Mistborn Meets BioShock In Huge New Steampunk RPG

While Brandon Sanderson has tried his hardest to get a Mistborn video game up and running, nothing has quite panned out the way he’s hoped over the years. Famously, Mistborn: Birthright was announced in 2012 as an action RPG from Little Orbit, with Sanderson writing its story and dialogue. The game would have been set hundreds of years before the original trilogy and centered around the series’ Allomancy-based powers, but after years of delays and development troubles, it was officially cancelled in 2017.

Almost a decade later, it appears Sanderson is ready to give a video game adaptation of Mistborn another shot. In his State of the Sanderson 2025 update, he revealed that the video game rights are back in his hands after being tied up with the film rights for years. He’s now talking with AAA developers about potential projects and has openly invited interested studios to get in touch, though he cautioned that the process is still at the very earliest stage.

Luckily, there’s an upcoming 2027 release that may scratch that Mistborn itch, and it’s a BioShock-inspired steampunk RPG that will be featured as a Day One Release on XBOX Game Pass when it launches next year (via XBOX Wire).

Mistborn Fans Shouldn’t Miss This Game

Clockwork Revolution character in steampunk armor shooting a flamethrower.

First announced back in 2023 and featured as part of the XBOX Games Showcase, Mistborn fans will not want to miss out on the upcoming release of Clockwork Revolution, a unique new steampunk RPG from developers at inXile entertainment [sic]. Described as a “new time-travel first-person action RPG for Xbox Series X|S and PC,” the game is slated to launch in 2027, though there’s no specific release date available at the moment.

In a developer update posted to XBOX Wire this June, the game was confirmed for a 2027 release and also announced that it will be included as a Day One Release for XBOX Game Pass subscribers when it does launch, with XBOX Play Anywhere capabilities as well. The game is also available to wishlist now on Steam, where you can follow along for updates as well.

Clockwork Revolution has major Mistborn vibes and would likely get the Sanderson stamp of approval given its BioShock-inspired gameplay, a video game franchise the author has noted is among his favorites. Part of the newly revealed gameplay showcases a distinctly Allomancy-esque ability similar to Steelpush/Ironpull called Displace, “a power that lets you instantly reposition certain objects … open paths, solve problems, or turn the environment itself into a weapon.”

A Steampunk Fantasy RPG With BioShock Vibes

Aside from the obvious gameplay mechanics with Mistborn-adjacent vibes, this game is packed with similarities to Sanderson’s iconic franchise, but also includes features that could easily pass for a BioShock sequel in and of itself. The steampunk fantasy world of Avalon is described as a dystopic haven of crime, “from the ash-choked streets of the Tangle to the lavish promenades where the city pretends it’s something better—everything here has a cost, and the folks at the bottom usually pay for it.”

Clockwork Revolution is a can’t-miss upcoming 2027 release for XBOX and PC that fans of Sanderson’s Mistborn and the iconic BioShock franchise will want to keep an eye on over the coming months, with more gameplay updates sure to be on the way soon.