We see a lot of "gender bends" of our favorite characters and the Slayer from the Doom franchise is no exception. With the help of skins, we've even made the killer of demons a unicorn, a return to his classic form, and even a purple...uh, pony. With the weird variety of different looks for our badass protagonist, having a female-facing Slayer wouldn't be much of a stretch. According to the director of Doom Eternal, Hugo Martin, that creative direction has crossed the team's minds. So why haven't we seen it yet? The answer is more thoughtful than you might think.
The revelation of a possible female Slayer came by way of a recent stream where Martin talked a little bit about the different directions they've considered taking Doomguy and what a Slayer is like in this universe. To him, if this were to happen they would want it to be more than a skin, instead choosing to bring in a female Slayer into the storyline. According to the director, "I've thought about it, actually. I think if we did it, I'd want it to be lethal. I think it's interesting how it would impact the glory kills, the kind of weapons that she would have, the fighting style—certainly all aggression, absolutely, but a different type of aggression. I would really strive to allow it to impact the gameplay in a way that was meaningful. I've definitely put a lot of thought into that."
He added, "When it comes to designing the action, you think about, like, if the Slayer is a Ferrari, then what would a female Slayer be? What would a medieval Slayer be? How would that affect things? What sort of analogies could you draw from that, allow that to influence the experience? So I don't know. It definitely would be cool."
Click here to watch embedded mediaI've been playing the Doom games since 1993 and I remember as a younger girl, I thought it would be pretty heckin' cool to see myself all donned up in full gear taking out the hordes of Hell. Personally, I'd love to see this happen, but I do agree with Martin that if it does, I would want it to be for a reason, to have a positive impact on the game. I wouldn't want a skin and I wouldn't want any character thrown in just for the sake of throwing them in there, regardless of gender. But it sounds like the team is being incredibly thorough about how this could work, which already shows that if it does happen, it will be done in a way that enhances a beloved franchise in a way that makes sense.
While it doesn't sound like a female Slayer is happening any time soon, the prospect does make me excited to brainstorm what else I, as a fan, would like to see added to the game. What about you? If you could bring in your own dream Slayer, what would they be like? What sort of moves would they have, what would they look like? Sound off with your ideal pitch in the comment section below!
[Source: VGC]
Riot Games has been putting some real work into earning that 's' at the end of Games and that streak continues with a new MMORPG set in the League of Legends universe. That being said, delivering a game of this scale is going to take a pretty big team. For those interested in game development, Riot Games is hiring for a plethora of roles for anyone looking to help bring Runeterra to life.
The news of the MMORPG was confirmed via Twitter back in 2020 when Riot's Greg Street announced that he was working on a new MMO for the League of Legends universe. "I have news," he began. "My recent job has been to help develop the League universe, which we're going to need. Because it is time. My new job is to kick off a big (some might say massive) game that many of you, and many Rioters, have been asking to create." When asked if this was a not-so-subtle confirmation that this new project is an MMO, he responded, saying "It is an MMO."
It is an MMO
— Greg Street (@Ghostcrawler) December 18, 2020
The news of an MMO wasn't all that shocking. Street was absolutely correct in saying that many have been asking for this for years now, especially with so all the interesting characters to delve into. The world-building of the League of Legends universe has been impressive and this MMORPG aims to take that experience to entirely new heights.
While we await new information on the upcoming MMORPG, Riot Games has set up a recruiting page further confirming the new game. The company is looking to hire specifically for this project, reaffirming to the public that an MMORPG of this size will require more people than the studio currently has — especially with so many other projects currently in works.
While specific job listings are still being populated (as seen here on the recruiting page for the MMORPG), a Riot Games spokesperson did tell Game Informer that roles offered include positions centered around Gameplay Engineering, Game Design, UX Design, Game Art, and Game Production.
I'm excited to learn more about this. Like many others, I am one of those League of Legends fans that have been hoping for an MMORPG expansion, especially since I've fallen off of the MOBA train. Hopefully this means that more details will follow, but for now you can check out the full listings page (including the official confirmation) right here.
From Valorant to Teamfight Tactics — even Legends of Runeterra — it's good to see Riot Games branching out while still remaining faithful to its roots. Outside of Valorant, which is a first-person shooter very similar to CS:GO, the expansion beyond League of Legends itself is exciting for both longtime fans of the IP and newcomers interested in learning more.