Software:Reforj
Reforj is an upcoming open-world survival sandbox game being developed by 4J Studios.[1][2] The game is built on 4J Studios' Elements Engine and is scheduled for release on Microsoft Windows, Xbox and PlayStation.[1][3]
Gameplay
Reforj is a 3D open-world sandbox game where players control an unnamed protagonist with the goal of surviving.[4] The game also features a creative mode which allows players to build and explore without taking damage or resources limitations.[4]
The game draws inspiration from Minecraft, a game whose console versions were previously developed by 4J Studios. Reforj distinguishes itself using its 'sculpting' mechanic that provides increased flexibility when building by offering a broader range of shapes and angles for the player to manipulate the world with.[5][6]
The game is slated to be released for PC as well as the modern consoles (PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and Series S).
Future plans
The game aims to involve exploring procedurally generated voxel worlds while combating enemy mobs and navigating through diverse environments with an option to traverse gateways, offering additional exploration opportunities.[4]
The game will in future add an option to play on a "flat world": a world with no terrain providing players a blank canvas for unrestricted building.[4]
Development
The game is built on the Elements Engine, a proprietary game engine developed by 4J Studios, allowing for enhanced world generation, faster loading times, stable framerate, and advanced physics simulations.[5]
Joseph Garrett, better known by his online alias Stampy, is involved in its development as a game designer.[7]
4J Studios were the developers of the Minecraft console editions from 2012 to 2019. Due to Microsoft restructuring, CEO Paddy Burns "saw the writing on the wall" for being able to have the company focused on Minecraft royalties, and so the team decided they needed to work on their own projects to remain successful as a company. In 2019, Burns posed a question to the 4J engineering team on what they would do if they had a chance to make their own voxel game engine. The rules Burns set for the new engine were that it had to run at 60 FPS no matter what, and would be console-first. This would later become the Elements engine. By 2023–24, the engine was in such a state that 4J could begin working on a fleshed out game.[8]
The game was made available for early testers on Xbox Series X/S on 30 April 2025[6] with its "Pioneer program", which gives hundreds of players access during its early development.[9] The game received its first content update in May, which transformed building tools.[10] Further updates have been released on a monthly or quarterly basis since then.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Smith, Graham (2024-09-19). "Minecraft console developer 4J Studios are making Reforj, their own open world survival game" (in en). Rock, Paper, Shotgun. https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/minecraft-console-developer-4j-studios-are-making-reforj-their-own-open-world-survival-game.
- ↑ Bolding, Jonathan (2024-10-05). "The team that made Minecraft console edition is now making their own blocky builder". PC Gamer. https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/the-team-that-made-minecraft-console-edition-is-now-making-their-own-blocky-builder/.
- ↑ Reforj - Official Pre Alpha Gameplay Trailer - IGN. 2024-10-04. Archived from the original on 5 October 2024. Retrieved 2024-10-23 – via IGN.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 "Former Minecraft Devs Announce New Game Called Reforj". bleedingcool.com. https://bleedingcool.com/games/former-minecraft-devs-announce-new-game-called-reforj/.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Minecraft console developers 4J Studios release pre-alpha gameplay of their new sandbox survival game Reforj". savingcontent.com. https://www.savingcontent.com/2024/10/04/minecraft-console-developers-4j-studios-release-pre-alpha-gameplay-of-their-new-sandbox-survival-game-reforj/.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Be the first to try a new sandbox game that feels like Minecraft 2, as playtest goes live". 30 April 2025. https://www.pcgamesn.com/reforj/playtest-signup-minecraft-2.
- ↑ "Minecraft console studio making new creative survival sandbox game". Eurogamer.net. https://www.eurogamer.net/minecraft-console-studio-making-new-creative-survival-sandbox-game.
- ↑ " "We thought, well, how would we reinvent this wheel?" – Minecraft specialists 4J Studios on building a new sandbox crafting game from first principles" by Lewis Packwood – GamesIndustry.biz, 15 July 2026.
- ↑ Scullion, Chris (13 August 2025). "Minecraft console dev 4J opens new Edinburgh studio as work continues on its Minecraft rival Reforj". https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/minecraft-console-dev-4j-opens-new-edinburgh-studio-as-work-continues-on-its-minecraft-rival-reforj/.
- ↑ "Promising Minecraft spiritual successor from former devs just gave building a significant upgrade". 29 May 2025. https://www.pcgamesn.com/reforj/update-corner-sculpting.
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