Combining challenging hack-’n-slash gameplay, role-playing, and roguelike elements with stunning anime aesthetics, you will battle your way up a deadly celestial tower, building your arsenal of skills with each mortal demise to eradicate monstrous angelic enemies and dethrone a god to save the world.

As a member of M.A.H.O.U Unit — an elite fighting force of super-powered android magical girls — you and up to three allies are tasked with one thing: destroy a god to save the world from the brink of extinction. Starting from the base of the mythical Tower of Babel, you’ll fight your way through an array of powerful enemies from all sides, as you climb each level, gaining crucial skills and magical powers to help you surmount its pinnacle — and the new threats each floor brings with it.

Defeat is no excuse; only the most resolute soldiers will reach the heavenly heights in order to dethrone their god — are you up for the task?

Developer Ephemera revealed Kernel Hearts is coming to Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series, PlayStation 5, and PC (Epic Games Store and Steam) on September 17th, and is also excited to share with you a project that has been months in the making: Fernet, captain of the M.A.H.O.U. Squad in the Kernel Hearts, is available as an outfit in Fortnite beginning today. 

Kernel Hearts Hits the Epic Games Store with an Exclusive Gift-with-Purchase Fortnite Outfit

Beginning August 17, any pre-purchase of Ephemera Games’ new action RPG title Kernel Hearts will grant the Fernet Outfit in Fortnite when made through the Epic Games Store with the same Epic Games account. This will begin August 17 at 1:00 PM ET and will continue when the game becomes available for purchase on September 17, 2026.

This is all part of Epic Game Store’s program which launched earlier this year and aims to help developers reach more players through the marketing power of Fortnite. Ephemera Games is not only the first Argentinian games studio to take part in this Epic Games Store Program, but the first Latin American studio as well.

A message from Akira, founder and studio director of Ephemera Games

The moment I told the team that our Fernet was going to be in Fortnite will stay with me forever as one of the happiest moments of my career.

Making a game, from the very first idea to the smallest final detail, is a constant race to prove that the concept you believe in is truly worth exploring. For us, having the opportunity to share a character we care so deeply about with a global audience, as part of one of the biggest games in the world, is something that not only fills us with pride, but also reassures us that we are heading in the right direction.

We started this project as four friends who simply wanted to make the game we had always wanted to play. Today, getting to work side by side with the art and production teams at Epic genuinely feels like a dream come true.

There is also a personal detail that makes all of this even more special to me. My mother works with children, and several of them are huge Fortnite fans. When she told them that her son was going to have a character in the game, it completely blew their minds. What moved me the most was hearing that, because of it, several of them started saying that they wanted to work in game development someday and achieve something like this themselves.

I think that was the moment when I truly understood the scale of what this opportunity meant. It is not only about seeing Fernet in Fortnite, but about realizing that something that began with four friends making a game in LATAM can end up inspiring someone else to want to create their own.

I am deeply grateful to have the chance to experience a moment like this, and I want to thank everyone at Epic once again, not only for making it possible, but for the tremendous amount of work that went into giving an indie game from LATAM the opportunity to be represented in a collaboration of this scale. It is something the team and I will remember for the rest of our careers.

Key Features:

• Ascend to the Ultimate Being of Destruction: In every run, hunt for temporary skills that enhance your attacks, spells, and movement, empowering you to unleash devastating strikes and combos. Use these abilities to conquer the relentless enemies on each floor and exterminate the fearsome boss guardians that rule each domain.
• The End is Just the Beginning: Facing enemies of biblical proportions requires persistence and grit, but a sudden demise isn’t the end. After each run, your unit returns to the lab, where you can use the rewards from previous missions to unlock and equip up to 256KB of skill chips. Customize your unit with these chips to match your unique playstyle.
• Magical Transformations: The curse of the Tower is ever-present, and spending too much time in one area draws out even more powerful enemies. Harness the Tower’s energy to dispel the curses, briefly transform into your ultimate magical form and unleash annihilating attacks on any foes standing in your way.
• Squad Up: Play alone or with up to three friends, honing and synergizing your skills to become the ultimate fighting force to get you to the top.
• Friends in High Places: Each celestial domain hosts unique allies to help you on your journey. Befriend them to deepen your bond and maybe find love along the way!  

Accessibility features for the game will be announced in the coming months.

Kernel Hearts is coming to Nintendo Switch 2, PS5, PC (Steam / Epic Games Store) and Xbox Series X|S on September 17, 2026.