Gigantic announced by Motiga promising heroes and huge monsters – It’s another MOBA

Today brings the announcement of what is yet another free to play MOBA and it’s called Gigantic from developer Motiga. The studio was founded in 2011 by former NCsoft CEO Chris Chung, SOE’s Rick Lambright, and James Phinney, which is a name you’ll recognise from StarCraft and Guild Wars development.

This new title is being dubbed “genre bending” focusing on teamwork and hero characters. Sound familiar?

The genre-bending part could be related to the fact that in Gigantic five players take on another five players on a map but each team has a five-story-tall monster which they have to protect from the other team. There’s a roster of fantasy heroes and rewards can be earned to unlock new heroes with level-ups to enhance skills. OK, so it’s a MOBA at its core but with big monsters.

James Phinney, who is Vice President of Product Development at Motiga, had this to say about the new title.

“The gameplay in Gigantic is about creating opportunities to be heroic. Whether you’re rescuing an ally, sneaking behind enemy lines or facing off solo against a towering guardian, there are dramatic ways to turn the tide of battle.”

Features you can look forward to include:

• Choose Your Own Guardian. A mystical bond connects the players to their guardian, a magical behemoth too powerful for a single mortal to defeat. Each guardian has its own attacks and behaviors, and players must protect their guardian to win the battle.
• Level Up on the Fly. As the battle rages, players choose newer, stronger abilities and adapt to the changing battle. One player might learn to deflect projectiles as she rides a lightning bolt into battle, while another gains a fire attack that triggers whenever he leaps into the fray.
• Fantastic Visual Style. Players are at the heart of a vibrant fantasy
  world, where airships soar over ancient ruins and an empire is theirs for the taking.
• Easy to Learn, Difficult to Master. Familiar WASD controls are easy for new players to learn, but rapid-fire tactics and deep strategy keep the challenges fresh.
• Content Updates Deliver New Gameplay Experiences. Gigantic is a living game, with frequent content updates ensuring there’s always something new to master. And “freedom to play” means players can experience Gigantic without dropping a dime.

There’s also a new website now up and running with alpha sign-ups if you plan on keeping an eye on this one. It’s also worth noting that the game will be playable at PAX Prime between 29 Aug and 1 September .

Gigantic is set to launch in 2015 and it’s already been in development for two years.

Right! That’s it. No more MOBAs developers, unless they are really, really outstanding. Maybe Gigantic will be the next big thing but it sounds like a bit of a stretch to call this genre-bending even if it offers a twist of big monsters stomping around a map. The free to play MOBA market is becoming over saturated and this will have to be very special to be a huge success.

Perhaps Motiga will surprise us, although I can’t say I’m keen on the art style. Judge for yourselves via the shots and trailer below.