Loric Games sat down with us at the Snail Games USA booth to discuss the incredible evolution of their co-op airship survival RPG, the addition of cave exploration, and the future of PvP.
It is no secret that launching a game into Early Access is a gamble. Sometimes a game drops with a rock-solid foundation, ready to be expanded upon. Other times, the launch is a bit turbulence-heavy, requiring developers to grab a wrench and start frantically patching the engine mid-flight.
When Echoes of Elysium—a co-op airship survival RPG developed by Loric Games—launched into Steam Early Access back in January 2026, it definitely experienced some severe turbulence. Our team played and reviewed the game during its initial release window. While the core concept of building a floating fortress and exploring a clockwork world with up to six friends was undeniably cool, the execution was flawed. We experienced significant desync issues, frustrating rubber-banding, clunky combat due to server lag, and a skybox that felt a bit too empty.
But what a difference a few months makes.
On Thursday, March 12th, our team sat down for an exclusive interview with Ray Soto, one of the main developers at Loric Games, right on the GDC show floor at the Snail Games USA booth. Before the meeting, we booted up the game to see how it was playing. The difference was night and day.
Here is what we learned about the rapid evolution of Echoes of Elysium and where the skies are taking us next.
Patching the Hull: The Power of Rapid Iteration
As we sat down with Ray, his excitement and pride in his team’s work were immediately apparent. And he has every right to be proud.
Since its rocky January launch, Loric Games has pushed out over 30 game updates. Let that sink in. In an era where AAA studios often take months to address game-breaking bugs, this small team of 17 developers based in Arlington, Virginia, practically lived in the engine room, furiously optimizing the netcode, smoothing out the combat, and fixing the desync issues that plagued the launch.
When we played the game a week prior to GDC in preparation for this interview, it was a completely different experience. The airship building felt seamless, the co-op exploration was stable, and the combat finally had the punchy responsiveness we were looking for.
To other game developers and major studios reading this: please take notes. This is how you handle Early Access.
What’s Next: Weather Systems and Subterranean Flight
With the foundation finally stabilized, Ray was eager to discuss the game’s future.
One of our initial critiques was that the procedural skies of Elysium, while pretty, felt a bit empty. Ray confirmed that the next major update will tackle this head-on by introducing dynamic Weather Systems. Adding wind currents, storms, and atmospheric changes will make navigating your airship a much more active and engaging experience, ensuring the world feels 100% more alive and full.
But the announcement that got our team the most excited wasn’t about the sky at all—it was about the ground.
Ray revealed that the upcoming “Summer Expansion” will introduce Caves & Dungeons. But you won’t just be exploring these subterranean biomes on foot; players will actually be able to fly their custom-built airships down into the cave systems. Navigating a massive, heavily armed flying fortress through a claustrophobic, glowing crystal cavern sounds incredibly tense and fun, and will completely change how players design their ships.
The Elephant in the Room: PvP
Currently, Echoes of Elysium is strictly a PvE (Player versus Environment) experience. You and your friends team up to fight the hostile Heron faction and clockwork beasts.
Naturally, when you give players the ability to build massive flying war machines, the question of fighting other players immediately comes up. I asked Ray if Player versus Player (PvP) combat was on the horizon.
Ray chuckled and admitted that the “evil word” has definitely been discussed around the office. However, for the time being, Loric Games is committed to keeping the game focused squarely on cooperative PvE during the Early Access stage. They want to ensure the survival balance and narrative elements are fully fleshed out before introducing the chaos of ship-to-ship player battles.
Of course, if you are truly desperate to test your cannons against your friends, the current co-op mode does feature friendly fire. Feel free to load a broadside cannon and “accidentally” blast your buddy off the deck of your ship. It makes for some fantastic, chaotic moments.
Watch the Latest Gameplay: Steam Store Page
Echoes of Elysium is currently available on Steam Early Access, boasting a fresh “Mostly Positive” rating for recent reviews, reflecting the massive improvements made since launch. It is currently on sale for a special promotion price of $15.99.
If you held off during the turbulent launch, it might be time to pack your bags and take to the skies.
