Ukrainian Cossack game Bygoner gets a Steam page

The Ukrainian project, previously known as 1505: Knight Becomes Kozak, has received a Steam page and a new name – Bygoner.

The description of 1505: Knight Becomes Kozak explicitly states that the game takes place during the early Ukrainian Renaissance, before the foundation of the Zaporizhian Sich. The main character of the game is a former knight of the Kiev Voivodeship, who ingloriously ended his service after a failure in the Lithuanian-Muscovite war of 1500-1503. He sets off to the southern borders of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, where the border with the Ottoman Empire runs.

The description of Bygoner on Steam is a little different. Ukraine is not mentioned. Now it is a story-driven action adventure in which a nameless traveler, haunted by ghosts of the past and Death itself, sets off south across the wild frontier. The game was inspired by Slavic folklore, combining difficult moral decisions, exploration, and third-person combat.

Judging by some screenshots, Bygoner contains roguelike elements and separate story locations instead of an open world. As of now, English and Ukrainian localizations have been announced for the game, with Ukrainian being text-only for now.

Developer Mick Burlak, who works on Bygoner in his spare time, plans to release a demo in 2025. The game is scheduled to be released in Steam Early Access in 2026.