Will Let It Die: Inferno’s Next Fest Demo Prove Its PvEvP Edge?

The free Let It Die: Inferno demo is live during Steam Next Fest from October 13–20, letting you dive into its new PvEvP modes, prologue trailer, and Dev Diary #13 before the full game arrives. This standalone roguelite twist builds on the 2016 original’s grimy melee chaos—Uncle Death’s punk flair, punishing roguelike loops, and those deliciously cruel player invasions.

Key takeaways

• Demo runs October 13–20 via Steam Next Fest, with a prologue trailer and Dev Diary #13.
• Inferno doubles down on PvEvP inside Hell Gate, plus a dedicated PvP arena mode.
• Meet new foes like the Scampavian researcher and Yotsuyama sentry.
• Full release set for December 3, 2025, on PS5 and PC; pre-orders hint at a premium SKU.

Breaking down the demo

GungHo invites players to scavenge the ever-shifting Hell Gate in the Steam Next Fest demo, testing Inferno’s “die, reshuffle, adapt, repeat” loop. The prologue trailer sets a post–Earth Rage tone: a city-eating rift, the hunt for the “Eye of the Reaper,” and a fresh cast of grotesque enemies. Director Hideyuki Shin and Uncle Death walk us through Dev Diary #13, spotlighting the Scampavian and Yotsuyama units.

The heart of Inferno is its PvEvP approach. You’ll clash with AI mobs and other live players in the same run, then jump into a separate PvP mode for pure competition. It’s a savvy split—classic asynchronous “Haters” invasions from Let It Die met with mixed reactions—and this time the studio is keeping straight-up PvP in its own lane while preserving tense in-run surprises.

Monetization & the premium question

Let It Die’s free-to-play economy once leaned hard on timers, grind, and microtransactions. Now, pre-orders are live for Inferno, which suggests a premium SKU rather than a live-service F2P launch. If true, the big question is whether GungHo can trust the roguelite loop—weapon upgrades, resource risk, and emergent PvEvP chaos—to keep players hooked without pay-to-win crutches. Details on DLC, cosmetic passes, or other monetization remain unconfirmed.

What to test in the demo

• Combat feel: Are melee attacks weighty and readable in crowds? Do hitboxes hold up under lag?
• PvEvP pacing: How often do live invasions occur? Do they feel like thrilling surprises or nonstop grief?
• Run variety: Are weapon drops, enemy types, and layouts diverse enough to keep each descent fresh?
• Onboarding clarity: Does the prologue teach the core systems, or leave you lost in menus?
• Stability & netcode: Rubber-banding and desync can kill a melee-first PvEvP game—note any hiccups.

Potential pitfalls

Live PvP inside PvE zones demands careful balance: if veteran loadouts regularly steamroll newcomers, the roguelite “restart” promise collapses. Spawn logic and extraction timing must avoid turning Hell Gate into a grief playground. On PC, anti-cheat measures need to be ironclad to prevent exploits in close-quarters brawls. Finally, regular post-launch content—new weapon archetypes, map modifiers, and enemy variants—will be critical to prevent runs from feeling stale.

Looking ahead to December 3

On paper, Let It Die: Inferno refines the original’s best elements for 2025: a brutal loop, dark humor, and unpredictable player madness. If the Next Fest demo nails its PvEvP encounters, run diversity, and respects your time investment, Inferno could become a late-night staple. If the balance, netcode, or economy falter, it risks becoming a cautionary tale about chasing trends without mastering fundamentals.

TL;DR

Play the free Steam Next Fest demo October 13–20. Stress-test the PvEvP encounters, netcode, and roguelite progression. Inferno has the right ingredients—now it needs to prove the recipe works.