BioWare has been teasing their new IP for weeks now, with the reveal taking place during EA’s press conference at Gamescom this morning. It’s an RPG, it’s online and it’s multiplayer. This is Shadow Realms.
Shadow Realms is a modern-day fantasy RPG, with characters that wouldn’t look out of place in any major city today. The game is an online action-RPG that is heavily focused on multiplayer action. In particular, 4v1 gameplay that has four players squaring off against a more powerful single player. Think Evolve, but BioWare.
Shadow Realms will also focus heavily on story, with episodic content releasing over time. These episodes will introduce more gameplay and change the overall narrative, keeping players invested in an evolving world. There’s giant monsters and sprawling areas, exactly what you’d expect from a BioWare fantasy RPG. The only difference is the Shadow Lord, an almighty being that will be controlled by the single player on the opposing team.
It certainly sounds different, and I’m interested to see what people think of it after some hands-on time. Shadow Realms will be released on PC sometime next year, with an Alpha taking place in the next few weeks.
Last Updated: August 13, 2014
Admiral Chief Beta Tester
August 13, 2014 at 11:20
Ag nee dammit. All they needed to do is release KotOR 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!
UltimateNinjaPandaDudeGuy
August 13, 2014 at 11:28
I am excited about a new IP. Definitely going to keep an eye on this.
Alien Emperor Trevor
August 13, 2014 at 11:29
MMNO.
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
August 13, 2014 at 11:32
Online-action RPG? Yeah.. I’m out. My days of playing MMOs are over so in the immortal words of the Great Trevor “MMNO”
Johan du Preez
August 13, 2014 at 12:57
They want to get onto the destiny hype train mixed with a bit evolve ….. sad but true.
Yes lets copy other devs work as we have no more ideas of our own.
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
August 13, 2014 at 12:59
That’s pretty much it Johan. It’s almost like the whole industry operates like a bunch of lemmings. They just follow the leader even if it means flinging themselves off a cliff.
Weanerdog
August 14, 2014 at 12:37
Little know fact about lemmings is that they don’t in fact jump off cliffs. It was all a lie the lemmings filmed jumping off said cliff were in fact pushed during the making of a wildlife documentary to make it seem cooler. The company involved was none other than Disney. True or Internet myth, you be the judge.
Rinceable
August 14, 2014 at 12:50
Ohhhh, I call CARROT!
Alien Emperor Trevor
August 14, 2014 at 13:01
You ARE one.
Alien Emperor Trevor
August 14, 2014 at 13:01
SHUT UP! YOU THINK YOU’RE SO SMART COMING HERE WITH YOUR FACTS!
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
August 14, 2014 at 14:32
Are you telling me that Disney would lie to a generation of young impressionable girls and furry loving boys? How dare you sir. Next you’re going to tell me that Walt Disney was an anti-Semite and Nazi sympathizer? 😛
(PS: Lol! I know about the lemmings bit, but it’s been so ingrained into our vocabulary. How else would you describe the march to an early demise?)
Macethy
August 13, 2014 at 11:37
No thanks.
Xcalibersa
August 13, 2014 at 11:43
!@#@!# online rpg
Rags
August 13, 2014 at 12:04
Just hope this does not sink bioware.
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
August 13, 2014 at 12:13
I’m surprised they didn’t learn from the Star Wars MMO, and are still pursuing that MMO carrot. If this doesn’t sink them, then I don’t know.
BacchusZA
August 13, 2014 at 17:11
TOR is currently 3rd or 4th (depends on source) most popular MMO based on subscriptions.
It’s a long way behind no 1, by several million subscribers – we are talking about WoW here after all :P- but the gap between 2 and 3 is pretty small, and TOR is actually doing quite well 😉
Kensei Seraph
August 13, 2014 at 12:34
At least it’s not a MOBA.
Alessandro Barbosa
August 13, 2014 at 13:50
I honestly thought that’s what it was during the first few seconds of the presentation,.It scared the crap out of me
Kensei Seraph
August 13, 2014 at 13:55
Well to be honest it is a MOBA, just with a different team balancing.
Weanerdog
August 14, 2014 at 12:39
Well a MOBA that you can level up your characters permanently.
Kensei Seraph
August 13, 2014 at 12:44
I wonder what payment model they’ll use.
WoW, GW, Dota 2, Candy Crush Saga or Dungeon Keeper Mobi.
Weanerdog
August 14, 2014 at 12:40
Its EA probably all of them.
Johan du Preez
August 13, 2014 at 12:51
No thanks I hope this ruins Bioware as they are a former shell of what they were. Another studio gobbled up by Activision and another top dev studio ruined. Only the ass licker’s are left all the great inovative talent left already …
Sad though they were one of the best devs in the world in the 90’s early 2000’s.
Alien Emperor Trevor
August 14, 2014 at 13:00
EA, not Activision, put your hate at the right feet.
Johan du Preez
August 14, 2014 at 14:07
My bad but they are both evil bastards that sucks satans cock.
It sometimes hard to tell the difference 😛
Alien Emperor Trevor
August 14, 2014 at 14:16
😀
Galbedir
August 13, 2014 at 13:39
‘4v1 think Evolve’…Its like all gaming companies are part of some secret society that meets up every 3 years and agree’s to all make the same type of game just with a different skin…Evolve looks 1000000x better then this already. No Thanks.
Sovereign
August 13, 2014 at 14:10
nope. I don’t care for dungeon master crap.
CypherGate
August 13, 2014 at 16:42
Thats sad…