10 Chambers, the studio behind 2019’s FPS GTFO, is looking to return to its roots with its upcoming project Den of Wolves. By making a cyberpunk heist game where players complete a series of missions to ensure they’re all ready for the job ahead. For those unaware, 10 Chambers was initially founded in 2015 by Ulf Andersson, who worked as the game designer on Payday and Payday 2. During GDC 2025, MonsterVine was invited to a hands-on preview of Den of Wolves, where we got to sit down and play an early build of the game.
Den of Wolves plays right into the cyberpunk genre, in which corporations are given a wide range of power with little to no regulation. Because of this, things go bad for the common folk, and crime is just a part of everyday life there.
During my time with the game, we got to play two missions. The first one was a set-up mission before the big heist. Since the game is meant to be played with friends, I was thrown into a lobby with another journalist and two developers from 10 Chambers. This was so they could ensure we’d have the best possible experience with the game. Before we loaded in, we selected our load-outs, and I decided to keep things simple: a pistol and shotgun with a shield that could be thrown up to block bullets.
Before loading in, I was informed that the set-up missions are meant to be bite-sized levels because you and your buddies can quickly complete them in about 10 to 20 minutes. Unlike the heist, they’re more straightforward. As soon as the mission started, we were instructed to be as silent as possible and avoid combat for stealth. But of course, we immediately opted to go loud instead.
What caught my eye from the beginning was how the gunplay felt. Similar to Payday, it almost felt real because you can’t hold down the trigger and expect it to still be accurate. This is important to mention because even though the area we were in was small, it had a lot of cover for enemies to hide behind. As cheesy as it sounded, every shot truly counted because if I missed a few, I ran the risk of getting swarmed by other enemies running my way.
But once we were done fighting through squads of enemies, we were tasked with breaking into a small vault, and this is where the spirit of Payday truly shines. Once we started the drill to get into the vault, we were immediately swarmed by enemies, and every so often, the drill would stall out, so one of us would be forced to fall back and repair it. If this sounds familiar, it’s because Payday has a similar system whenever players bust into a vault. It’s nice to see 10 Chambers pay a slight homage to some of their older games at another studio. Once the vault was open, we immediately took everything we saw while fighting off what seemed like an endless army.
We were now ready for the big heist ahead as soon as we escaped. Interestingly enough, before we launched into the final part of our preview, the team pulled us aside and informed us that this build had locked us into a specific heist run. The team then explained that once the game is released, the final heist will vary based on how players complete the set-up missions. For this one, we were going to walk through the front door of a rival gang and trick them into letting us into the vault room. But if the set-up missions were done differently, we may have had a more aggressive approach, such as shooting our way to the main room.
Although the team didn’t go into too much detail on the kind of ways players would be able to play the final mission. They did allude that there would be several ways to complete it. This got me hooked because it meant that each run would be unique based on how players completed them.
It was clear that the final mission had a lot more weight to it, too. From the very start, the tone was set with intense music that made every step feel heavier than the last. On top of that, we had a rival gang leader taunting us through a microphone, saying everything they could to make us feel small. All while walking through an abandoned building that had essentially turned into a small gang base.
The leader had let us into his fortress because he was under the impression that a trade would happen. Little did they know that the item we were handing over was a drone that would kill everything in its sight, and that’s how we’d get into the main vault room.
Once the plan was sprung into motion, we immediately broke into two groups. One group started breaking into vaults while the other set up explosives near a window that would ensure our escape. After cracking open a few vaults and securing loot, the boss leader decided to show up, albeit with a machine gun and full body armor. As soon as that was dealt with, we gained access to the main control room, which allowed us to open the main vault.
Inside was a person who was locked inside, and we were tasked with hacking into their brain to secure vital information by Diving. This was where the game truly stood out. By this point in the level, we were getting attacked from all fronts, and more challenging enemies were called in because we breached the main vault. We were transported to a new location, and as soon as the Dive was started, I would stop in the real world. According to the team, each Dive would differ depending on the vault. Some would include players solving a puzzle, running from a monster, or completing a similar task.
Our Dive took us to a psychedelic place that looked like something out of Remedy Entertainment’s Control. This specific Dive required us to jump from platform to platform within a set amount of time. As soon as we completed the task, we were launched back into a firefight with no time to catch our breath. This was repeated a few more times until we got what we needed. This also created some interesting dynamics because when you knew a Dive was coming, it forced you to find a somewhat safe spot. Because if you didn’t, you’d be thrown right back into the heat of combat the second it ended and run the risk of getting killed. Once we got everything from the Dives, we ran to our escape routes and left with all the loot we had stolen.
This is where our preview ended. Even though 10 Chambers gave us a sneak peek at a very early build of the game, I was blown away by how fun it is. It feels like a return to form for the studio, and it’s clear that a lot of passion has been put into the game. I walked away from Den of Wolves more excited than when I entered. Den of Wolves doesn’t have a release date, but it’s expected to enter Early Access later this year.
