New free-to-play MOBA from Quantic Dream launches on Steam early access with "Mixed" rating and technical friction

Following years of narrative-driven single-player development, Quantic Dream has officially branched into the competitive multiplayer space with the February 26, 2026 early access launch of Spellcasters Chronicles. The title is a move away from the established MOBA formula by removing automated creep waves and individual hero levels in favor of a 3v3 "mage commander" format.

Early performance metrics on SteamDB are mediocre, to say the least: the game reached an all-time peak of 888 concurrent players within its first 24 hours. While the studio’s pedigree in visual presentation is pretty evident in the game's art direction and arena design, the mechanical transition has been polarizing, especially among the initial user base of 162 reviewers.

The gameplay of Spellcasters Chronicles is designed around a deckbuilding system where players select from over 50 spells and summons before a match. Unlike big industry names like League of Legends or Dota 2, the game places goes for "lane logistics" over mechanical "outplay" potential. Because structures are highly resistant to direct player damage, victory is almost entirely dependent on the successful escort of summoned units and the deployment of "Titans", which are skyscraper-sized entities that also turn out to be the match’s primary objective-takers.

The aforementioned design choice is easier to adopt for non-genre players, but has gotten a lot of criticism regarding a perceived "passivity" in combat. Many early reviews state that while the third-person flight mechanics get you unmatched mobility, the actual spell-casting lacks the "weight" and impact that practically defines its competitors.

Furthermore, the game is somewhat demanding for PC hardware, with 16 GB of recommended RAM and an RTX 3070 for a stable experience. Also, the launch has been marred by major stability issues; community forums and "Mixed" reviews report frequent hard freezes and the lack of a reconnect feature, which can be understandably frustrating. Communication tools are also absent, with no native text chat.

Quantic Dream has released a 2026 roadmap alongside Spellcasters Chronicles' launch - there's voice chat, a Technomancer class, and reworked ranked modes over a six-month early access period, yet the current build still requires a fair amount of refinement. You can check the game out here.