THQ Nordic closed out its showcase this week by teasing what looks to be the next mainline installment in its Darksiders series.
The ominous teaser, which you can watch below, takes us to a mysterious set of caverns as the Charred Council from the series as they roar to life and shout "Horseman!" The teaser ends with the line: "Be prepared to ride again..."
While those who tuned in to the showcase while it unfolded live already figured it to be a new Darksiders game, THQ Nordic confirmed that to be the case over on the Xbox Wire blog.
"The foreboding rumble of caverns eons old. Embers swirl through the air, cast up from pools of bubbling lava," THQ Nordic said, recapping the trailer. "Three enormous heads, hewn from otherworldly stone suddenly burst into life with mystical flame. The Charred Council roar a single word in unison: HORSEMAN."
"It won’t be long until we reveal more about where the Darksiders series is going next, but for now, know this… the Four Horsemen will ride again," the developer teased.
Darksiders is a hack-and-slash, action-adventure franchise that was originally created by Vigil Games, a studio formed by comic artist Joe Madureira and David Adams in 2005 and owned by THQ. The series is set in a post-apocalyptic Earth where mankind faces near-extinction and angels fight a losing battle against the demon hordes for control over the world.
"Deceived by the forces of evil into prematurely bringing about the end of the world, War – the first Horseman of the Apocalypse – stands accused of breaking the sacred law by inciting a war between Heaven and Hell. In the slaughter that ensued, the demonic forces defeated the heavenly hosts and laid claim to the Earth," the description for the original Darksiders reads.
"Brought before the sacred Charred Council, War is indicted for his crimes and stripped of his powers. Dishonored and facing his own death, War is given the opportunity to return to Earth to search for the truth and punish those responsible," the synopsis continues. "Hunted by a vengeful group of Angels, War must take on the forces of Hell, forge uneasy alliances with the very demons he hunts, and journey across the ravaged remains of the Earth on his quest for vengeance and vindication."
Vigil Games developed Darksiders in 2010 and its sequel, Darksiders II, in 2012. In the sequel, players take on the role of Death on a quest to redeem his brother's name. The game was published by Nordic Games, who acquired the rights to the franchise following the bankruptcy of THQ.
Darksiders III, the third mainline installment in the franchise, was released in 2018. This time, players take on the role of Fury, the third of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. In a story set parallel with the first two games, Fury is sent on a quest to recapture the escaped Seven Deadly Sins. As development shifted to Gunfire Games, Darksiders III incorporated elements from Metroidvanias and Souls-likes.
While Darksiders III marked the last in the mainline series, a spin-off prequel, Darksiders Genesis was released in 2019. Developed by Airship Syndicate, Darksiders Genesis was a top-down hack-and-slash action role-playing game that introduces the fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse, Strife.
Gunfire Games is said to be developing the new Darksiders game, but we'll have to wait a bit longer for more details.