Varun Mayya's Aeos Games plans to launch its debut title Unleash the Avatar in 2026

Unleash the Avatar is set in an alternate version of India, where the player is up against the wayward forces of Naraka (Hell)

Aeos Games, the game development studio founded by creator-entrepreneur Varun Mayya, plans to release its debut title Unleash the Avatar in 2026.

The Indian epics-inspired Soulslike is set to launch on PC as a one-time purchase through Steam, Valve’s popular digital storefront. The company said it is also evaluating other platforms, such as consoles.

Soulslike is a subgenre of action role-playing games known for challenging combat, strategic encounters, and high-stakes boss fights, usually in a dark fantasy setting. Players typically advance by learning from repeated failure, rewarding skill and careful planning.

Some of the prominent titles include FromSoftware’s Dark Souls, Demon’s Souls, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.

Tell me about Aeos Games?

These announcements came as Aeos Games unveiled a trailer for Unleash the Avatar, showcasing the game’s early alpha gameplay.

The studio is part of the Aeos Group, a holding company focused on artificial intelligence (AI) and digital content products and solutions. Rohan Mayya, co-founder of Aeos Games and brother of Varun Mayya, serves as its CEO.

Bengaluru-based Aeos Games has about 40 employees with a mix of freshers and gaming industry veterans who have worked on big-budget titles (AAA titles) such as Ghost of Tsushima, Path of Exile 2, and Hogwarts Legacy.

What is the game about?

Unleash the Avatar is set in an alternate version of India, where the player is up against the wayward forces of Naraka (hell) who manage to unseal the barrier between realms. Along with challenging enemy encounters and boss fights, players will also uncover the events that led to hell on earth.

The trailer introduces Vishwapur, a once-pristine coastal locale now overrun by Nisthari Rakshas. Players are tasked with defeating these enemies using a mix of combat options, including traditional moves such as dodge, parry, and stagger attacks, alongside new mechanics like a ranged chakra ability and a flashy feather prism form.

“We’re big fans of Soulslike thanks to their challenging combat and story-telling,” said Rohan Mayya. "While it could be easy enough to reskin existing efforts and call it a day, our team has painstakingly built up everything from first principles."

"From our in-house, best-in-class photogrammetry to full-body mo-cap and even our bespoke enemy AI systems, every single bit of Unleash the Avatar has been lovingly hand-crafted to make a game you — and us — would be happy to play," he added.

Govt's gaming push

This development comes as the Indian government seeks to boost locally made games based on Indian stories and culture, as part of its push to position the country as a global hub for game development.

India’s video games market is also showing signs of increased maturity, particularly in player preferences and spending habits, Moneycontrol has previously reported, encouraging local studios to develop more ambitious and complex games.

India is the fastest-growing games market in Asia in terms of both revenue and number of gamers, according to Niko Partners, a market research and consulting firm covering video games, e-sports, and streaming across the continent.

The country's mobile, PC, and console gaming market is expected to surpass $1 billion in revenue in 2025 and reach $1.4 billion in 2028, growing at a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.1 percent, the firm said. These figures do not include revenues from real-money games or exports.