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Dead Island: Epidemic shambles into closed beta

Dead Island: Epidemic closed beta

Latest: check our story on why yuo should try the the Dead Island Epidemic open beta.

ARTSs, MOBAs, MOTAs, ZOMBAs, when are we going to get some consistent nomenclature for the genre? It’s all very peculiar. Presumably developers are making so many MOBAs right now because of the success of the likes of Dota and LoL, yet at the same time they make a pretty big effort not to be linked to the genre at all. It’s exhausting. 

But despite constantly marketing it as a ZOMBA (Zombie Online Multiplayer Battle Arena), Deep Silver’s tongue does appear to be firmly in its cheek when it comes to its free-to-play Dead Island: Epidemic, at least. It knows its made a MOBA, but it doesn’t want you to forget zombies are in it. And it’s now moved into closed beta. 

The closed beta will be running 24/7, and if you sign up to join it over here, you’ll net yourself exclusive in-game items and rewards for participating in the beta, rewards that you’ll be able to keep even when it ends.

A slightly different spin is being put on Deep Silver’s MOBA, as the matches will pit three teams against each other instead of the traditional two, as 12 players duke it out over precious supply dumps. They’ll kick the crap out of each other as well as, not surprisingly, zombies, who are Dead Island: Epidemic’s creeps.

It’s a bizarre use of the Dead Island IP, but that might also be its strength if it manages to subvert or at least side-step certain tried, and now somewhat trite, genre conventions.