Former developers of the Diablo- series have formed a new studio and are currently working on an action-oriented MMO.
Max Schaefer, who was involved in Diablo at Blizzard and also designed the “Hack ‘n Slay” series Torchlight, founded the development studio Echtra Inc. with former Blizzard employees Tyler Thompson (project lead for Diablo: Lord of Destruction) and David Glenn (art director for Diablo 1 and 2 as well as Hellgate: London).
Diablo as an MMORPG? It could work…
They do not want to reveal too much about what they are working on, but they hint that anyone who enjoys action-oriented RPGs and MMOs should expect something interesting. This suggests that they are working on some kind of Hack ‘n Slay with MMO elements. Just imagine Diablo 3 in an open world where many other players are present, with whom you can team up for adventures or challenge them to PvP battles.
A kind of “Diablo MMORPG” would, however, need to offer the fast-paced combat of a Hack ‘n Slay, which is not always easy in MMOs. Due to lag, many developers rely on a tab-targeting hotbar system. However, that would take the action out of the game. Additionally, the hunt for loot should play an important role, as this motivates many Diablo fans to keep playing. Equally important is an interesting story with diverse quests.
A “Diablo MMORPG” could definitely work and would surely be very interesting. However, Echtra should hurry before Blizzard gets the idea. Because who knows what Blizzard will announce at this year’s Blizzcon. There are already wild speculations about Diablo 4. As for Echtra’s first project, we probably won’t learn more until next year…
