Torchlight Infinite, XD’s new singleplayer ARPG, just opened closed beta signups

MMO players are likely still smarting from the dramatic shift Torchlight Frontiers took – from an actual MMORPG into a stripped-down Torchlight III that currently sees under 200 players on average and was considered a great disappointment following its launch. But PWE still owns the IP in spite of Echtra Games’ move to Zynga, and as it originally announced last year, it’s going to use it: on a mobile “hack-and-slash ARPG” title called Torchlight Infinite, developed by Chinese studio XD.com.

IGN’s got a new video that’s basically an animated backstory for the game and its heroes and contains little information about gameplay itself; the biggest info dump has been on TapTap. We do know it’ll have “open-ended hero building” with 24 talent trees and loads of skills, randomized dungeons, “unlimited” loot, and multiple heroes to pick from (four now with “many more to come”). It’s free-to-play, but it’s also apparently being run as live service game (“play-to-slay” and I swear I’m not making this up) with a cosmetic cash shop. As of last summer, the game was being touted as singleplayer, which if it stays true will mean we won’t be covering it again, but it’s worth a note here anyhow as it’s the next phase in what was at one point a major multiplayer IP and MMO.

“In the era of Ember Technology, 200 years since the events of Torchlight II, humans have resorted to Ember as the main source of power for machinery operation and magic practices. Behind the facade of a prosperous civilization, the corrupting influence of Ember is beginning to wreak havoc on the land and the lives that depend on it. […] As civilization faces unprecedented crisis, an elite task force of fighters emerges. Through persistence and perseverance, they prevail in the face of darkness – they are Torchlight. Each member of Torchlight carries with them incredible strength and unique powers as they embark on an epic quest to defeat evil forces and achieve salvation.”

So why is it called Torchlight Infinite?

“We designed Infinite to encapsulate and elevate all the great things we loved about ARPGs which is also why we named the game ‘Infinite,’ we will be creating new stories in the Torchlight universe with a high degree of freedom when it comes to character building and dungeon exploration. We can’t wait to see what kind of crazy builds everyone will come up with!”

Signups are currently live on XD’s website.