Styx: Blades of Greed

The story of Styx: Blades of Greed begins shortly after the events of the second instalment, when Styx leaves the city of the Dark Elves following the destruction of High Priestess Lyssril's amber factory. Aboard his zeppelin, he leads a makeshift crew in search of quartz, a mysterious new energy source. Meanwhile, war breaks out between humans, elves and orcs. Hunted by the Inquisition, Styx must secure the quartz before they do.

In Styx: Blades of Greed, players journey across the continent of Iserian through large environments rooted in a medieval fantasy world. They travel from the floating ruins of Akenash, the former heart of the World Tree, to the Wall — the fortress of the human realm teeming with elite soldiers and inquisitors. On the edge of the war-ravaged continent lies Turquoise Dawn, a jungle teeming with hostile flora and exotic creatures. This new adventure lays the groundwork for the Great War and marks the birth of the Black Hand, a mercenary group whose rise and actions are central to the events of Of Orcs And Men (2012). All Styx games are set chronologically before Of Orcs and Men, which was also developed by Cyanide Studio. In that game, the elite Orc warrior Arkail is tasked with killing the human emperor, with the help of the goblin assassin Styx.

Returning to Blades of Greed, it is once again an action-adventure stealth game and the third instalment in a series boasting more than two million players worldwide. The first two instalments were recently made available for free on the Epic Games Store. Building on the proven formula of its predecessors, the game refines it by offering players greater freedom and creativity in how they approach objectives. Players take on the role of Styx, a cunning goblin and master of stealth whose mission is to steal the Quartz while evading the Inquisition's traps. Powered by Unreal Engine 5, the game features large, vertical environments offering greater freedom of exploration than its predecessors. The game uses a Metroidvania-style structure for the first time in the series, allowing players to unlock previously inaccessible areas as they acquire new abilities.

The goblin has learned a lot since the second instalment, which enhances gameplay and makes it more flexible. Styx can use the powers of Quartz to control his enemies and stun them temporarily, or use time shifting to run so fast that his enemies cannot see him. Quartz can strengthen his reflexes, enabling him to automatically dodge attacks that would otherwise hit him. Styx has a variety of new traversal options at his disposal, including a glider for floating through the air and metal claws for climbing walls. He can also perform a spectral dash to pass through grids and use a grappling hook to reach previously inaccessible areas. The goblin can be fully customised with skill trees that improve his powers and tools, as well as runes that alter the gameplay.

The game rewards creativity and experimentation as there is more than one way to complete a mission. For example, players can rely on stealth, sneaking, trapping and assassination. It is also essential to make good use of quick saves, especially since the goblin is a fragile main character. With the support of a group of outcasts, Styx can rely on allies such as Helledryn, Djarak and Wren to help him complete various quests and earn rewards throughout his adventure. These rewards can be used to enhance Styx's powers, increase the effectiveness of his tools and modify his stealth abilities. This enables new infiltration approaches and gives players more freedom in how they play the game. Even if the mission objectives are rather repetitive.

Styx: Blades of Greed was developed by Cyanide, a French game development studio based in Nanterre, near Paris. It was founded in 2000 by seven former Ubisoft employees. Initially known for its Pro Cycling Manager and Tour de France series, the studio now produces games in various genres, including the stealth action game Styx, the turn-based fantasy sports game Blood Bowl, the restaurant simulation game Chef Life, the horror adventure game Call of Cthulhu, the action RPG Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood, and the dark fantasy roguelike Rogue Lords. In May 2018, Cyanide was acquired by Bigben Interactive (now Nacon) for €20 million.

Nacon is a company within the Bigben Group that was established in 2019. Headquartered in Lesquin, France, it has subsidiaries in several countries, including France, Germany, the Benelux countries, Italy, Spain, Canada and Hong Kong, as well as 16 development studios. The company sees itself as a publisher of AA-grade video games. Founded in 1981, the Bigben Interactive group of companies (Bigben Interactive S.A., headquartered in Lesquin) has additional subsidiaries in France, alongside Nacon. Bigben's most important product categories include audio products and smartphone accessories. The Bigben Interactive group of companies employs over 600 people in eight countries. Bigben Interactive GmbH, based in Bergheim near Cologne, is responsible for market development in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, as well as product distribution to retail customers in these countries.

Styx: Blades of Greed is launching on 19 February 2026 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC via the Steam and Epic Games Store. As well as the Standard Edition, which costs €39.99, there is also the Quartz Edition. This costs €49.99 and includes the base game, 48 hours of Early Access, skin packs for Styx and his weapons, a starter pack containing talent points and crafting resources, and five additional taunts for luring enemies. Last but not least is the Styx: Master of Stealth Collection. This bundle combines Styx: Master of Shadows, Styx: Shards of Darkness and Styx: Blades of Greed in its Quartz Edition

Conclusion

Styx marks a successful return, offering bigger levels and greater freedom than ever before!

Features

• Styx returns with new skills and abilities
• Multiple stealth approaches and possibilities
• Extensive, vertical levels