Bellatores is a new MMORPG set to be released exclusively for PC and on Steam. Although the developer is based in Korea, it aims to appeal primarily to Western players. New details, an English website, and new screenshots have now been shared.
What kind of game is this? Bellatores was originally announced as Project N1 in 2020. It is set to be a fantasy MMORPG with a focus on a medieval world. This world is promised to be particularly realistic, with a mix of PvE, PvP, and survival:
- You create a character from various races. The characters are all designed in a more Western style and there will be no sexualization or gender locks.
- However, the game does not have fixed classes or levels. Your equipment determines your play style, and it will also be possible for mages to wear plate armor. You will level up your skills directly and not your character.
- The combat system relies on tab-targeting and collisions. You will be able to block other attackers in their path with a formation of players. Additionally, you should be able to hide behind objects to evade attacks.
- Within the story, you will be able to make decisions that will affect the gameplay. Everything revolves around the fact that the mad King Heinrich has died and now 5 other families are vying for the throne.
- You join one of the 5 factions and will constantly engage in active PvP against the other 4 in the open world. There will also be huge realm-vs-realm battles.
- Dungeons and raids are only available in the open world, so other factions can attack you during these boss fights.
The MMORPG is being developed in Unreal Engine 5, and the developers themselves take pride in their strong graphics. Currently, there is no gameplay of Bellatores yet, but some screenshots have been published, which we have included here for you:
Bellatores receives significant financial support also from Epic Games
Where does the high budget come from? Bellatores has received financial boosts totaling over 44 million euros through various means. This includes funding from investors amounting to approximately 22.3 million euros in 2022 (via GameAbout) and funding from Epic Games (Fortnite) of about 5 to 15 million euros (via mk.co.kr). To the 44 million euros, equity comes from revenues of various mobile MMORPGs.
The investments are large sums that many Western studios attempting new MMORPGs can only dream of:
- Crowfall managed to reach a budget of 30 million euros after over 7 years with a crowdfunding campaign and alpha and beta packages, although the developers claim that 5 million was earned through license revenues and about 4.5 million through crowdfunding.
- Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen, on the other hand, seems to be constantly at its limit. After an initial kickstarter campaign barely reached 700,000 euros from backers, it is said that later there was a seven-figure sum from a private investor. Additionally, packages on the website, according to the developers, were purchased by over 8,000 people by 2021 (via Pantheon).
- Throne and Liberty, the new MMORPG from NCSoft, is said to have already consumed over 75 million euros in development.
- One of the most expensive MMORPGs ever was SWTOR. From release until 2019, it cost over 200 million dollars, but it also brought in over 1 billion.
When will the game be released? Bellatores is set to be released in the second half of 2024. Whether the release will happen globally right away or first in its home country of Korea has not been confirmed by the developers.
Anyone looking for more new MMORPGs will find them in this list:
