Torchlight Frontiers Is Now Torchlight 3, Releasing On Steam In 2020

In an announcement from developer Echtra Games and publisher Perfect World, the online-focused Torchlight Frontiers--which brings the familiar action-RPG gameplay to a shared world--has been rebranded and is now Torchlight III. Torchlight III will release on Steam later this year, with console ports coming sometime after. Specific platforms were not confirmed.

Developed by Echtra Games, Torchlight Frontiers was a free-to-play follow-up to the loot-driven action-RPG game from former-developer Runic Games. In an official video, Torchlight creator Max Schaefer, former founder of Runic Games and the current head of Echtra Games, stated that following fan-feedback and over the course of the development, the game evolved into "a spiritual successor Torchlight I and II." Along with the name change, the game has shifted from a free-to-play game to a traditional standalone premium model, letting you buy the game and its content for a one-time purchase on Steam.

According to the devs, the game now follows a structure that sticks close to the original's style. The big change with Torchlight III is that it's lessening the focus for online-play. While you can still play it online with friends and other players, you will also be able to play the game offline. When you are online, most zones will be set to private, letting you explore at your own pace in solitude. Along with this change to the game's online requirement, the pricing model has also been revised. With the shift to a premium model, the game's real-money store will be removed.

Frontiers is currently in closed alpha, and players will be able to continue playing as the game transitions into the next main entry of the Torchlight series. In 2017, the original developer of the Torchlight series, Runic Games, folded following the release of the adventure game Hob. The first two Torchlight games were available on PC and consoles, which offered a largely accessible take on Diablo-style action-RPG combat. Since then, developer Echtra Games took the reigns to bring the game into a more online-focused space. It shows similar shades to Destiny, keeping you present in an online world with other players.

For more on Torchlight III, and what else is coming to the game in the months ahead toward its release, be sure to check back with GameSpot for more information as it comes in.