14 DAY TRIAL // Paul Hellquist, the creative director of Borderlands 2, has just joined Robot Entertainment, the makers of the upcoming free-to-play multiplayer online battle arena game Orcs Must Die: Unchained.
He will be serving as lead designer for the company's upcoming game, based on the popular Orcs Must Die tower defense franchise.
Hellquist is somewhat of a celebrity in video game development, having worked at Gearbox Software since 2008, being in charge of one of the most acclaimed first-person shooter / role-playing game mashups of the last decade.
Before that, he worked at Irrational Games, where he designed many of BioShock's iconic mechanics, including the plasmid and tonic systems. His works also include the camera research mechanic, the hacking mini-game, and the moment to moment gameplay of the Medical Pavilion level.
"I spent a considerable amount of time with Paul recently, and I was consistently impressed with his breadth of thinking, passion for great design, and humility. His remarkable portfolio of work is clearly well-earned."
"Paul is a great fit for Robot, and I expect him to have a profound impact on the games we make, starting with Orcs Must Die! Unchained," said Robot Entertainment CEO Patrick Hudson in the official announcement.
An interesting twist to the MOBA genre
Orcs Must Die! Unchained is not your regular MOBA but instead wants to bring the developer's own touch to the familiar free-to-play experience.
The game aims to offer an exciting cooperative experience, where two teams of five players work in tandem, attempting to infiltrate each other's rifts, while making sure that theirs is protected, using various traps and other such things.
Orcs Must Die! Unchained feels more like two games of Orcs Must Die! played at the same time, where you also get to go on the offensive, rather than a traditional MOBA in the vein of Riot Games' League of Legends or Valve's Dota 2.
The game's next beta phase is scheduled to kick off soon. If you want to learn more about the game, you can check out our preview of Orcs Must Die! Unchained.
