Heroes of Dire
Released Mar 2017
In Heroes of Dire, a new massively-multiplayer tactical role-playing game by Spellbook, players command squads of fighters through strategic turn-based battles to win treasure, fame, and glory for their guilds!
68% positive · 208 reviews
Not yet
Released live service, but development status unclear
Low confidence
Live Service
Development Uncertain
Not yet
Released live service, but development status unclear
Low confidence
Live Service
Development Uncertain
Where to get it
Free on Steam
Evaluation
Heroes of Dire is a free-to-play massively multiplayer tactical RPG that launched on Steam on March 15, 2017. The game is designed around ongoing guild warfare, PvP seasons, territory conquest, and live dungeon master events — systems that are inherently open-ended and not meant to conclude.
Through 2017, Spellbook was actively developing the game, shipping frequent feature updates including a major PvP overhaul in April 2017, the World Conquest territory system in May 2017, Guild Wars in June 2017, and NPC invasion events shortly after. The studio posted regularly and engaged directly with player feedback. A significant content update (v1.4) arrived on November 3, 2018, introducing new audio, UI improvements, a mana system, and other mechanical changes — this is the last developer communication on record.
Since November 3, 2018, there have been no patch notes, announcements, blog posts, or any other official communication from Spellbook. For a game built around live multiplayer interaction, this is a prolonged and unexplained silence. The developer has not announced a shutdown, a final update, or any conclusion to development — but they have also not communicated anything at all in over seven years. Given the game's free-to-play, always-online nature, it is unclear whether the servers remain active and whether the game is playable in any meaningful sense.
Evidence
Major Update 1.4 shipped with UI improvements, 200+ new audio clips, a new Mana stat system, crafting changes, and balance adjustments. Developer noted 'there's more to come' — this is the last official communication from Spellbook.
Game is described as a massively multiplayer online game with guild wars, PvP arenas, territory conquest, and live dungeon master events — a live-service structure with no defined end.
Media
Details
Developer
Publisher
www.Spellbook.com
Achievements
—
Platform
Windows, macOS, Linux
Controller
—
Steam Deck
Unsupported
Players
Single-player · Multiplayer · Co-op · PvP
About this game
Heroes of Dire is a new massively-multiplayer tactical role-playing game from Spellbook!
You are a powerful hero with an army of fighters battling through strategic turn-based combat to win treasure, fame, and glory for your guild!
Join with friends to defeat challenging deity boss raids, take up quests for epic treasure, invade enemy guild halls, and fight in brutal gladiator arenas as crowd favorites live and die for your amusement!
Cross-platform servers bring together thousands of players on desktop and mobile devices with support for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iPhone!
The New Player Guide is available at
Heroes of Dire is all about assembling squads of fighters to make war with other guilds, monsters, and players!
Fighters come in many fantasy archetypes such as Mages, Paladins, and Healers. No two are ever the same, with unique names, races, stories, stats, titles, and equipment constructed by procedural generation with impressive and hilarious results that will always keep the game fresh.
The One-Eyed Knight, Two-Fingered Pete, The Laughing Horror, Georgia the Peach, or Screaming Ethel are just a few examples of the trillions of possibilities. For a few Silvers (the in-game currency) players can randomly roll for new fighter names to discover the perfect moniker, or work with a live Dungeon Master to create the perfect name!
Fighters have four gear slots: Weapon, Offhand, Armor, and Trinket.
Different items help determine what role a fighter plays, such as holy wands and flasks for Healers, or poisoned dual-wielded daggers for Rogues to maximize backstabs.
A robust crafting system allows heroes to build the perfect gear sets, with the most skilled players able to construct ultra-rare Masterwork items!
Almost all items in Heroes of Dire are procedurally generated with no two ever the same. Dungeon Masters will regularly appear in the world as traveling magicians or blacksmiths who can enhance your gear, or as merchants offering unique treasures.
When in combat, fighters take turns moving and attacking with actions having a time cost that determines round order.
More expensive actions, such as splitting an enemy archer in half with a greatsword, might push your fighter to the bottom of the action list for 14 rounds, while moving would only cost 3 or 4. This turn-based combat system creates an incredibly rich strategy simulation where each decision has a direct and immediate impact on who wins or loses.
Skilled players won't waste a single round -- One move in the wrong direction or an attack at the wrong time can immediately swing your massive lead into a crippling loss.
Every battle is part of a greater narrative, such as a guild war or a quest chain, and players can have multiple squads involved in many fights at the same time.
Need to pause the game for a moment?
Exiting a battle puts the AI in control of your squad until you're ready to return. Utilizing this AI system you can deploy multiple squads to wage multiple battles across the world map simultaneously. This system creates a truly massive multiplayer experience as guild wars can pull in hundreds or thousands of players!
Partner up with friends and follow them into combat for hours of quests, guild wars, and special Dungeon Master events! Battles can involve up to 48 fighters, with as many as 12 players in a single fight!
Make sure to flag your friends as "FRIEND" to enter battle on the same team and share world map vision, or simply join the same guild.
Guilds play an integral role driving the story and action in Heroes of Dire! Besides social and organizational hubs, they will wage war for dominance of the world map, with members winning prizes and benefits for capturing resources, such as an ancient relic or metal ore node.
Quests are a series of battles against NPC factions in the world of Dire, with powerful items and precious Silvers at stake. Loot can then be sold on the player-driven open market, or scrapped for extra Silvers.
Large-scale Community Quests are available for every hero to join, as well as Solo and Guild quests. Some quests also have
Each player will have a custom player title. In addition to looking cool, these titles help inform us of who is who in the community. Players sporting powerful or unique titles will stand apart from the crowd, lending weight to their obviously superior opinions and impressive physiques. Everyone will have the chance to earn new titles when taking part in special Dungeon Master events, and are also randomly generated after 1,700 battle wins.
You are a powerful hero with an army of fighters battling through strategic turn-based combat to win treasure, fame, and glory for your guild!
Join with friends to defeat challenging deity boss raids, take up quests for epic treasure, invade enemy guild halls, and fight in brutal gladiator arenas as crowd favorites live and die for your amusement!
Cross-platform servers bring together thousands of players on desktop and mobile devices with support for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iPhone!
The New Player Guide is available at
Heroes of Dire is all about assembling squads of fighters to make war with other guilds, monsters, and players!
Fighters come in many fantasy archetypes such as Mages, Paladins, and Healers. No two are ever the same, with unique names, races, stories, stats, titles, and equipment constructed by procedural generation with impressive and hilarious results that will always keep the game fresh.
The One-Eyed Knight, Two-Fingered Pete, The Laughing Horror, Georgia the Peach, or Screaming Ethel are just a few examples of the trillions of possibilities. For a few Silvers (the in-game currency) players can randomly roll for new fighter names to discover the perfect moniker, or work with a live Dungeon Master to create the perfect name!
Fighters have four gear slots: Weapon, Offhand, Armor, and Trinket.
Different items help determine what role a fighter plays, such as holy wands and flasks for Healers, or poisoned dual-wielded daggers for Rogues to maximize backstabs.
A robust crafting system allows heroes to build the perfect gear sets, with the most skilled players able to construct ultra-rare Masterwork items!
Almost all items in Heroes of Dire are procedurally generated with no two ever the same. Dungeon Masters will regularly appear in the world as traveling magicians or blacksmiths who can enhance your gear, or as merchants offering unique treasures.
When in combat, fighters take turns moving and attacking with actions having a time cost that determines round order.
More expensive actions, such as splitting an enemy archer in half with a greatsword, might push your fighter to the bottom of the action list for 14 rounds, while moving would only cost 3 or 4. This turn-based combat system creates an incredibly rich strategy simulation where each decision has a direct and immediate impact on who wins or loses.
Skilled players won't waste a single round -- One move in the wrong direction or an attack at the wrong time can immediately swing your massive lead into a crippling loss.
Every battle is part of a greater narrative, such as a guild war or a quest chain, and players can have multiple squads involved in many fights at the same time.
Need to pause the game for a moment?
Exiting a battle puts the AI in control of your squad until you're ready to return. Utilizing this AI system you can deploy multiple squads to wage multiple battles across the world map simultaneously. This system creates a truly massive multiplayer experience as guild wars can pull in hundreds or thousands of players!
Partner up with friends and follow them into combat for hours of quests, guild wars, and special Dungeon Master events! Battles can involve up to 48 fighters, with as many as 12 players in a single fight!
Make sure to flag your friends as "FRIEND" to enter battle on the same team and share world map vision, or simply join the same guild.
Guilds play an integral role driving the story and action in Heroes of Dire! Besides social and organizational hubs, they will wage war for dominance of the world map, with members winning prizes and benefits for capturing resources, such as an ancient relic or metal ore node.
Quests are a series of battles against NPC factions in the world of Dire, with powerful items and precious Silvers at stake. Loot can then be sold on the player-driven open market, or scrapped for extra Silvers.
Large-scale Community Quests are available for every hero to join, as well as Solo and Guild quests. Some quests also have
Each player will have a custom player title. In addition to looking cool, these titles help inform us of who is who in the community. Players sporting powerful or unique titles will stand apart from the crowd, lending weight to their obviously superior opinions and impressive physiques. Everyone will have the chance to earn new titles when taking part in special Dungeon Master events, and are also randomly generated after 1,700 battle wins.
Are these done yet?
Last evaluated Jun 27, 2026
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