In an interesting change of heart, Perfect World Entertainment and Echtra Games have announced that the free-to-play Torchlight Frontiers will become a pay-to-play sequel, officially renaming it Torchlight 3. Torchlight 3 will release this summer on PC (Steam), with closed alpha testing beginning this week.
“When we started developing Torchlight Frontiers, we were focused on creating a shared-world experience,” said Max Schaefer, CEO, Echtra Games.“During development, you often discover what type of product a game was meant to be and we found Torchlight Frontiers was meant to be a true successor to Torchlight 1 and 2. Based on this and extensive feedback from our Alpha testers, we decided it was time to take the game back to its roots and model it after the classic Torchlight games that ARPG fans have come to love. We’d like to thank our dedicated player base for supporting us and providing such insightful feedback during early development.”
Due to player feedback, Echtra Games is promising to create a sequel that returns the Torchlight series back to its roots as a Diablo-like action-RPG with a traditional campaign. Torchlight 3 will be playable offline and online and will no longer feature an in-game store. Offline characters will not be able to participate in online mode, however.
Torchlight 3 features four unique character classes, including the robotic Forged and magical Dusk Mage. Fan-favorite pets also return, and pets can equip gear and add new skills. Players also have access to their own personalized fort where they can upgrade gear, build monuments, and show off their hard-earned loot to friends.
Torchlight 3 is due to launch this summer on Steam.
