Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap eyes early 2025 release window
Someone (still) has it in for orcs...
2025 is not looking like a terrific year for you, if you're an orc. Robot Entertainment, the development team responsible for various games in the Orcs Must Die! series, has announced a fresh new installment in the series: Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap.
Putting aside for a moment the blatant anti-orc sentiment, today's announcement probably qualifies as “good news.” The Orcs Must Die series! has enjoyed rather a lot of success since its debut in 2011 somewhere near the height of the tower defense craze. Another entry in that beloved series is surely cause for celebration, even though we'll have to wait until 2025 to get our hands on it.
“We are thrilled to unveil the latest installment in the Orcs Must Die! franchise,” said Robot Entertainment's co-founder and CEO, Patrick Hudson. “Our goal has always been to push the boundaries of fun and creativity. With Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap, we embraced the challenge of innovating within a thirteen-year-old franchise by listening closely to our fans and their requests.”
The quote is pretty long, and he says other things too while promising “the most exhilarating orc-slaying experience yet,” but why pay attention to any of that when we can just look at this awesome list of features?
- Fantastically Powerful Heroes - Find your role among new War Mages, each with unique weapons, abilities, traps, and personality. Each hero is tailored to different play styles and can operate independently or work together with complementing heroes, ensuring versatile and mighty orc-smashing.
- Slay More, Alone or Together - Enjoy the game solo or in co-op teams of up to four players – each option provides unique challenges and rewards. The game is designed to adjust to the number of players, ensuring a balanced and exciting contest in any combination.
- No Two Runs Are The Same - Face intensifying waves of orcs and other hideous beasts with randomized buffs and debuffs that impact your hero, traps, weapons, stats, and the levels themselves. Environmental factors like weather and time of day further influence enemies and your defensive options. As these buffs and debuffs stack, choose to push forward against the growing hordes or return to your castle hub to power up your hero, weapons, and traps before facing a formidable Orc General in a brutal boss fight.
- Epic Combat - Experience enhanced combat where the combination of heroic prowess and ingenious traps leads to unparalleled orc destruction. Engage in tight, responsive third-person shooter and melee combat. Enjoy crazy physics-based interactions and ridiculous ragdoll effects. Watch with joy as your traps hurl, crush, slice, and incinerate orcs in spectacular fashion.
- Classic Orcs Must Die! Vibe - Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap stays true to the beloved humor, personality, and charm of the series. From witty orc chatter to over-the-top physics sending screaming orcs flying, and a strong guitar- and drum-heavy soundtrack, every moment is crafted to keep your adrenaline pumping.
On a side note, all games in the Orc Must Die! series (as well as DLC) are on sale on Steam with steep discounts, from today through July 31, 2024. If you've been remiss in your orc slaying duties, now could be the perfect time to play a little catch-up ahead of the anticipated release.
Yup. It's definitely not a good time to be an orc.
Jason Venter (Managing Editor)
Jason Venter has been writing about games since he discovered the medium as a small child, but people didn't start paying him until around 2002. He began by writing online at HonestGamers, the site he founded, and spent a few years writing for Hardcore Gamer Magazine. Since then, he has freelanced for leading outlets such as IGN, GameSpot, Polygon, and numerous others. When he's not playing and writing about video games, he spends what little time is left writing and publishing fantasy novels.
