Imagine dropping into League of Legends‘ Summoner’s Rift, Fortnite-style. That, my friends, is what Project Loki will let you do. Created by the all-new Theorycraft games, whose star-studded roster includes Joe Tung, former-executive vice president of League of Legends and EP of Halo and Destiny, this innovative take on the classic MOBA experience hopes to inject some excitement into what remains a relatively stagnant genre.
The MOBA format has remained relatively straightforward over the years – three main lanes, a forested area between them, and two huge bases that are just ripe for exploding.
Project Loki is looking to change that, combining elements of League of Legends, Fortnite, Apex Legends, and Smash into one universe. You’ll face off against myriad another teams on a map suspended high in the skies, with gameplay that features levelled terrain, dangerous, death-defying sky battles, and dynamic combat.
For me, it’s the levelled terrain that’s exciting, as every other MOBA keeps you on a flat plain. We see teams knocking their enemies off of tightrope-thin walkways, and grinding on glowing rails to get from A to B. This alone has me far too excited and yearning to relive to relive my Sonic Heroes Rail Canyon days.
But there’s more. The video opens with an eagle-eye view of the entire map, with a prompt telling you “hold ‘F’ to jump from pod.” The cartoon-esque style, mixed in with names like Kaiju Korpse, is immediately reminiscent of Fortnite. It’s not something I ever saw making its way into the MOBA genre, but right now, I’m glad it has.
As someone who loves esports and playing competitively, this system adds a whole new tactical element to the game. You’ll have to consider where to drop and when – especially given the fact it’s not just a two-team race. Coupled with the dynamic terrain, this makes Project Loki very, very exciting to long-time League fans like me.
While Project Loki doesn’t have a release date (the footage is pre pre pre pre pre alpha, after all), there will be a playtest for the game on Thursday, June 29 and Friday, June 30 – so act fast and sign up if you fancy giving it a shot.
In the meantime, it’s worth checking out some other multiplayer games to keep you occupied, as well as our list of the best fantasy games to get yourself into the groove.