UTV True Games Announces First Internally Developed MMORPG

Just a day after the publisher announced its rebranding, UTV True Games has revealed Faxion Online, its first internally developed MMORPG, scheduled to enter its beta testing phase in late 2010. UTV True Games operates two offices, its Austin headquarters and a development studio in Beijing. It's previously partnered with external developers to create its free-to-play projects like Petroglyph for Mytheon, and Possibility Space for Warrior Epic (the company's Chinese arm took over development on Warrior Epic expansions last year). Faxion Online will offer a persistent world, player versus player combat, and a focus on territory control. Players will choose from two factions, the forces of heaven and hell, and fight in battles for control of territory and influence on behalf of their side. Users will also have different character-customization options as they pick their skills, abilities, and progression paths. The online game will comprise of three different worlds players can battle over on launch: Heaven, Hell, And Limbo. UTV True Games promises that Faxion Online will put "an irreverent twist on the usually serious subjects of heaven, hell and the seven deadly sins." The developer adds that industry veterans behind titles like Shadowbane, Ultima Online, and others are working on the project. Formerly known as True Games Interactive, the company announced yesterday its rebranding to UTV True Games, named after its parent company UTV Software Communications. The publisher said its management, operations, and development will remain in place, and it will continue to work with external development studios "UTV True Games' goal for its first internally developed product, Faxion Online, was to build a team with experience and passion for PvP MMORPG games," says UTV True Games Austin studio head Frank Lucero. "When I log into the game, it is increasingly evident that the team's experience with PvP and territorial control games has paid off."