SteamDB’s October 15 figures put Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse at 17,896 concurrent players, above Dead Cells‘ all-time peak of 14,910. The Steam launch landed on the previously announced October 15 date for the Xbox version.
Evil Empire CEO Thomas Pfeiffeir and Head of Business Ben Laulan described the game’s tuning process in a PCGamesN interview. Laulan said the team tried slower, heavier combat with a Dark Souls-like rhythm, but found that version “too slow, too intense, and just too hard” for Castlevania. Faster iterations swung too far the other way, feeling too much like Dead Cells and leaving less room for exploration. The team eventually found a pace that “feels good in your hands.”
Exploration unfolds across a fixed map, where secrets and newly acquired abilities open routes that Rose could not reach before. Her whip also serves both combat and traversal, letting the same tool connect action with movement. Rose’s whip connects movement and combat, helping make exploration part of the action rather than a break between fights.
What balance would you want Belmont’s Curse to strike between fast combat and time to explore? Follow us for more on the design choices shaping Rose’s adventure on X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram, Steam, and Telegram.
