Ascend to Zero, the time-bending action roguelike from South Korean studio Flyway Games, published by Krafton, launched on July 13, 2026 on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and Steam. It is an Xbox Play Anywhere title and landed as a day-one addition to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass - the seventh Game Pass title added in July 2026.
The game was first revealed at the Xbox Partner Preview on March 26, 2026, where Flyway Games teased its central hook: what would it feel like to stop time in the heat of battle? In the months between reveal and launch, the studio says it continued refining every system right up to the final moment.
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A 30-Second Clock That Shapes Everything
Each run in Ascend to Zero opens with 30 seconds on the clock - the maximum time the in-game time machine can hold a player in the past. Taking a lethal hit shaves seconds off that countdown, making survival and time management inseparable disciplines. When the clock hits zero, the run ends and players return to the present.
The signature mechanic is Time-Stop. Pressing the dedicated button freezes enemies, projectiles, and even the countdown, while the player's avatar continues to move freely. During that frozen window, players can collect scattered experience points, reposition, and queue up gadgets and skills. When time resumes, everything fires simultaneously - turning a defensive pause into a concentrated burst of damage. Learning when to freeze and what to set up beforehand is, according to the developer, where the game's strategic depth truly opens up.
Combat uses automatic weapon targeting on nearby enemies, freeing players to focus on positioning, timing, and gear decisions rather than manual attack inputs. Dashes and Time-Stop together form the primary movement toolkit when enemy swarms threaten to close off escape routes.
Platform and Availability Breakdown
| Platform | Access Method | Day One |
|---|---|---|
| Xbox Series X|S | Buy or Game Pass Ultimate | Yes |
| Xbox on PC | Buy or PC Game Pass | Yes |
| Xbox Cloud Gaming | Game Pass Ultimate | Yes |
| Steam (PC) | Purchase | Yes |
| Xbox Play Anywhere | Cross-buy / cross-save | Yes |
Ascend to Zero is available to buy outright for CA$11.35 if you want permanent ownership outside of a Game Pass subscription.
Explosive Progression and Multiple Avatars
Ascend to Zero uses a hyper-scaling stat system. Within a single run, character levels can climb from 1 into the hundreds of thousands. Stronger enemies drop more powerful items, and a well-timed lucky drop can push a build forward dramatically. Each Avatar grows along a different statistical curve, meaning the choice of character alters which stats spike and how a run unfolds overall. Weapons, chips, and gadgets collected mid-run add further variance, ensuring no two runs produce identical builds.
Pre-Launch Improvements Since the March Reveal
Flyway Games used the time between reveal and launch to address three areas. First, character balance: each Avatar was tuned to feel distinct and genuinely competitive rather than steering players toward a single optimal pick. Second, a difficulty system was added so players can choose a setting that matches their familiarity with the timed-run structure. Third, an in-game play guide and an overhauled handbook were introduced so new players can look up any system, chip, or unlockable without leaving the game.
The late game also received a dedicated pass. As a run progresses, the map grows more dangerous and time-limited rewards disappear if players delay, creating constant routing decisions about which areas to prioritize. The final stage transitions from open exploration into a boss encounter that concentrates the full weight of a player's build into a single decisive fight - an area the studio says it reworked repeatedly before launch.
Background: Flyway Games and Krafton
Ascend to Zero is the debut title from Flyway Games, a studio founded in 2023 by Krafton and based in South Korea. Krafton - best known for PUBG: Battlegrounds - serves as publisher. The game blends bullet-hell survival mechanics with time-manipulation strategy, sitting alongside titles like Vampire Survivors in the auto-attack survivor sub-genre while adding the active Time-Stop layer as its primary differentiator.
For Game Pass subscribers hunting something compact and replayable, Ascend to Zero is available at no extra cost right now. Buyers outside Game Pass can pick it up through the Xbox Store or Steam.
