HeartLoop Games is bringing its unusual mix of one-on-one fighting and roguelike progression to Steam Early Access this October, with a demo available to play now.
Montreal-based indie studio HeartLoop Games has announced that Poly Fighter will enter Steam Early Access on October 13, 2026. A new trailer accompanies the announcement, while the game will also be playable at PAX West from September 4 to 7.
Poly Fighter takes the basic structure of an arcade fighting game and turns it into a single-player roguelike. Rather than working your way through a traditional roster of opponents with a fixed moveset, defeating fighters allows you to learn and equip their moves. These can then be combined and upgraded throughout a run to create anything from rushdown and grappling builds to projectile-heavy zoners.
The game is clearly rooted in fighting games of the arcade era, both through its low-poly presentation and its one-on-one combat, but HeartLoop is taking a notably different approach to progression. Runs span three increasingly difficult leagues, with different opponents, moves and secret bosses to encounter along the way.
Players can choose between simplified controls and traditional motion inputs, making Poly Fighter accessible without completely abandoning the input style associated with classic fighting games. It is also being designed specifically as a single-player experience, without ranked ladders or online competitive play.
HeartLoop Games says Early Access will allow it to continue developing the game with community feedback. A playable demo is already available on Steam, giving players a chance to try its fighting-meets-roguelike formula ahead of the October launch.
Poly Fighter enters Steam Early Access on October 13, 2026 for PC.
