Paradox Interactive Announce War of the Vikings

Paradox Interactive and Fatshark have today announced a brand new multiplayer close quarters combat game entitled War of the Vikings. This will be the very first entry in the series, and it’s based around, and on the same engine that’s used for War of the Roses.

The basic gaming principles, are that players must choose either a Viking or Saxon faction, then they’ll customise their chosen warrior and his weapons. Once that’s completed, you must then do battle in 9th and 10th Century English locations with a total of 64-unique player battles.

War franchise executive producer Gordon Van Dyke said in a statement:

“We’ve been inspired many times over by the possibilities of the close-combat genre. It’s clear to us that that there are many more experiences we can share with our players, and War of the Vikings is our next step in establishing Paradox and Fatshark as leaders in the art of online war.”

During a closed doors event in Sydney, Australia today, Van Dyke spoke to VG247 and said that female warriors will be available in both of the factions, after he consulted an archaeological expert in the viking warfare niche.

Additionally, the game’s producers also revealed that skills will be taken into account a lot more than unlocks, which is keeping with the franchises tradition. Collectibles will also be on show in this latest installment from Fatshark as well. Symbols of wealth, hairstyles and elaborate beards will all be collectible.

Van Dyke did stress that he’s trying to implement historical accuracy into the game as much as he possibly can.

War of the Vikings will be arriving on the Windows PC as an exclusive, and will be out in early 2014.

Here’s The Full Set of Game Features

• Mod Your Squad – The enhanced squad features will allow players to define a role for their warriors in battle using custom squad perks to buff your hirdmen
• Pick Your Battles – Game modes include up to 64-player epic battles, new hardcore “Pitched Arena” mode with 32 players and no respawns, and a Training Ground for players to test out their new character builds
• History Comes to Life – Historically inspired content from the legendary Viking Age, including levels and environments, heraldry, shields, weapons and helmets
• A Viking to Your Liking – Completely design your very own Saxon or Viking warrior, selecting everything from weapons and armor to battle perks, customized taunts to unnerve your enemies, and a variety of beard options
• Close Combat and Ranged Ravaging – Skill-driven fighting blends swinging, blocking, and dodging with intense ranged combat, including arrows, spears, and throwing axes

War of the Vikings will be shown live at Gamescom this year, if you’re interested, you can sign-up for the beta and get a little taster now.