Don't wake the Yoke: a game about fighting the Golden Horde will be released in spring 2026

Studio Doomers Entertainment has presented its debut project, "The Golden Horde: Survival." According to the authors, the prisoner escapes from captivity and tries to survive in unfriendly conditions, where the Mongols are fighting the Russians and other nationalities. Izvestia was one of the first to get acquainted with the game, the authors of which rely on modern technologies — realistic graphics using the Unreal Engine 5, as well as Lumen and Nanite. According to the developers, such computer games have not yet been created in the Russian Federation, its release is scheduled for spring 2026.

What is the Golden Horde?

The theme of the game "Golden Horde: Survival" is survival in the Mongol Empire. One of the captives escaped from captivity during a riot, and he needs to figure out who he is, as well as choose his side in the ongoing conflicts between the Mongols and other ethnic groups inhabiting this land. In the story, the main character has lost his memory and now has to find his place in an inhospitable world.

Photo: Doomers Entertainment

— At that time, there were several hordes: Golden, White, and Blue. We have to fight them, and we plan to show that the Mongols of that time were not a single tribe, they also had internal conflicts. At the same time, the main character, the prisoner, does not remember which region he is from, which allows us to put him in a position of initial neutrality towards everyone. And, just like the player, to give the opportunity to understand the situation without a touch of reprehension," said narrative game designer Yaroslav Dunaevsky.

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The authors paid special attention to the technological aspect of the Golden Horde. The development uses advanced Lumen and Nanite technologies, and uses the fifth-generation Unreal Engine. It helps to create fairly realistic graphics, as well as complex lights and use a large number of triangles for each object, without overloading the computer's graphics card.

— The most successful idea was the world of the game and the era that we used. This period scares many, but it also arouses genuine interest. It's no secret that the Golden Horde was a long period in the history of our continent, and it's all the more surprising that almost no games were created on this topic. This is due, among other things, to the fact that in Russia developers prefer to create content for a Western audience. While the Horde is still mostly the legacy of Russia, China, Iran, Kazakhstan and many former Soviet republics," Yaroslav Dunaevsky clarified.

Photo: Doomers Entertainment

The project will feature the mechanics of building a family and community, and the gamer's behavior and actions will begin to influence his "survival" in this society. At the same time, Doomers Entertainment is ready to deviate from historical accuracy at some points if it helps to increase interest in the game. The authors of the project see the main benefit in the fact that the Golden Horde will help gamers get to know the various ethnic groups that inhabited Mongolia in the 13th century, as well as their myths and legends.

According to the developers of Izvestia, the trial version will be released in 2025, and the release of the game with limited functionality in the so-called early access is planned in the spring of 2026.

What are the features of the Horde game?

The key feature of the game is its historical component, it will contribute to the emergence of interest in the study of history, according to Dmitry Shtanenko, a leading Russian researcher of neurosports. The preliminary screenshots and excerpts of the gameplay show that the developers have done a good job on the visual part. The landscapes and characters look decent, which may attract an additional audience who will want to plunge into the harsh realities of the 13th century, he said.

Photo: Doomers Entertainment

— The choice of the theme of the Mongol invasion makes "The Horde" especially attractive for history buffs and role-playing game fans. The developers have clearly invested efforts in the visual component, switching to the powerful Unreal Engine 5, which significantly improved the graphics quality and added charm to the project. But it should be borne in mind that the real picture in the game often falls short of the level of trailers, which may disappoint users who expect Hollywood brilliance. Nevertheless, the atmosphere of the 13th century and attention to the details of the era remain the strengths of the project," commented Daniil Arzhakov, lecturer at the Department of Esports at the Faculty of Gaming Industry and Esports at Synergy University.

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According to the expert, the combination of various mechanics in the game — from escaping from slavery to creating your own settlement and managing an uprising — hints at a variable process. Due to its realism, the project may appeal to fans of projects such as Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. If Doomers Entertainment studio manages to implement all the stated ideas, then the project can be a real discovery for fans of the genre. Especially if the Mongols and Turks have separate storylines with the opportunity to explore the priorities of each of the opposing sides.

Photo: Doomers Entertainment

According to IT expert Sergey Pomortsev, it's worth waiting for some breakthroughs and revelations with a fair amount of skepticism.

— The authors have chosen an interesting era and theme, but how much the real game will attract and whether it will take place at all can be discussed only after the release of the public demo version. Personally, the genre is interesting to me, but I would be careful not to draw any conclusions yet," said Alexander Gorbachenko, director of the Intercontinental Esports League and an expert in the gaming industry.

Doomers Entertainment is a young studio that has not previously worked on projects of this scale. The declared area of the game world is 76 square kilometers, which is comparable to the Skyrim role—playing game map. The question remains: how do the developers plan to fill such an area? There are concerns that the game risks turning into a "desert" with monotonous side tasks, added Alexey Panin, head of the FireDevTeam studio.