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Arc Games Steps In to Support Hell Express
Arc Games has announced a new publishing partnership with Full Metal Bagel for Hell Express, the studio’s upcoming anime-style co-op extraction shooter. Under the agreement, Arc Games will handle global publishing responsibilities, including distribution, marketing, and long-term live service support, while Full Metal Bagel retains creative control and continues leading development.
The announcement will shift Hell Express to a globally published title rather than a purely independent release. More updates, including feedback-driven Alpha playtests, are planned to roll out throughout the year.
A Studio Led by Industry Veterans
Full Metal Bagel is a relatively new studio, but its team includes developers who have previously worked on major releases such as The Last of Us Part II, Assassin’s Creed: Origins, and Honor of Kings. Hell Express serves as the studio’s debut project, blending that experience into a supernatural extraction shooter built for cooperative play.
Arc Games’ involvement is intended to give the team additional operational support, allowing Full Metal Bagel to focus on development while scaling the game for a global audience.
Public Playtests and Taipei Game Show Presence
To mark the partnership, Hell Express will be featured at Taipei Game Show from January 29 to February 1. Attendees will be able to try an Alpha Playtest demo at Full Metal Bagel’s booth in the Indie House section, offering early hands-on access and a chance to provide direct feedback to the developers.
The studio has emphasised that player feedback will play a major role in shaping the game throughout its development, with more structured playtests planned later in the year.
What Can Players Expect?
The game is a PvE isometric extraction shooter designed for one to four players. Set in a supernatural world that straddles life and death, players take on the role of operatives working for the titular armed delivery company tasked with completing dangerous jobs in Limbo.
Missions revolve around high-risk treasure hunts, combat encounters, and strategic resource management. Players choose from a cast of characters with distinct abilities and personal motivations, venturing into hostile zones to retrieve valuable loot used to upgrade gear and vehicles. Extraction remains the core tension, with every run carrying the risk of permanent loss.
The game’s anime-inspired visual style and cooperative focus position it slightly apart from traditional first-person extraction shooters, leaning instead toward tactical coordination and top-down situational awareness.
Arc Games’ Confidence in the Project
Arc Games sees Hell Express as a standout title within the extraction shooter space, citing the team’s creativity and world building as key reasons for the partnership. The publisher has also reiterated its broader strategy of working closely with smaller studios and supporting them with long-term live service infrastructure rather than short release cycles.
For Full Metal Bagel, the partnership is expected to accelerate development without compromising the studio’s creative vision, particularly as the game moves closer to broader public testing.
Hell Express is currently in active development, with no release window announced. The game is planned for PC, with ongoing updates and playtests scheduled throughout the year. Players can wishlist the game on Steam to follow future announcements and testing opportunities.
