Wolcen 2: the announcement trailer shows no interface
In brief
Wolcen Studio unveiled Wolcen 2 at gamescom 2024 with a purely visual 60-second trailer, devoid of any interface. The studio had to supplement this presentation with a 31-minute commented gameplay video to showcase the menus and game systems, while early access is announced for 2027 without a precise date.
Wolcen Studio unveiled Wolcen 2 on Wednesday, August 26 during the Future Games Show at gamescom. The trailer runs 60 seconds and opens with an "ARACHNOPHOBIA" warning card before a single frame of gameplay.
What it shows fits within an isometric view: a ruined temple dominated by the seated statue of a crowned figure, a Gothic nave, a flow of lava, a gold-ringed throne bathed in red. On the combat side, blue lightning streaks across the ground, circular sigils signal an incoming strike, a swarm of giant spiders spits green venom. The final shot isolates the horned mask that serves as the game's main visual.

What it doesn't show is the interface. Not a health globe, not a skill bar, not a single item on the ground in a full minute. For an action-RPG whose entire pitch rests on builds — weapons unlock skills, a passive tree rewrites them, the Shadow Form serves as a transformation — the omission stands out.
The studio corrected it the very next day: on Thursday, August 27, it released a 31-minute Alpha Gameplay Walkthrough narrated by technical director Adrian Dinu and lead narrative designer Mateja Vidakovic. The menus are there, just not in the trailer.
The closing card sticks to "Coming to Early Access in 2027": no month, no platforms, no price. The Steam page targets a complete act, 8 bosses, 5 weapon types and 10 biomes for early access. Immediate deadline: the first closed test phase ends Monday, August 31 at 21:59 UTC (11:59 p.m. CEST).
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What do you think of this approach: a trailer without an interface—clever marketing or a clumsy omission?
Key takeaways
- The announcement trailer deliberately omits any interface: no health bar, no skill menu, just pure isometric action
- Wolcen Studio made up for it the very next day with a much more complete 31-minute Alpha Gameplay Walkthrough
- Early Access arrives in 2027 with 8 bosses, 5 weapon types, and 10 biomes at launch
- The giant spiders justify the arachnophobia warning displayed before the trailer
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