I’m thrilled to reveal the Xbox version of Ascend to Zero, a time-bending action roguelike from Flyway Games that was part of last week’s Xbox Partner Preview broadcast.

Let’s start with a question: what would it actually feel like to stop time in the heat of battle? That single idea is where Ascend to Zero began — and it’s the thread that runs through everything we’ve built.

A Prototype Born from One Small Question

Ascend to Zero started with a very small moment. I was playing a survival roguelike when enemies swarmed in from every direction, cutting off every possible escape route. In that instant, one thought crossed my mind: “What if I could stop time, just for a second?”

A few days later, I revisited the idea and started building a small prototype. Less about grand design, more about answering one question: “Would this actually be fun?” In chasing an answer, I had an important realization — the act of freezing time and letting it flow again creates a strategic “turn” inside a real-time action game.

I combined that with a structure I’d always loved from Inflation RPG: explosive growth packed within limited opportunities. That’s how the first prototype ofAscend to Zero came together.

The Fun, Shaped by Player Voices

It didn’t take long to hit the limits of building alone. I started by asking friends and colleagues to play, and the ones who saw the potential in this game joined the team one by one. From there, testing gradually expanded to the community, and we paid close attention to what players loved and what frustrated them.

The loudest feedback was about the thrill of growth. Players wanted more powerful gear and systems that let them push that gear to its limits. We responded by introducing equipment sets beyond the mythic tier, over 200 new items, and three brand-new enhancement systems.

Many players responded positively to the time-bending concept, and we received a lot of feedback describing the game loop as addictive. At the same time, we noticed that some players were dropping off in the early game before fully grasping what made it fun, and that was something we couldn’t ignore.

After a lot of internal discussion, we made a decision: don’t make players wait for the best parts. We redesigned the early experience from the ground up so that players could feel what makes Ascend to Zero special from the moment they start: time-bending and explosive progression.

Save the World in 30 Seconds

All of which leads us to the final game you’ll soon be able to play. It’s 2225, and humanity has been brought to extinction by a mechanical invasion. As the last survivor, you’ll travel back in time to rewrite that fate.

You have just 30 seconds — but with the power to stop time in your hands, you can turn the tide of any battle, striking down powerful enemies to keep reclaiming time yourself. Not passive survival, but an active breakthrough, that’s the core experience Ascend to Zero is built to deliver.

A New Kind of Action Roguelike

Ascend to Zero is the result of years of development and testing, and it goes beyond the roguelike formula. Stats inflate at a staggering pace, and the satisfaction of watching your numbers climb by orders of magnitude delivers an RPG-style sense of accomplishment that most roguelikes simply can’t match.

Layer on top of that the spectacular skill effects cascading across a high-quality pixel art world, fast-paced combat, and strategic gear choices that demand a decision at every turn — every run you complete makes the next one richer. Every challenge builds toward something stronger.

A Small Start, and What It Became

Ascend to Zero began with that single question: “What would it feel like to stop time in the heat of battle?” That small idea was shaped by our team and refined through the feedback of countless players, growing into something far more exciting than where it started. I believe this is the power of indie games. New ideas always start small — but that smallness can sharpen them into something more focused, more distinct, and more fun.

Ascend to Zero launches July 13, 2026, on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC and Xbox Cloud. It will be an Xbox Play Anywhere title and available day one with Xbox Game Pass. Add it to your wishlist now, and get ready to bend time to save the world.

Ascend to ZERO

Flyway Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

[Game Overview]
Ascend to ZERO is a time-bending roguelike where you have the power to manipulate time and fight your way to the top. Play as unique avatars, wield powerful weapons and items, and experience fast-paced progression as your build evolves with every run.

[Story]
In the year 22XX, humanity built a vast underground Time Lab to master time travel. However, when the portal to the future finally opened, it wasn’t hope that greeted them—only despair. A legion of unidentified mechanical monsters poured through the portal, laying waste to civilization.
To prevent the impending apocalypse, humanity created the “Chrono Child”—the only being capable of traveling back through time. The mechanical legion raided the lab on the day of her awakening—as if they had foreseen her birth. In a desperate attempt, the lab’s director cast the “Chrono Child” into a rift in time to save her from the invading machines.
Now stranded in a ruined future with her memories fragmented, she stands as the last survivor. With the help of a mysterious aide, she must embark on a journey back through time to defeat the monsters and restore a shattered world.