- A high-speed arcade FPS where you race on rocket skates and take down killer androids
- It starts with Episode 1 out of a total of 4, and the remaining 3 are scheduled to be updated for free during the Early Access period.
A unique new FPS game combining beautiful girl characters and hardcore action is challenging the global market.
Indie game developer Studio Kerosene announced that its upcoming stylish, high-speed first-person shooter (FPS) game, ‘FIRESTARTERS,’ will be released on Steam Early Access on October 28. Along with the release date announcement, the developer also unveiled a new trailer video showcasing the game’s dynamic action.
‘Firestarters’ tells the story of beautiful gladiators who must survive a brutal live slaughter program run by a Japanese criminal organization. Players equip rocket skates and race across the battlefield, engaging in fast and violent combat against an advancing army of killer androids.
In particular, this work achieves a unique sophistication by blending flashy anime-style beautiful girl character designs, gory gore effects, and a deep visual novel-style story progression. It has garnered anticipation from gamers both at home and abroad even before its release, receiving praise for capturing both the sensibilities of ‘beautiful girl subculture’ and the satisfying feel of ‘hardcore shooting’.
‘STEEL’, a gladiator live broadcast run by a criminal organization
The game is set in a future Japan dominated by criminal organizations. Here, “STEEL,” a gladiator survival program run by Japan’s worst criminal organization, has established itself as a live broadcast content with the highest viewership ratings in the world.
The organization is more interested in providing an exciting spectacle to the viewers than in the lives of the participants. Participants must fight for their lives and gain freedom only by surviving in the arena and electrifying the audience.
The protagonist is Kera, a female prisoner who has lived as a notorious delinquent in the back alleys of Okinawa. To atone for her past sins and restore the freedom of her newly met comrades, she joins the “Firestarters,” a gladiator team composed of inmates.
There are no safety measures or mercy in the arena. For the underperforming participants, all that remains is a body bag with their name on it. Kera must fight her way through a brutal struggle for survival with her comrades to win freedom.
High-speed combat where you constantly move and hunt enemies
The core of ‘Firestarters’ is an aggressive combat system where survival becomes difficult the moment you stop. Kera roams the arena freely, clad in the ‘STEEL Battlesuit,’ a special combat suit that enhances physical abilities, and custom rocket skates. By combining gunfights utilizing various weapons with rapid movement, the game presents fast-paced arena FPS combat.
Unlike typical shooting games, health recovery items or ammo supplies are not provided. To survive, you must directly destroy enemy androids and obtain necessary resources from their wreckage. The game is designed so that a strategy of constantly hunting down and attacking prey is more advantageous for survival than a passive playstyle of avoiding enemies.
Audience reaction is also a crucial factor. Simply defeating enemies and completing the ‘Storm’ is not enough. You must move faster, take down enemies in flashy ways, and score a high score to be recognized as a true champion.
The developers explained that while the audience is thrilled by brutal deaths, what they desire even more is a champion who dominates the arena. As players must pursue not only survival but also spectacular battles and high scores, gameplay that maximizes speed and aggression is required.
Proprietary engine and visual novel-style story
From a technical standpoint, the use of a proprietary engine stands out. Studio Kerosin implemented the game using an engine they built themselves from the ground up. They stated that they focused on minimizing unnecessary storage usage, screen quality degradation caused by AI upscaling, and stuttering that occurs during the shader compilation process.
The developer also emphasized its development philosophy that respecting players begins with lowering the minimum specifications.
The story is conveyed through visual novel-style cutscenes. The concept is to enhance immersion in the narrative by placing sequences dealing with characters and the worldview between fast-paced and intense action.
However, the game includes flashing lights and strobe effects, so caution is required regarding the risk of photosensitive seizures. The developer provides relevant warning messages and emphasized that all content was created manually by humans without using generative AI tools.
Action reminiscent of ‘Quake’ and ‘Rollerdrome’
“We wanted to create a game where adrenaline surges through your body the moment you play,” explained Alex Harte, lead developer at Studio Kerosin. “There are no safety nets in Steel’s arena. The fast movement system forces players to constantly attack and track targets, and that is the way to survive.”
Rock Paper Shotgun, an overseas gaming media outlet, introduced ‘Firestarters’ as a title reminiscent of the classic shooting game ‘Quake’ and the skate action shooting game ‘Rollerdrome’. Characterized by gameplay that combines fast movement and intense combat, it is a new title worth considering for users who enjoy the sense of speed and action found in both games.
‘Firestarters’ consists of a total of four episodes. The Early Access version, launching on October 28, includes the first episode, while the remaining three episodes will be provided sequentially as free updates during the Early Access period. Currently, you can add it to your wishlist on Steam, and a demo version is also available.
Combining anime-style characters, brutal survival competition, and high-speed gunfights using rocket skates, ‘Firestarters’ seeks differentiation by emphasizing a unique worldview and aggressive combat system. As content is expanded during the Early Access period, attention is focused on how polished the game’s fast-paced action and story will be.
Information regarding ‘FIRESTARTERS’
| item | detail |
|---|---|
| Developer | Studio Kerosene |
| Publisher | Unconfirmed (Need to verify self-distribution status) |
| Genre | Arcade Movement FPS (Includes Visual Novel Story Cutscenes) |
| platform | PC (Steam) |
| Release date | October 28, 2026 (Early Access, Episode 1/4) |
| Reactions/Evaluations | Positive reviews in the Rock Paper Shotgun introduction article |
| Steam Page | Shortcut |
