Guns of Eschaton was announced as the final project from Viktor Antonov, the art director behind Half-Life 2 and Dishonored. It is a first-person soulslike shooter set in an occult Wild West called “The Burning,” with full co-op and PvP. No release date yet.
If you are looking for Guns of Eschaton alternatives on PC while the game cooks, this list ranks seven titles that hit the same weird-West, soulslike-shooter, or Viktor Antonov design DNA.
Quick comparison
| Game | Best for | Free trial | Starting price | Standout |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weird West | Immersive-sim Western | Demo | $39.99 | Emergent story, multi-character campaign |
| Hunt: Showdown 1896 | PvPvE bounty hunting | Free weekend | $39.99 | Tense supernatural monster hunts |
| Blood West | Stealth Western horror FPS | Demo | $24.99 | Stealth-first weird West |
| Evil West | Third-person action Western | No | $49.99 | Vampire hunter combat |
| Metro Exodus | Post-apocalyptic FPS with atmosphere | Demo | $29.99 | Antonov-adjacent world design |
| Dishonored 2 | Viktor Antonov’s other masterpiece | Demo | $29.99 | Immersive-sim design peak |
| Prey (2017) | Immersive-sim horror FPS | Demo | $29.99 | Design-lineage sibling |
Why Guns of Eschaton fans need a plan
No release date. Antonov’s team has confirmed only that release information will come later. Wishlist activity is high; wait time is unknown.
Antonov’s passing. Viktor Antonov died in early 2025 shortly after announcing Guns of Eschaton. The team is completing his vision, but the intangibles Antonov brought to Half-Life 2 and Dishonored art direction may not fully carry through.
Soulslike FPS is rare. Full co-op progression, PvP invasion, and soulslike loops in first-person shooters have almost no comparables. Players interested in that specific mix have to piece the experience together across multiple games.
The best Guns of Eschaton alternatives
Weird West, best immersive-sim Western
Weird West is WolfEye Studios’ immersive sim, from ex-Arkane leads. You play five characters across a connected campaign in a supernatural frontier: bounty hunter, pigman, werewolf, native protector, and a Chosen One arc.
Weird West vs Guns of Eschaton on setting: Both take the Wild West and add the occult. Weird West is top-down and character-swap driven where Eschaton is first-person and combat-focused, but the tone lineage is direct.
Where it falls short: Combat lacks the impact of a good FPS, and some quest chains feel undercooked.
Pricing:
- Base game: $39.99, sales to $9.99
- vs Guns of Eschaton: available now
Download: Steam
Bottom line: Pick Weird West if you want the supernatural-Western flavor with immersive-sim depth right now.
Hunt: Showdown 1896, best supernatural bounty PvPvE
Hunt: Showdown 1896 puts you in Bayou Louisiana in the 1890s, hunting nightmare monsters while other real players hunt you. Every session is a tense triangulation between the AI target, extraction, and the enemy team.
Hunt vs Guns of Eschaton on tension: Hunt earns its tension from PvPvE encounter design. It is the closest thing available to the “co-op or invasion” idea Eschaton is pitching, in a period-adjacent setting.
Where it falls short: The learning curve is brutal, and the game rewards patience over reflex. Solo queue is unforgiving.
Pricing:
- Base game: $39.99, sales to $19.99, occasional free weekends
- vs Guns of Eschaton: available now, live service
Download: Steam
Bottom line: Pick Hunt if you want tense period-shooter PvPvE that scratches the co-op-invasion itch.
Blood West, best stealth Western horror FPS
Blood West is Hyperstrange’s first-person stealth shooter in a supernatural Wild West. You take contracts, stalk targets, and manage limited resources against undead cowboys and eldritch creatures.
Blood West vs Guns of Eschaton on approach: Both share the weird-West, first-person, single-player angle. Blood West leans stealth over run-and-gun and has stronger horror atmosphere.
Where it falls short: Small-team production values mean some rough edges in animation and voice work.
Pricing:
- Base game: $24.99, sales to $12.49
- vs Guns of Eschaton: cheaper, out now
Download: Steam
Bottom line: Pick Blood West if you want the weird-West FPS niche filled right now with a strong horror angle.
Evil West, best third-person action Western
Evil West is Flying Wild Hog’s third-person action title where you play a Van Helsing-style vampire hunter in an alt-history 1890s America. Combat is aggressive and rewards close-range brawling.
Evil West vs Guns of Eschaton on combat feel: Evil West’s brawler-shooter mix hits some of the visceral energy Eschaton is targeting, from a third-person angle.
Where it falls short: Third-person only, and the campaign length is on the shorter side at 10 to 12 hours.
Pricing:
- Base game: $49.99, sales to $12.49
- vs Guns of Eschaton: pricier, third-person
Download: Steam
Bottom line: Pick Evil West if you want alt-history vampire hunting with kinetic combat.
Metro Exodus, best atmospheric post-apocalyptic FPS
Metro Exodus is 4A Games’ open-adjacent Metro entry, moving from Moscow tunnels to a train journey across post-nuclear Russia. The environmental storytelling and lighting design feel adjacent to Antonov’s own work.
Metro Exodus vs Guns of Eschaton on world craft: Antonov collaborated with 4A on Metro 2033’s original art. Exodus continues that lineage. If you love Antonov’s environmental voice, Metro Exodus is the closest live comparable.
Where it falls short: The Ranger difficulty is punishing, and the semi-open zones can feel empty between story beats.
Pricing:
- Base game: $29.99, sales to $7.49
- vs Guns of Eschaton: cheaper, story-driven
Download: Steam
Bottom line: Pick Metro Exodus if you want Antonov-adjacent environment work and dense atmospheric storytelling.
Dishonored 2, best Antonov architecture
Dishonored 2 is Viktor Antonov’s other undisputed classic. The design of Karnaca (a sun-drenched Mediterranean city with a whaling economy) is Antonov at his peak. If you want to understand what Eschaton is aiming for, replay Karnaca.
Dishonored 2 vs Guns of Eschaton on lineage: This is the direct source. Antonov’s visual language, his approach to verticality and readable space, is fully present here.
Where it falls short: Some players never warm to the darker second-half missions, and the launch technical issues left a bad taste even though patches fixed most of them.
Pricing:
- Base game: $29.99, sales to $5.99
- vs Guns of Eschaton: cheaper, out for years
Download: Steam
Bottom line: Pick Dishonored 2 if you want to understand Antonov’s design voice before Eschaton lands.
Prey (2017), best design-lineage sibling
Prey (2017) is Arkane Austin’s immersive sim aboard Talos I, a corporate space station overrun by shape-shifting aliens. It sits in the same Arkane design lineage as Dishonored and shares the “give the player a toolbox and turn them loose” ethos Eschaton is aiming for.
Prey vs Guns of Eschaton on player agency: Both target the immersive-sim promise where multiple approaches to any encounter work. Prey’s toolset (Mimic transformation, GLOO gun, hacking) is legendary among the genre.
Where it falls short: The plot loses momentum in the middle third, and the sci-fi horror trades cowboys for spaceships.
Pricing:
- Base game: $29.99, sales to $5.99
- vs Guns of Eschaton: cheaper, spaceships not sixguns
Download: Steam
Bottom line: Pick Prey if you want the Arkane immersive-sim toolbox in a different genre skin.
How to pick the right one
Pick Weird West for the weird-Western setting Eschaton promises, in an immersive-sim shell.
Pick Hunt: Showdown 1896 if the PvPvE side of Eschaton is what excites you.
Pick Blood West for a stealth-first weird-Western FPS you can play right now.
Pick Evil West if you want kinetic combat and vampire hunting in a comparable period.
Pick Metro Exodus for atmospheric post-apocalyptic FPS with Antonov-adjacent world craft.
Pick Dishonored 2 or Prey to understand the immersive-sim lineage Eschaton draws from.
Stay on the Guns of Eschaton wishlist as insurance. It costs nothing to wait.
FAQ
When does Guns of Eschaton release?
No release date has been announced. The developers said further information will come later.
Is Guns of Eschaton a soulslike?
The developers describe it as a first-person soulslike shooter with full solo and co-op progression, plus PvP invasion mechanics.
What was Viktor Antonov’s last game?
Guns of Eschaton is described as his final project. He passed away in early 2025 shortly after the game’s announcement, and the team has committed to finishing his vision.
Which alternative is the closest to Guns of Eschaton?
Blood West for the stealth-first weird-Western FPS, Hunt: Showdown 1896 for PvPvE tension, and Dishonored 2 for the Antonov design lineage.
Is there a Guns of Eschaton demo?
No demo has been announced at the time of writing.
