Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
If you’ve been following the rumors about Epic’s holiday giveaways, you’ve probably seen that one specific list everywhere. It promised Jurassic World Evolution 2 for today and ended with a massive Red Dead Redemption 2 finale.
I’ll admit, I was skeptical. Those lists usually pop up right after the first big game is announced to gain easy traction, and today proved it. Instead of dinosaurs, we got Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel.
The “leak” is officially debunked. It’s back to the guessing game, which, honestly, is more interesting than a fake spreadsheet.
What is Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel?
If you haven’t claimed it yet, you should. It’s a roguelike horde survival game (think Vampire Survivors or Halls of Torment) but with a much higher fidelity 3D look and a heavy Norse mythology theme.
The Core Loop:
- Pick a Hero: You choose from a roster of cursed warriors, each with unique base stats and weapons.
- Survive the Swarm: You’re dropped into realms like Helheim or Niflheim. Enemies come at you in waves, and you have to kite them while your abilities auto-fire.
- Divine Blessings: As you level up during a run, you pick “Blessings” from Norse gods. Thor gives you chain lightning, Loki adds poison/tricks, and Skadi handles the frost.
- Meta-Progression: Even when you die (and you will), you earn resources to permanently upgrade your stats and unlock new perks for the next run.
Why It’s Worth the Download
Unlike some of the simpler games in this genre, Jotunnslayer actually has objective-based missions during the runs—like closing portals or collecting items—rather than just running out a timer. The boss fights are also more tactical than your average “bullet heaven” game.
It normally goes for around $15, so getting it for free right now is a solid deal for anyone who likes “just one more run” gameplay.
The New Reality
With the fake list out of the way, we’re back to watching the wrapping paper teasers. Whoever made that list was clearly just chasing clicks. From here on out, don’t trust any “confirmed” leaks you see on Reddit or Twitter—Epic is clearly keeping their actual lineup under wraps.
Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel is free to claim until tomorrow December 19 at 11:00 AM ET.
