King's Bounty Developer, Publisher Announce First MMORPG

European publisher 1C Company and developer Katauri Interactive, best known for its recent King's Bounty releases, announced a new MMORPG called Royal Quest releasing for PC in spring 2012. Neither have revealed if the title will feature monthly subscription fees or a free-to-play business model. The online game will be the first MMORPG from the two Russia-based companies. Katauri is primarily known in the West for producing the newest King's Bounty entries (The Legend, Armored Princess) ever since 1C purchased the series' rights in 2007. It also worked on the Space Rangers franchise. Designed as an action-oriented title, Royal Quest takes place in the fantasy-themed land of Aura. Gamers are tasked with fighting dark alchemists out to steal the world's previous Elenium mineral (not to be confused with X-Com's similarly valuable Elerium-115). Players will be able to capture and manage castles, steal other players' items after killing them in combat battles, earn unique cards from the world's monsters that can be used for upgrading and enchanting items, raise virtual pets that collect loot and aid users during battles, and more. "The present MMORPG market is full of projects with massive world distances and unhurried battles," says Katauri director Dmitry Gustavo, according to a report from Shacknews. "We consider Royal Quest a nice adrenaline injection to the market and it will allow players to act as real heroes."