Voidling Bound Interview

The monster taming subgenre has seen a lot of reinvention lately. What used to be just turn-based battling has turned into different ways to showcase creatures in a variety of gameplay styles. With Voidling Bound, developer Hatchery Games looks to take their cute critters into a third person action shooter as a space wrangler to help these Voidlings take back their home planets from the pollutants of an agressive parasite species. Joining RPGamer today is Jonathan Rancourt, the Creative Director at Hatchery Games. Today, we’ll discuss more about the Voidlings and how the player interacts with the sci-fi planets to prepare fans for when the game launches for Steam on June 9, 2026 with PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2 versions planned to follow at a later date.

Ryan Costa (RPGamer): Do the evolutionary paths of the Voidlings intersect after a time or does each Voidling have their own possibilities?

Jonathan Rancourt: Each Voidling has its own evolution tree that allows it to evolve into 31 possible forms. Every evolution allows you to make unique discoveries, change its element, uncover new abilities or powerful perks that change how each creature plays in combat.

RPGamer: Are Voidling eggs rare to find while on missions?

JR: During missions you can find multiple common eggs, but some locations have golden eggs from which you can hatch unique Voidlings that have genes otherwise inaccessible through the evolution system, granting you new possibilities in the Splicing Station where you mix and match your genes to craft your own specimens.

RPGamer: How challenging was it to balance the melee and shooter sides of the combat?

JR: In the development team and amongst our community, each player has their own playstyle, so we end up with advocates for a wide range of playstyles and each creature. These advocates provide valuable feedback that is essential to the balancing of the game. We listen to their input and make sure the experience is enjoyable across both melee and ranged characters. Each new Voidling that gets added to the game brings forth new unique gameplay abilities that we need to account for while designing levels and enemies. A character like Nimiod, that can hover above the ground, has created some pretty interesting design solutions to allow him to melee creatures in a way that feels rewarding.

RPGamer: Can you explain how the enemy factions differ from one another?

JR: Each faction brings a unique twist to the gameplay, asking the player to play differently or adapt their Voidling selection. In the demo, players got to experience the Bulbous, which are all about swarming you with numbers, and they’ve also experienced the GenBots, which turn the game into a bullet hell, asking you to manoeuver around their walls and projectiles. The other upcoming factions each have their own twist that keeps the gameplay interesting.

RPGamer: With Voidling Bound being shooter-based, how challenging was it to make the branching paths feel different during gameplay?

JR: Creating branching evolution is one of the places where we really get to be creative. We aim for each step to offer players a choice that is instantly noticeable both visually and in game feel. When you unlock a new primary ability, it’s like changing weapon type in a classic shooter, but with the creature evolution angle we get to open up the possibilities drastically. As an example, Kerapin starts out with a Burst Rifle, but it can evolve into a Bolla Blast that knocks back enemies or a Snow Sling that explodes and freezes them once you stack enough projectiles on them.

RPGamer: Cleansing the lesions causes such an immediately satisfying visual as the plants spring back to life. Can you explain the design thoughts behind the fast-acting animations?

JR: We wanted the players to feel the satisfaction of cleansing the world of corruption and to get an instant reward from the nature springing back up. From the pop of the corruption to the animation of plants sprouting, each step is carefully crafted to be instantly gratifying.

RPGamer: Will there be a higher chance at getting some Voidlings compared to others, or will it be the same rates across the board?

JR: The players get to discover each Voidling species throughout the story of the game. Some lucky players will also get to uncover unique natures and variants hidden in rare golden and silver eggs.

RPGamer: Will Voidlings be restricted to specific planets, or can they be used anywhere?

JR: Voidlings can be used anywhere, but some activities will favor specific Voidlings. Each enemy faction has their elemental weaknesses, asking you to pick the right Voidling for each activity. You also need to make sure your Voidling is strong enough to take on the challenge, so you might want to train it beforehand.

RPGamer: How does the Space Wrangler’s ship evolve as the story progresses?

JR: As you progress, you unlock new rooms and stations that allow you to breed, train, and splice creatures, expanding your capacity as a space wrangler. Breeding will allow you to transfer attributes and natures to offspring, allowing each generation to grow in strength. In the training room, you’ll get to assign creatures for them to level up while you complete missions; this way, no one gets left behind.

RPGamer: What additions will splicing bring to the Voidlings players can create?

JR: This is where players will get to really go wild and unlock their creativity. In the Splicing Station, each gene discovered through your evolution expands your capacity to craft your perfect specimen, combining perks to discover powerful new synergies or dual-wielding elements to face multiple factions at once.

RPGamer: Is there anything that you would love to share about the game not mentioned yet?

JR: We have more to reveal on the road to our June 9th release stay tuned for more!

RPGamer would like to thank Jonathan Rancourt for their time answering these questions about Voidling Bound, as well as Sarah Blackwell and Stride PR for making it all happen. Those looking forward to raising their own Voidlings to save their planets can look forward to it releasing June 9, 2026, on Steam with PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2 versions planned to follow at a later date.