Gearbox Software, the studio responsible for such hits as Borderlands and Brothers in Arms, announced its next game today in conjunction with 2K Games. Combining elements of multiplayer battle arenas (MOBA) and first person shooters (FPS), the developer aims to create the next triple-A title in its unique stable of games with Battleborn.
While the game isn’t considered a true MOBA, it takes elements from the genre – including the waves of minions, five player co-op and multiplayer matches. Instead, Gearbox is referring to the game as a “hero-shooter” since it focuses more on the fast-paced action of an FPS.
“If Borderlands 2 is a shooter-looter, Battleborn is a hero-shooter,” said Gearbox Software President Randy Pitchford. “As a genre-fused, hobby-grade, co-operative and competitive FPS exploding with eye-popping style and an imaginative universe, Battleborn is the most ambitious video game that Gearbox has ever created.”
Most of the information on the game is limited so far from 2K Games and Gearbox, but GameInformer has an exclusive on the title announcement. The setting of Battleborn takes a science fiction and fantasy approach to storytelling. Warriors of the universe fight over the last known star, giving Gearbox a chance to stretch its legs with its personal brand of humor.
GameInformer reveals that the game will feature unlockable heroes that each look “wildly different” and control like they are from different games. At the beginning of each match, players start out equally, but can craft their play style based on a skill path with 20 levels worth of abilities.
“Battleborn represents the combined might of the development and publishing teams behind the success of Borderlands 2, which to date has sold-in more than nine million units worldwide and has become 2K’s highest-selling game of all time,” said 2K Games President Christoph Hartmann. “The size, scope and ambition of Battleborn are unlike any other title in 2K’s history, and the result is a defining next-gen co-operative experience.”
Gearbox’s Battleborn seems to takes a similar approach to MOBAs that Uber Entertainment did with Super Monday Night Combat. Uber tied together elements of the first game in the series, Monday Night Combat, that pit two teams against one another, and mixed in waves of minions launched by the players. Battleborn varies from Super Monday Night Combat in perspective, as Uber’s game uses a third-person view. So far, no mention of in-game purchases or free-to-play elements is made. Robot Entertainment is also taking a similar approach, with its own spin, in Orcs Must Die Unchained.
The statement from the two companies indicates that Battleborn is slated for Take-Two Interactive’s 2016 fiscal year ending March 31, 2016. Battleborn will be available for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
