steam last December, and we want to move to the Early Access stage as soon as possible.

Q. How have the reactions been from users who tried it on-site?

" They were quite good. Everyone seemed to enjoy it. I am confident that the art style of 'Surfpunk' will definitely resonate in the Asian market. Western users generally prefer dark and violent games, but Asian users tend to enjoy vibrant colors and beautiful graphic elements. Much of the inspiration for this game comes from PlayStation 2 or Dreamcast console games I enjoyed in the past, especially Japanese titles.

Q. If you had to pick the best game of your life, what would it be?

" If I had to pick my favorite game from childhood, it would definitely be 'Sonic 3.' I also loved the style of Capcom's brawler 'Power Stone 2.' I can't leave out 'Skies of Arcadia,' a story about flying pirates released around 2001. 'Surfpunk' was slightly inspired by that game as well.

Q. Why did you decide to support the Korean language?

" It's not supported in the current demo, but we absolutely plan to add Korean subtitles before the Early Access launch. Korea is a very important market right now. Since our previous game, 'Convergence: A League of Legends Story,' was an IP game based on 'League of Legends,' it was quite popular in Korea. We expect there to be many potential fans in Korea, and Korean is a language we really want to support.

Q. Will there be voice acting for the characters?

" Not every line of dialogue is voiced, but there will be voice lines for characters shouting battle cries or short phrases. Currently, English and Japanese voices are applied. We are also talking with influencers for special guest voices in the game, and we plan to gradually expand so that players can choose their own character's voice.

Q. When is the official release date scheduled.

" We would like to release it before the end of this year if possible, but nothing is confirmed. It is much more important to properly finish the game than to force a release to meet a schedule.

Q. Lastly, do you have a message for Korean users.

" I know that Korean gamers really enjoy PVP games like 'League of Legends.' However, those games can sometimes cause significant stress and fatigue. I sincerely hope that 'Surfpunk,' while possessing dynamic action similar to those games, can be a game that friends can play together in a much more relaxed and enjoyable way, free from the stress of competition.