- The first commercial title from a 3-person indie game studio in Montreal, Canada
- Squad battles that change history with Einstein and Queen Elizabeth
“Gear Up Einstein!”, a cooperative strategy roguelite game currently under development by the indie game developer No Deadlines Studio in Montreal, Canada, has confirmed its Early Access release on Steam on November 6 (local time).
Along with the announcement of the release schedule, the developer unveiled a new trailer video showcasing the game’s new appeal. A demo version featuring newly added core systems and significantly revamped content will be available to play at Steam Next Fest, which runs from October 19 to 26.
A cooperative roguelite where you form a squad of historical figures
‘Gear Up Einstein!’ is a cooperative roguelite game where a new battlefield unfolds with every mission. Players form a squad of real historical figures, such as Einstein and Queen Elizabeth, and after refurbishing their equipment between battles, they are deployed into a series of auto-battles.
The battlefield spans various historical eras and locations, from Egypt to New York. The core fun of the game lies in constantly strengthening your squad by discovering unimaginable and bizarre equipment combinations and item synergies throughout this process.
The game primarily supports single-player mode, and you can also enjoy cooperative play with up to two friends locally or online. Additionally, it fully supports cross-play between the PC Steam and itch.io platforms, allowing you to enjoy the game together without platform restrictions.
Demo update including Crossroads, History Distortion, Leaderboards, etc.
This demo has changed significantly through three patches since its release in April. The major updates introduced by the development team are as follows.
- Crossroads Update: During the mission, the squad encounters five branching paths between battles. Selecting the next destination triggers an event set in that era. The effects vary, ranging from rewards to variables that change the conditions of the next battle.
- Divergence Update: As you progress through missions, history becomes increasingly topsy-turvy. Items from other eras or enemies are more likely to appear in unexpected places, and choices at crossroads are also affected by distortion.
- Leaderboard: After completing the final battle, ‘Invasion’ mode opens, featuring additional stages. You earn points for every enemy defeated, allowing you to compete for rankings with players or friends worldwide. You can also view the compositions and equipment of other squads through the records. The leaderboard was reset on October 19, the start date of Next Fest.
- Gadget: When the squad’s nuclear-powered machine charges during combat, it generates a random sci-fi gadget. The power of all gadgets has also increased compared to before.
In addition, the final boss and elite enemies have been revamped, and new era-specific combat variables have been added. Several new items centered around the final era have been introduced, along with powerful passive abilities that strengthen the entire squad. A spectator mode and a replay feature that allows battle scenes to be exported as GIFs have also been added.
The development team stated, “We considered ways to increase replayability ahead of Steam Next Fest and the Early Access launch,” adding, “We made each mission have its own twists and turns.”
Montreal 3-person studio’s debut work
No Deadlines Studio is a three-person indie game studio based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 2021, the studio is comprised of developers with experience in AAA game development and game jams, and they are currently working on their first commercial title, ‘Gear Up Einstein!’.
The team members introduced themselves by saying, “Just like our studio name, we are focusing on creating games that the team can enjoy ourselves without being bound by a fixed schedule.”
‘Gear Up Einstein!’ is scheduled to be released on Steam Early Access on November 6, following the unveiling of a new demo at Steam Next Fest, which runs from October 19 to 26. Anticipation is high regarding how combat mixing historical figures and eras, along with squad compositions and equipment synergies, will add fun to the replayability of this cooperative roguelite.
Information regarding ‘Gear Up Einstein!’
| item | detail |
|---|---|
| Developer | No Deadlines Studio |
| Genre | Cooperative Strategy Roguelite, Auto Battle |
| platform | PC (Steam, itch.io cross-play) |
| Release date | November 6, 2026 (Steam Early Access) |
| Player count | 1~3 people (Local/Online Collaboration) |
| language | 15 languages including Korean (as of February 2026 announcement) |
| price | Unconfirmed ($14.79 at the time of announcement in February) |
| Steam Page | Shortcut |
