Today Warner Bros. announced that they are developing a modern reboot of the classic dungeon crawler Gauntlet. Originally released in arcades by Atari in 1985, the original Gauntlet met with huge acclaim thanks to it’s challenge and addictive multiplayer. The game was also ported to numerous systems included the NES, Mega Drive and ZX spectrum.
Since then the game has received numerous sequels and spin offs although recently these have not been faring well. The last game to be released in the franchise was 2005’s Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows for the PS2 and Xbox. Published by Midway Games the title met with poor reception and many thought it had spelled the end of the franchise. In 2008 Backbone Entertainment attempted to revive the series with a reboot for the Nintendo DS but that game was never completed.
This reboot is in much better hands. Warner Bros. acquired the franchise after it bought Midway in 2009 and it will be developed by Arrowhead Game Studios. These developers already have a wealth of experience with top down action games and are most famous for their popular Magicka series.
“To us at Arrowhead, Gauntlet is one of the most defining games from our childhoods, and it’s amazing to be able to work with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment on a brand new version,” said Johan Pilestedt, CEO of Arrowhead Game Studios. “Gauntlet is one of the original and best known video game properties and we are looking forward to creating a fresh, yet true to the original, take on a multiplayer masterpiece.”
The game will make full use of Steam’s community features and allow for 4 player online co-op. Just like the original, players will be able to choose between classes, the Warrior, the Valkyrie, the Elf and the Wizard, each with their own strengths, weaknesses and attacks.
Look out for Gauntlet when it hits Steam this summer.
Via Eurogamer
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