Poncle Reveals Vampire Survivors Spin-Off Vampire Crawlers

The chaotic universe of Vampire Survivors is officially expanding into a new dimension. During the Xbox Partner Preview on November 20, 2025, developer Poncle surprised fans by announcing Vampire Crawlers, a brand-new spin-off title scheduled for a global release in 2026. Moving away from the frantic, top-down bullet hell gameplay that made the original a viral sensation in 2021, this new entry pivots into the roguelike deck-building genre. 

In a major win for subscribers, Poncle confirmed that the game will be available as a Day One release for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass members.

While the genre shift is significant, Vampire Crawlers aims to retain the signature energy of its predecessor while adopting a first-person "blobber" style gameplay. Players will navigate grid-based indoor and outdoor dungeons, but instead of automatically blasting waves of enemies, they will engage in strategic combat using customisable decks. 

The core gameplay loop involves playing cards in ascending order of their "mana" cost to trigger powerful combos. According to Poncle founder Luca Galante, the card customization mechanic is designed to be flexible and accessible, allowing players to "dig into it as much or as little as they want." Fans can expect to control familiar characters with unique special abilities and utilize the classic weapon evolution system, now adapted for card-based battles.

Four Years in the Making

The announcement comes as a shock to many, considering the team has been quietly working on the project for nearly four years. Galante revealed that development began shortly after the original game’s early access success, with the studio growing from a solo project to a team of over 20 people. The game draws inspiration from classic JRPGs, CRPGs, and even Solitaire, aiming to avoid the menu-heavy feel often found in minimalist roguelikes. 

This news follows a busy year for the studio; Vampire Survivors followed a roadmap of free updates throughout 2025, including the massive 1.14 update in October that finally introduced online co-op play to the original title.

Poncle is ensuring that Vampire Crawlers reaches the widest audience possible upon launch. In addition to the Game Pass release, the title is confirmed for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store. 

The studio also plans to release mobile versions for iOS and Android. While this is the first official spin-off, Galante teased that the studio has "plenty of other irons in the fire," hinting at future spin-offs and even a potential direct sequel to Vampire Survivors.