Last Epoch dev prepares to scale up as the excellent ARPG gets a new publisher

My favorite ARPG right now is about to get a major boost, as Last Epoch developer Eleventh Hour Games announces it's joining PUBG and Inzoi publisher Krafton. The indie studio has won my heart, creating a game that can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with giants like Diablo 4 and Path of Exile 2, and today CEO Judd Cobler teases that EHG "will be hiring for many roles in the near future" as it prepares to scale up. Last Epoch Season 3 is already on the way, but it could be the start of something much bigger.

I've waxed lyrical about Last Epoch before - the ARPG is unquestionably one of the best games like Diablo right now, offering an incredible sense of class identity across its five classes and fifteen subclasses, which all feel unique. The item design and crafting tools are simple enough to understand but with the depth to keep you coming back. Its in-game loot filter is best-in-class, as is its stash system, which offers you more storage space than even the biggest hoarders could ever need and some excellent ways to keep it all organized. It's grown a lot since my glowing Last Epoch review, and Season 3 is set to step that up once again when it arrives in August, but that's just the beginning of what's to come.

"Today I have some very exciting news to share about the future of Eleventh Hour Games and Last Epoch," Cobler writes in a post to the game's forum. He talks about EHG's origins from a group of Redditors looking to make "the next great ARPG" to a full studio that, seven years later and following some time in early access, would launch Last Epoch into 1.0 to thriving success, rivaling some of the biggest names in the business. There are some other great challengers out there, but LE has held my attention.

"Although we have created something now enjoyed by millions, we are far from done with our mission," Cobler continues. "While we've done well punching above our weight, we know that to truly execute on creating the absolute best ARPG experience available it will require continuing our aggressive growth of the last seven years." After a year spent considering potential partners, he says the team has now found "the right one to empower our studio and help us complete our mission."

That partner, as mentioned, is South Korean studio Krafton. The studio that grew out of PUBG is otherwise best known for publishing hyper-realistic Sims rival Inzoi, but has also recently been involved with a legal battle over its decision to change the leadership at Subnautica 2 developer Unknown Worlds. Cobler says that this partnership will allow Eleventh Hour Games to hire for many roles, encouraging anyone who is interested to keep watch on the studio's careers page.

As for the upcoming roadmap, Cobler reassures that plans to launch Last Epoch Season 3, Beneath Ancient Skies, on Thursday August 21 have not changed, and says that Season 4 should arrive roughly four months after that. The team is not ready to share anything beyond that for the time being, but Cobler emphasizes that "EHG will continue to be what it always has been - the studio of ARPG enthusiasts that rose up from the community with one goal in mind: to make the ARG we've always dreamed of playing."

If you're in the mood for some character building, take a look through the best RPGs on PC right now. If you're eager for an ARPG in particular, all that clicking will feel even better with the best gaming mouse in your hand.

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