Riding the hype train which is ChinaJoy 2019, Chinese developer XD (Xindong) made a huge announcement despite not being at the annual event. According to the official press release, XD has obtained the rights from Perfect World to build a new mobile game based on its Torchlight IP, titled Torchlight: Infinite. Acknowledging the successes of Torchlight 1 and 2, XD is determined to create a “Diablo-like” experience with a focus on magic find, something which many games claimed but failed to execute and disappoint players. Some great games used as positive examples include Path of Exile, Diablo 2, and Titan Quest.
Development on Torchlight: Infinite is still in its very early stages, with Unreal Engine 4 selected as the designer tool of choice. XD is aiming high not only in terms of gameplay mechanics, but graphics as well. The term “Infinite” was chosen as the development team has an ambition to create a mobile game with a “high level of freedom” in both playability and content. Seen below are some Q&A provided by the team making Torchlight: Infinite.
Q: Is there a stamina system?
A: We do not wish to restrict players with a stamina system. We want players to be able to play whenever they want, however they want, just like the PC versions of Torchlight.
Q: Is Torchlight: Infinite a single-play gamer?
A: Torchlight: Infinite is not a MMORPG for sure, and there won’t be mechanics forcing players to be social. We will ensure playing solo will get players access to all content and game experiences. Development of Torchlight: Infinite is mostly based on single-player experience, but to prevent cheating or editing of files, there will be some online elements to the game. But there will definitely be co-op dungeons which friends can enter together.
Q: What kind of business model will Torchlight: Infinite utilize?
A: Magic find is the core mechanic of Torchlight: Infinite, hence we will not be selling gears in any way. Our plan is for all gears to be obtained by players in-game. Business models which are utilized by huge games such as Fortnite and Dota 2, which has a focus on skins and Battle Passes, are in a very mature stage. We will design a business model suitable for Torchlight: Infinite. Our main philosophy for the business model is not to disrupt how players obtain gears through the magic find system.
Q: When will Torchlight: Infinite launch?
A: We have been preparing Torchlight: Infinite for over a year now, although we just signed the IP license agreement recently. Throughout the past year, we have tested many art designs on how the game should look overall. This is still being “evolved” as we speak. We expect to have something to show to the public around the end of 2019 (might be early 2020 as well). The plan is to have a small Focus Group Test (FGT) in early 2020 and a public test in late 2020.
Q: Is Torchlight: Infinite developed internally at XD?
A: Yes, Torchlight: Infinite is a totally new project being build from the ground up with no ties to any other projects. Art, features, programming, coding… everything is new!
Editor’s note: It was mentioned that this game is only for the Asia region right now.
