Over the past few years, the MOBA genre has exploded in popularity across all platforms. With titles including League of Legends and DOTA 2 (Defense of the Ancients), “multiplayer online battle arenas” have reached international, competitive-gaming status. Texas-based Gearbox Software is trying their hand at the genre, with their brand new IP for next-gen consoles- Battleborn.
Whether it’s through Brothers in Arms, Borderlands, Duke Nukem Forever, or even Samba de Amigo, Gearbox Software has become one of the most recognizable household names among fans. Not only was Borderlands 2 one of their most successful titles, but the 2012 co-op FPS/RPG hybrid became the best-selling title in the history of 2K Games, as it sold over 8.5 million copies as of February 2014. The franchise has since spawned a comic book series, an iOS action-strategy game, a side-story from Telltale Games, and more recently a “pre sequel” currently in-development at 2K Australia. While Borderlands may not be coming to next-gen consoles any time soon, Gearbox has something else in store for the Xbox One and PS4.
Earlier today, Gearbox and 2K revealed Battleborn, a brand new IP to debut for next-gen consoles and PC. Where Borderlands merged elements of the RPG and FPS genres, Battleborn fuses together the best attributes of the FPS and MOBA genres. As Gearbox President and co-owner Randy Pitchford describes it, their new IP is a “hero shooter” filled to its limits with style:
“If Borderlands 2 is a shooter-looter, Battleborn is a hero-shooter,” said Randy Pitchford, president of Gearbox Software. “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.”
The next-gen “FPMOBA” sets players behind the eyes of several heroes who will battle in several different arenas, while “robotic NPC minions” wage war on their own. According to PCGamer, players will progress through 20 experience levels, unlocking more perks and abilities as their skill increases. While Battleborn features MOBA elements, 2K states that the new title will be first-and-foremost a new FPS. More information regarding Battleborn will be revealed later this month, as the title graces the cover of the next Game Informer issue. A new trailer was also revealed today, giving viewers an idea of what the future holds for this promising title.
If the Borderlands saga was able to successfully blend RPG and FPS elements together, do you think Battleborn will do the same with MOBAs? Sound off in the comments section below!
