Revealed today in the video above, Project Loki is the codename for a team-based competitive PvP “hero battleground” from startup studio Theorycraft Games, which was formed by developers with MOBA, hero shooter, and battle royale experience from the likes of Riot, Bungie, Respawn, and Blizzard.
“In a session of Loki, players will assemble a squad of heroes; outplay other teams in sprawling, free-flowing battles; run the edge of a huge world in the sky; and dream up crazy strategies in a massive combat sandbox,” said Theorycraft in a press release.
We first heard from Theorycraft Games last year, as they snapped up a key Riot artist and developer. Today’s “pre pre pre pre pre alpha” game clips show off teams of four heroes each clashing in rolling fights across terrain varied in height and riddled with gaps that can be leapt or sailed over using paragliders. The isometric view is characteristic of a MOBA, but the movement and abilities appear to be controlled by a combination of WASD and mouse aim rather than RTS-style.
Founded by industry veterans who worked on games like League of Legends, Valorant, Overwatch, Halo, Destiny, and Apex Legends, Theorycraft Games has the stated goal of trying to shake up competitive gaming with a new genre blend “aimed at becoming the world’s next ‘10,000-hour game.'” The studio is headed by CEO Joe Tung, who was EVP for League of Legends, and Executive Producer for Destiny and Halo: Reach.
“As players and developers, we feel like it’s been a minute since there’s been something truly new and fun to play with your friends,” said Tung. “Now Project Loki has evolved into something fresh and unlike anything we’ve played so far, and we’re ready to take the next step. It might seem early but we became independent to take a big swing on behalf of players; to do that means involving them as soon as possible, showing our work, and building a community that we’ll listen to across every stage of development.”
Theorycraft is calling its nascent genre blend a “squad-based hero battleground” for now, and calls it “an all-in-one group adventure, a competitive sandbox, and highlight factory.” According to Tung, current playtesters describe Project Loki as “League meets Apex meets Smash.”
If Project Loki’s concept and pedigree sound interesting to you then you can sign up for its next playtest on the Theorycraft Games website.