Don't Lose Aggro celebrates the joys of tanking raids, and it's charging into early access next month

Tanking is, categorically, the most fun aspect of the MMO holy trinity. Yes, seeing the DPS meter sing while you're stabbing away and blowing cooldowns is a big dopamine hit, and knowing you were responsible for keeping your party alive through astute healing timings is incredibly satisfying, but holding the fort like Hodor in Game of Thrones has always been my preferred way to play. While there's been a recent trend in MMO-lite games that rip out the best bits from our favorite time sinks, such as Erenshor and Fellowship, Don't Lose Aggro is the first to dedicate itself fully to the shield. As exclusively revealed by PCGamesN, it's soon to hit early access.

The brainchild of 15-year tanking veteran Oren Koren, Don't Lose Aggro is a single-player action roguelite that has a singular goal: keep your NPC party members alive as hordes of enemies converge on your posse. You won't just be standing there and taking hits like a practice dummy, though. Here, you'll be able to whirl through mobs, sling your shield like the Slayer in Doom The Dark Ages, and even let out a mighty roar that applies status effects to friend or foe. You'll be able to do so across three vastly different modes: Wave Defense, which focuses on crowd control and positioning, the speedrunning-based Dungeon Crawl, and Boss Rush, which is all about timing cooldowns and executing strats.

There looks to be some solid build variety, too. Equipping different shields lets you spec into different archetypes, such as the paladin-inspired Crusader. As a roguelite, you'll also be able to tech into different talent trees using the points accrued from successful runs, allowing you to curate your playstyle further. If staying on the move and remaining elusive is your modus operandi, delve down the path of the Dodger. Likewise, if you have some serious main character syndrome and want to ensure the spotlight's permanently on you, you'll no doubt want to become a Taunter.

"Don't Lose Aggro is both my love letter to tanking, as well as my take in creating a safe practicing environment for people to explore tanking without the usual fear and anxiety," Koren says. "My goal is to help solve key issues that exist within MMO tanking by providing a low-risk setting where everyone can gain the confidence to give the role a try, while offering those who have grown out of the genre a chance to relive the thrill of tanking without the time commitments or rigorous raid schedules."

Don't Lose Aggro enters Steam Early Access on Wednesday, April 15, 2026. You can wishlist it ahead of time here.

From what I've seen of Don't Lose Aggro so far, it looks to draw heavily from World of Warcraft, albeit with a far more condensed action bar. As Koren suggests, this could be the perfect way to sharpen your tanking skills, learn an entirely new role, or revel in your Molten Core glory days without having to pull a full group together.