An upcoming slasher will use mocap from a ballerina for combat

In Tsarevna, the Slavic myth-inspired slasher announced Wednesday, fighting battles is literally a dance — ballet, specifically. The upcoming title will blend “folklore and fine art” with motion capture from Alyona Kovalyova, principal ballerina at Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow.

The teaser video shows the eponymous protagonist stretching into a beautiful plié tendu back, arms reaching backwards in a cambré — and just as her arms reach, an attack befalls the enemy in front of her. In full battle, you see Tsarevna effortlessly pirouette, plié, and port de bras her way around baddies with some sort of magical knife she wields with the power of dance.

We don’t know a ton about the gameplay itself, but the teaser makes it seem like players will be performing hack-and-slash actions in combinations that’ll correspond with various ballet moves and, in turn, combat moves. Kovalyova’s work is always stunning, but it’s especially fun to see the dark-fantasy elements of Tsarevna surrounding her graceful movements.

The third-person point of view leaves plenty of room for the player to appreciate the dancing itself, and developer Watt Studio promises an original story to go along with it.

“Players will confront ancient deities, unlock the Tsarevna’s forgotten past, and uncover the cost of wielding power rooted in grief and beauty,” the news release says.

Tsarevna will be released on Windows PC via Steam in 2026.