Son of Thanjai brings the Chola Empire to life — here’s the real story behind the hype

Why Son of Thanjai grabbed my attention at the Future Games Show

Every showcase has that one trailer that makes you sit up. For me, it was Son of Thanjai – an action-adventure set in 11th-century South India, centered on the Chola dynasty and the young king Rajendra Chola. We don’t often get games that genuinely commit to Tamil history, Kalaripayattu martial arts, and everyday cultural life without sanding off the edges. On paper, this is exactly the kind of fresh setting I want more of. But it’s also a huge swing for an indie team, and that’s where the excitement meets the skepticism.

Key Takeaways

• It aims for historical authenticity: Thanjavur during the height of the Chola Empire, not fantasy reskin.
• Combat draws from Kalaripayattu with a Surulvaal (think urumi/whip-sword) for a distinctive move set.
• Mounts include horses, elephants, and yes, bulls – promising traversal and combat variety.
• Targeting PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S by late 2026 – ambitious timeline for an indie.

Breaking down the reveal

Son of Thanjai unfolds in Thanjavur (Thanjai), the Chola capital known for monumental temples and classical arts. The pitch isn’t “medieval, but brown.” It’s a grounded political drama about a reluctant heir navigating court intrigue, foreign saboteurs, and the weight of legacy. The hook is cultural specificity: temple ceremonies, folk performances, and working-class NPCs who feel like they live here—not tourist props. That’s a high bar, but a compelling one.

Combat is the other headline. Kalaripayattu — one of the oldest martial traditions — isn’t just flavor text. The Surulvaal (a flexible whip-sword close to the urumi) suggests a toolkit built around fluid spacing, wraps, and risk-reward strikes. If you’re picturing Soulcalibur’s Ivy as a reference point, you’re not far off, though this is a real historical weapon with its own techniques. The promise is skill-based timing over button-mashing, which could land somewhere between Sekiro’s precision and Sifu’s rhythm — if the animation, hitboxes, and enemy design all pull their weight.

And then there are the mounts: horses for speed, elephants for presence and power, and bulls for… agility? That last one is genuinely new; even Red Dead 2 wouldn’t make a bull your main ride. If Ayelet Studio nails distinct handling and combat interactions (elephant charge to break formations, bull feints for tight village alleys), this goes from gimmick to game-changer.

Platform-wise, it’s coming to PC (Steam), PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, with a target of late 2026. The reveal happened at the Future Games Show, which tracks — this is a “spotlight an ambitious indie” kind of project.

Why this matters now

We’ve seen a hunger for non-Western historical games when studios actually commit: Ghost of Tsushima for Japan, Black Myth: Wukong for Chinese myth, even Raji: An Ancient Epic as a smaller Indian-led effort. South Indian history — the Cholas, the Brihadeeswarar Temple, the Indian Ocean trade network — rarely gets the stage. If Son of Thanjai delivers a living Thanjavur with authentic rituals, music, and language, it won’t just be another “exotic backdrop.” It could stand shoulder to shoulder with Kingdom Come: Deliverance in the “history-first” lane, just with a very different rhythm and palette.

This is also part of a larger shift: players are flocking to games that feel culturally specific, not generic medieval soup. Done right, it broadens what action-adventure can be without sacrificing tight mechanics.

Hype vs. reality: questions the trailer didn’t answer

Ambition is great; scope creep is not. For an indie team, promising dynamic festivals, intricate court politics, robust mounts, and a deep martial system is a lot. I want to see:

• Combat depth: stance changes? guard breaks? a parry or “wrap” mechanic unique to the Surulvaal? Enemy archetypes that force you to switch tactics?
• World density over size: are the villages and temple complexes handcrafted with meaningful quests, or will this lean on fetch errands with cultural dressing?
• Performance targets: 60 FPS on consoles for a timing-heavy combat game is non-negotiable.
• Language options: Tamil voiceover with English subtitles would be a huge authenticity win.
• Elephant and bull handling: do these mounts change encounter design, or are they just reskinned horses?

I’m also curious about the studio’s trajectory. Ayelet has explored Chola history before under the Unsung Empires banner, and the rebrand to a more character-driven story makes sense — players latch onto people, not just timelines. The risk is biting off a sprawling open-world checklists game when a focused, semi-open structure (think Tsushima’s tighter regions or God of War’s hub-and-spoke) might serve the narrative better.

What gamers should watch for next

• Extended gameplay with UI: stamina/poise meters, stance indicators, and how the Surulvaal is taught to players.
• Encounter design: duels, group AI that doesn’t just circle, and how mounts interplay with crowds.
• Story delivery: more Rajendra Chola as a person — relationships, dilemmas, and a clear arc beyond “duty vs. destiny.”
• Cultural systems: festivals that change NPC routines, temple etiquette that affects access, and music/dance that feed into quests rather than sit as set dressing.
• Accessibility: difficulty tuning, button remapping, subtitle size, colorblind options — especially important for timing-based combat.

If those pieces come together, Son of Thanjai won’t just be “Assassin’s Creed in India.” It could carve out its own identity — somewhere between historical sim and stylish action — powered by weapons and rituals we’ve barely seen in mainstream gaming.

TL;DR

Son of Thanjai looks like a fresh, culturally rich action-adventure built around Kalaripayattu and the Surulvaal, set in 11th-century Thanjavur. I’m excited by the specificity — elephants, bulls, temple life — but I need to see deep combat, smart scope, and Tamil audio to believe it sticks the landing. Mark your calendar for late 2026, and watch the next gameplay drop closely.