Deckbuilders usually define a turn through a fixed resource such as energy or action points. Champion of Lore removes that limit and ties the length of each turn to the player’s ability to connect cards into effective sequences.
Round 2 Games is preparing to release the first public demo for Champion of Lore on September 1. The upcoming title approaches deckbuilding as more than a method for selecting attacks: cards govern the entire flow of combat, while movement, enemy placement, range, and environmental hazards determine whether a promising combination actually succeeds.
At the center of Champion of Lore is a turn-based combat system played across hexagonal maps. Every action comes from the cards currently in hand, but there is no traditional action-point allowance limiting how much a character can accomplish. Turn length instead depends on how effectively cards are sequenced.
Cards can be connected according to their type or identifying letter, creating chains that allow an attack to continue beyond a single play.
Defeating an enemy draws another card, so a carefully planned elimination can provide the next piece needed to extend the sequence. A successful turn may therefore develop into a long offensive in which each defeated opponent creates another tactical opening.
Two Heroes and Three Decks
The campaign centers on two playable Champions, each carrying a separate deck built around an individual combat identity. A third shared collection expands the actions available to both characters, creating room for interactions that go beyond two completely isolated builds.
The returning Sayri is depicted as an experienced sword-and-shield warrior who relies on physical strength and instinctive elemental magic. Kanna, meanwhile, is a younger hero drawn into the conflict and guided by spirits associated with Pacha Mama. Their different backgrounds and abilities give the deck system a party-based dimension: each character can maintain a recognizable role while still drawing support from the shared card pool.
Decks continue to evolve during the campaign. New cards can be discovered, preferred abilities can be upgraded, and unwanted cards can be burned to generate knowledge. Loot and consumable items, including potions that participate in card chains, add further possibilities when preparing for later encounters.
A World Shaped by Corrupted Stories
Champion of Lore continues the universe established in Guardian of Lore, Round 2 Games’ 2021 action-platformer. The earlier game followed Prince Sayri as he entered stories inspired by Indigenous Latin American traditions, protecting their memory from a force attempting to erase them. Knowledge also functioned as a source of progression, connecting character growth with the preservation of cultural stories.
Set decades later, the new game broadens that premise. Ancient knowledge is being corrupted, causing myths to fracture, overlap, and take on dangerous new forms. It will expand beyond the Latin American foundations of the original while retaining Sayri and the broader theme of protecting endangered stories.
The setting influences deck development and the heroes’ access to power. Restoring damaged mythology therefore serves as both a story objective and a framework for progression.
The Champion of Lore public demo launches free on Steam on September 1, 2026. The full game is currently planned for PC, although Round 2 Games has not yet announced a release window.
