Neon Abyss 2is the follow-up to the aptly named, vibrant pixel art rogueliteNeon Abyssby Veewo Games, and it aims to expand on everything that made the original a hit amongst fans of the genre.Neon Abyss' greatest draw was its massive amount of items on offer, which allowed players to discover occasionally hilarious but always powerful synergies that led to unique playstyles from run to run. With a greatly expanded arsenal, more robust progression systems, and co-op,Neon Abyss 2has earned its place as a proper sequel.
Game Rant spoke with Veewo Games Creative Director Lans Wang about the ongoing development ofNeon Abyss 2,including some of the ways it has improved over the original title. Wang weighed in on the most important features to get right, the team’s approach to a satisfying and eminentlyreplayable roguelite gameplay loop, and how community feedback has helped guide the game through its Early Access period.This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
How Neon Abyss 2 Expands Upon the Original
Game Rant:Neon Abysswas all about creating powerful synergieswith combinations of items. How has this expanded in the sequel?
The synergies have increased, and that’s saying something! We really wanted to make the choices of combinations limitless for players. We wanted them to say, “What if I tried combining…” and watch the chaos unfold. With more development experience under our belts, we’ve really been able to lean into this.
Neon Abyss 2 introduces over 600 new items (plus some fan-favourite classics), giving players even more ways to stack up combos. We’ve been developing the game for a couple of years now, and we still encounter new combinations!
Game Rant:When creating items forNeon Abyss2, are you often surprised by unexpected synergies with other items? Do you have any examples that come to mind?
Absolutely, we’re often surprised! That’s part of the fun and the challenge. It’s also been one of the wonderful things about having such a present community through Beta Testing and our Next Fest Demo. We’ve been able to see all the ways our players enjoy and play the game! With the synergies being so open-ended, it’s not uncommon for testers to find wild combinations we didn’t predict.
Ha, good question. A pretty visually impressive one is Spinal Fluid + Snippie. With Spinal Fluid, every time you pick an item, you will grow larger and slightly increase your damage, and with the Snippie Hatchmon, she splits the dropped pick-ups into their smallest units, leading to this specimen! We are so excited to see all the wacky things the players will create!
Game Rant:Neon Abyss’procedural dungeonscould evolve over time. How has the dungeon-running experience evolved forNeon Abyss 2?
We’ve implemented our new Faith system, and the journey through the Abyss can now be influenced more by player choices. When you play, your chosen path and rewards could change based on the Faith you align with. Combined with the randomness of item drops, Hatchmon hatching, and more randomised boss encounters, no two runs feel the same.
Game Rant:Like many ofthe best roguelite games,Neon Abyssrelies a bit on randomness from run to run. How do you strike a balance between player agency and the chaos of RNG?
The new Faith system is really our answer to that. It’s very much an evolution of the Wisdom vs Violence system from the first Abyss. There are a variety of new Faiths in Neon Abyss 2, each with unique requirements and rewards. Once you unlock it, at the beginning of every level, you are given the chance to align yourself with a particular Faith. Players can then aim to align their playstyle with said Faith, which will unlock a Faith Temple where you can gain powerful buffs, shop for exclusive items, or maybe even gamble for game-changing effects.
We designed The Faith System to allow players to strategically coordinate their runs beyond just hoping for good item drops. The choices you make, the rooms you enter, and the way you clear enemies all influence the outcome. We wanted to give players a greater chance to try and control the Abyss by rewarding bold play and calculated risks. You still won’t be able to plan every outcome—RNG is still very much alive in Neon Abyss 2, and it wouldn’t be the Abyss without it! Particularly in the Faith Temples, but with Faith on your side, you might just stand a fighting chance.
Game Rant:What lessons did you learn fromNeon Abyss? How did youapply them to the sequel?
One of the biggest lessons was the importance of having a solid structural foundation. The original game was ambitious but limited in how easily we could evolve it post-launch. With Neon Abyss 2, we rebuilt the framework to make it much easier to expand upon. This has allowed us to respond quickly to feedback, introduce new mechanics like co-op and Faith, and build a more future-proof foundation. We also learned how crucial community engagement is, which has directly shaped development through playtests, demos, and Discord feedback. We are so grateful for our incredible, passionate community and can’t wait to keep expanding and creating throughout the Early Access.
Game Rant:What did you feel was most important to change or improve forNeon Abyss 2?
As we said, we knew we needed a stronger development foundation, one that would allow us to improve and develop. That has unlocked all sorts of improvements: faster turnaround on features, smoother updates, and the freedom to get really weird with item interactions. Player feedback has always been a huge source of inspiration, and now we’re set up to act on that more efficiently than ever.
Neon Abyss 2’s Greatest Improvements
Game Rant:What do you think is the biggest improvementNeon Abyss2has made over its predecessor?
Co-op. Hands down. The ability to play with up to three friends in online co-op completely changes the experience. It’s something players begged for and something we always wanted to do, and…now we’ve done it. But beyond that, the expanded weapon variety, enhanced Hatchmon system, and Faith System really bring it all together.
Game Rant:Can you talk about the newmeta progression inNeon Abyss 2? How has your approach differed from the first game?
The first game relied heavily on random drops and achievements. Neon Abyss 2 introduces meta progression through systems like Faith. Progression in the game also includes new unlockable Agents, all with their own unique abilities and gameplay styles, weapon paths, Hatchmon evolutions, and more. We really wanted every run to feel like progress, whether you “won” or not.
Game Rant:Was there player feedback fromNeon Abyssthat particularly guided your direction with aspects ofNeon Abyss 2?
Definitely. Multiplayer was a huge request and one of the core reasons we pursued a sequel. Everything from more diverse weapons, boss variety, Hatchmon mechanics, and visual polish has been informed by community feedback, whether through Discord, playtests, or Steam Discussion. We’ve really tried to listen, and we think it shows.
Game Rant:What was most important to “get right” aboutNeon Abyss 2? Is there something that if it wasn’t up to snuff, it wouldn’t be aNeon Abyssgame?
Three things had to be nailed: multiplayer, increased weapon/item variety, and our Faith System. Neon Abyss is our baby, and we strive to do everything we can to make the game as fun as possible for our players, but also for ourselves. When we created the mission statement for this sequel, these were among our biggest considerations. We didn’t want a game where players just run and gun; we wanted our game to surprise players, challenge them, and make them feel clever. That was our vision for Neon Abyss 2.
Game Rant:How do you determine when a roguelite has enoughcontent and replayabilityto be satisfactory? What helps you decide if there are enough environments, weapons, or bosses?
We ask ourselves: “Does it still surprise us?” If the dev team can still have unique runs after the sheer amount that we have played and tested, that’s a very good sign! We also look to our community, watching streams, reading feedback, and listening for critiques. If players are finding new builds, still dying and coming back for more, all while sharing strategies, we know we’re on the right track. That said, an Early Access release is the perfect environment for our game to flourish. We will be continuing to add to and develop Neon Abyss 2 to make it the best it can be!
Game Rant:Can you talk about yourapproach to boss design? How do you design bosses so that they’re challenging and engaging with such a wide variety of potential player builds?
This was definitely one of the trickiest and most rewarding design challenges. We wanted to make sure boss fights in Neon Abyss 2 felt fresh, unpredictable, and replayable while staying true to what fans loved about the original.
So, we leaned into the game’s core theme of modern mythological figures. We love the idea of “cyber gods” born from the culture of gamers, tech, and the digital age.
To keep things fresh, each boss is now built around randomized skill sets, which means no two encounters play out exactly the same, even when you’re facing the same enemy. This dynamic system makes boss fights feel much more reactive and alive, encouraging players to adapt on the fly rather than relying on pattern memorisation.
That felt especially important with the introduction of co-op and the sheer variety of builds players might bring into battle. While we’ve given players all sorts of new tools to conquer the Abyss, we haven’t left our bosses out, giving them even more ways to surprise (and destroy) players.
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