Northern Forge Studios Surprise Launches Orna Classic and Unveils New Game Balor During Forge Forward Showcase

For Immediate Release
 

OTTAWA, Canada — October 14, 2026 — Canadian independent game developer Northern Forge Studios has unveiled the future of its growing RPG universe during Forge Forward, the studio's first-ever digital games showcase. The presentation featured the surprise launch of Orna Classic, a standalone return to the original Orna experience, the reveal of Balor, an all-new dungeon crawler and creature collector, and the announcement of Patch 4.0: Convergence, a major multiplayer-focused update for Orna: the GPS RPG and Hero of Aethric.

The approximately 10-minute showcase brought together members of the Northern Forge team to share what the studio has been developing behind the scenes, celebrating the past, present, and future of its interconnected fantasy universe.
 

Watch the full Forge Forward showcase
 

One of the showcase's biggest surprises was the immediate release of Orna Classic, a new standalone mobile game available on iOS and Android.
 

Inspired by the earliest days of Orna: the GPS RPG, originally released in 2018, Orna Classic brings players back to a simpler era of location-based adventuring, where exploration, monster battles, dungeon diving, and character progression were at the heart of the experience.
 

Rather than recreating the increasingly expansive systems of modern Orna, Classic focuses on the original gameplay loop that helped establish the game's dedicated community.
 

Players can once again venture into the real world, encounter fantasy monsters, collect equipment, and develop their characters through the familiar grind that defined Orna's early years.
 

"Orna has changed enormously since we first released it, and we're incredibly proud of how far it's come," said Josh O’Reilly, Marketing Mage at Northern Forge Studios. "But there's something special about those early days when the entire experience was about exploring, fighting monsters, and finding better gear. Orna Classic is our way of bringing that feeling back, both for the players who were there at the beginning and those who never had the chance to experience it."
 

Orna Classic launches as a separate experience alongside the existing Orna, which will continue to receive new content and major updates.
 

Orna Classic is available now on the App Store and Google Play.
 

App Store Link: At time of publication the iOS version of Orna Classic is still pending but should be out in the coming days.
 

Google Play Store Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=classic.orna.rpg
 

Northern Forge Studios concluded Forge Forward with the surprise announcement of Balor, an entirely new game set within the universe established by Orna and Hero of Aethric.
 

Combining intense dungeon-crawling gameplay with creature collection using your mobile phone’s GPS technology, Balor marks a new direction for the studio while expanding on the world, creatures, and mythology that players have come to know across its existing titles.
 

The announcement was accompanied by the game's first cinematic teaser trailer, offering an early glimpse into its gameplay and setting.
 

While further gameplay details and release information remain under wraps, Balor represents the next step in Northern Forge's ambitions to explore new experiences within its growing fantasy universe.
 

"We've spent years building this universe through Orna and Hero of Aethric, and there's still so much of it we want to explore," said Josh O’Reilly, Marketing Mage. "Balor gives us the opportunity to approach that world from a completely different perspective. We're excited to finally share a first glimpse of what we've been creating."
 

Additional details about Balor will be shared in future announcements.
 

Alongside the two game announcements, Northern Forge revealed Patch 4.0: Convergence, a substantial update focused on transforming the social and multiplayer experiences across both Orna: the GPS RPG and Hero of Aethric.
 

Convergence introduces new ways for players to connect, cooperate, and progress together, supported by major improvements to the games' underlying infrastructure.
 

Among the update's biggest additions is a comprehensive rework of Orna's Kingdom system, introducing shared weekly quests, expanded Kingdom statistics, customizable Kingdom Realms, and animated banners.
 

The update also introduces Crusades, a new cooperative PvE mode where parties of up to six Kingdom members can battle through themed encounters to earn resources for Kingdom activities and rewards.
 

For Hero of Aethric, Convergence will transform towns into interactive social hubs, allowing players to see one another moving in real time, communicate through an overhauled chat system, use emotes, and form parties before heading out into the world together.
 

Additional improvements include redesigned Archpaths that allow players to complete objectives at their own pace, refreshed interfaces, expanded settings, and new chat functionality such as message reactions and replies.
 

Together, these changes represent a significant investment in making both games feel more connected and alive.
 

Patch 4.0 Convergence is going to go into open beta testing soon, with a release window of late 2026. 
 

Forge Forward also highlighted the recently launched Orna Codex, a free companion application available on iOS and Android.
 

Designed to make Orna's extensive game information more accessible, the Codex provides detailed information about equipment, monsters, abilities, and followers, including previously hidden statistics such as spell penetration values and follower base stats.

The application also features a Gear Inspector, allowing players to examine equipment statistics across upgrade levels, compare items, and build wishlists.

Northern Forge plans to continue expanding the Codex with new features shaped by community feedback.

[Orna Codex App Store Link] | [Google Play Link]

With the surprise release of Orna Classic, the announcement of Balor, and the upcoming Convergence update, Forge Forward marks a significant milestone for Northern Forge Studios.

From preserving the nostalgic foundations of its original game to expanding its multiplayer experiences and introducing entirely new ways to explore the Ornaverse, the studio continues to build on the community-driven approach that has shaped its games since 2018.

The full Forge Forward showcase and individual announcement trailers are available through Northern Forge Studios' official YouTube channel.

Watch Forge Forward: [YouTube Link]
 

Northern Forge Studios is an independent game development studio based in Ottawa, Canada. Best known for Orna: the GPS RPG, a location-based fantasy RPG with more than four million downloads, and Hero of Aethric, a classic-inspired open-world RPG that surpassed one million downloads within its first six months, the studio develops community-driven role-playing experiences rooted in exploration, character progression, and multiplayer adventure.
 

With the launch of Orna Classic and the announcement of Balor, Northern Forge Studios continues to expand its interconnected fantasy universe across new games and experiences.