Steam game

The Calling

An anime-inspired free-to-play PvP arena shooter where every match is shaped by your build, strategy, and creativity. Customize your abilities, adapt to dynamic weather and day-night cycles, and outplay the competition in fast-paced battles.

Coming soon 2026

By BuriedCandy

Windows Controller: full
View on Steam
The Calling - BuriedCandy. Popular. Released 2026
Screenshot of The Calling gameplay showing in-action mechanics Screenshot 2 of The Calling - additional gameplay view Screenshot 3 of The Calling - more gameplay footage Screenshot 4 of The Calling - final gameplay screenshot

Overview

About this game

Voted #5th Best Indie Game of 2025!

Thank you to everyone who voted for us! We were named 5th Best Indie Game of 2025 according to IndieDB, right behind award winning games Claire Obscur: Expedition 33, Dispatch, Hollow Knight: Silksong, and Peripeteia! Read all about it on IndieDB!


No Gen AI

The Calling is primarily made by solo developer and streamer BuriedCandy, with a lot of collaboration with other streamers, VTubers, and very talented artists in our streaming communities. No part of The Calling was made with GenAI, just good ole fashion human talent!

We hope that with the success of the game, The Calling will be able to hire and employ many of the amazing artists that exist out there in the streaming community. Thank you for joining us on this journey!


About the Game

War has been replaced by annual competitive war games, run by the Intergalactic Gaming Commission. The galaxies best competitors, backed by Mega Corporations, battle for fame & fortune, while behind the scenes a new war is brewing...

Featuring a roster of over 90 streamers and growing!

Pick your favorite playable creator and drop into this fast-paced anime-inspired team-vs-team third person shooter featuring a roster of over 90 characters, voiced by the actual streamers!

The final release will feature an in-game shop where you will be able to customize the look of your favorite characters with alternate skins/cosmetics for their characters, which also directly supports the creators they are based on!

Voiced By The Streamers Themselves

All characters are voiced by the real streamers themselves! Also featuring voice acting by professional voice actors featured in games like Genshin Impact, Honkai Star Rail, Strinova, as well as animes like Apothecary Diaries, Spy X Family, and Wistoria: Wand and Sword.

Play Your Way 

Utilize selectable abilities to thwart your enemy. Unlike other hero-shooters, you'll also be able to play each character using your own unique style! Inspired by our favorite TTRPGs, in The Calling, you'll be able to choose your hero, then choose your own mix of passive, active, and ultimate abilities... then support your team the way you know best. (Selectable abilities are still under development, with Shadow Step and AOE Healing currently available and equipped by default. More to be released soon...)

Multi-Layered Maps and Game Modes

The Calling features a variety of maps and game modes such as Team Elimination, Control, Lockdown (with more to be released soon) that will provide lots of ways to engage with the enemy. Cleverly designed to level the playing field, players will need to keep moving and thinking tactically to stay alive because behind every sniper perch there will always be a way for the enemy to get behind your defenses. As the game develops, more maps and game modes will be made available in this fast-paced tactical shooter.

Dynamically Changing Weather

Weather will change from day to night, sunny to overcast, clear to foggy, and may even rain, thunderstorm, or you might even get treated to shooting stars and meteor showers! Change up your tactics up with the weather as it can throw extra challenges throughout each round.

Move and Maneuver!

With danger lurking around every corner, and potentially deadly weather over the horizon, players have to keep moving to stay alive. Dash, sprint, vault, slide, and glide your way to victory.

True Free-To-Play

No pay to win or premium loot boxes here. Earn in-game currency (which can't be purchased but only earned) through daily redeems, playing matches, completing quests, and watching streamers featured in The Calling that you can use to unlock new character skins, cosmetics, and more!

If there is a specific character skin that you want, as mentioned above you have the freedom to buy the skin instantly which directly goes to support that character's IRL streamer. 

More to come!

Lots more to come in the future, including a main story, PvE modes, a co-op story, and more!

Developed by a very small indie team with close collaboration with the streaming community and their viewers, we listen closely to what the players want most in the game and do our best to deliver. This is truly a game built by streamers for streamers, their fans, and like-minded anime + third person shooter gamers!

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