These past few years,multiplayer-focused gameshave been at the heart of discussion, and Shak and Zack, the former Publishing/Marketing Lead, and Lead Producer onFortnite, respectively, decided to form a studio just to provide something new in that space.
They stated “We are a group of internet-raised game devs who got tired of the AAA industry consistently letting down players and developers”, with a very clear desire to make something high quality once they went indie.
10 Best Open World Survival Games
How can I survive off of grass and dropped frames?
After a ton of playtesting, feedback, and iterating while growing out a brand-new studio full of industry veterans, Big Distraction was properly formed and has been working on an open-world Roguelite for a while.
The new game is inspired byDeep Rock Galactic,Risk of Rain 2, Muck, V Rising, andLethal Company, with a focus on multiplayer. After two years of development, they’ve unveiled LORT as their premiere title.
They’ve been hesitant about announcing anything without something to show for it, so the game is already pretty far along in development and slated to release later this year if all goes well.
What is LORT Like?
Fromwhat we’ve seen in the trailer, LORT feels like a mix between Breath of the Wild and Risk of Rain 2, focused on exploring and scavenging a massive area and gaining power-ups and items from chests.
I particularly enjoyed the weapon-swapping mechanics, as you may play any class you want, but are still allowed to pick up a bow, mace, or sword, switching between your weaponry on the fly.
There’s already massive maps, well over a hundred items you can find across the world, and bosses in each area to take on with you and your friends, as you attempt to find ingredients for a potion that lets you leave.
While games have tried to be an open-world, rogue-lite, multiplayer experience, LORT is hyper-focused on multiplayer. The team has assured us that it won’t fall victim to the typical roguelike trap of not being fun in Multiplayer if you’re under-leveled.
Additionally, the team is focused on doing everything that makes co-op multiplayer games great, with a promise that you’ll enjoy the game whether you’re constantly playing it, or if you only come back whenever a new update drops.
The game is slated to launch exclusively on PC in Q4 of 2025, with the promise of a frictionless co-op experience, a few different warrior classes to play, and a bunch of weaponry scattered about the world.
10 Best 3D Roguelikes You Need To Play
Risk of Rain 2 isn’t the only one, I’ll have you know.
