Hellgate to return with new expansion

By Oli Welsh Published 4 November, 2008

HanbitSoft resuscitates "world's best game".

Following the announcement the Hellgate: London servers will be closed early next year, HanbitSoft - the South Korean company that now owns the rights to the game - has reassured fans it's coming back. A new expansion pack is on the way, though so far it looks like the relaunch is only planned for Asian territories.

HanbitSoft parent company T3 Entertainment announced it would continue work on Hellgate back in August. The game had been left homeless after the closure of developer Flagship, along with never-released title Mythos. However, T3 decided to resurrect both games at a new studio in San Francisco.

Now, an unnamed Hellgate product manager has posted on a letter HanbitSoft PR manager's blog. The letter states that a new update to the game is in the works and will be distributed digitally.

"Since acquiring the intellectual property rights, HanbitSoft Inc., the publisher and distributor of Hellgate: London in Asia, has concentrated on the development of Hellgate: London, and has received many inquiries regarding new updates," wrote the product manager.

"Our US development studio is currently working on an update that is to surpass The Abyss Chronicles. This game will be available through our web site. We thank you once again for showing your interest and ask for your continuous support for Hellgate: London, as we hope to bring good news shortly. In the meantime, we will continue developing the world's best game!"

Additionally, an earlier post confirmed HandbitSoft's acquisition of both Hellgate and Mythos in a quote from the company's chief executive, Gi-Young Kim - although he only mentioned the games' availability in Asia.

"Hellgate: London is now HanbitSoft's game, and we have already formed a team. They are doing hard work for updates and patches. Service in Asia including Korea is in good hands," Kim said.

"I believe Mythos is a very attractive MMORPG, just gaining large fans from couple of beta tests. It has a lot of potential and it will also be developed at studio in San Francisco with Hellgate: London. Both titles will be presented soon with upgraded features."

Picture of Oli.

About Oli Welsh

Oli is Eurogamer's acting deputy editor and reviews editor and likes to take things one word at a time. He is among the best dressed people in South London.

Read more articles from Oli by visiting the Oli Welsh archive page.

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Comments (10) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Eraysor #1 3 years ago

    I personally thought it was crap. Especially when they want you to pay a subscription fee.

  • swede #2 3 years ago

    I agree about the subscription. It was never worth paying extra for. I do enjoy a quick game now and again though. I enjoy playing it when I just want mindless fun. In small doses I find it quite fun and almost therapeutic in a way.

  • penhalion #3 3 years ago

    It got super repetitive so early on it wasn't funny.

  • UncleLou #4 3 years ago

    A new expansion pack is on the way, though so far it looks like the relaunch is only planned for Asian territories.


    Oh fuck off. I enjoyed the game a lot, and would definitely buy an expansion. :-/

  • MrChuckles #5 3 years ago

    I found it repetitive, really bland looking, but still part of me enjoyed collecting the random loot. But the stats and aability adds were often so minor they too lost interest.

  • Man_s #6 3 years ago

    Mythos is what I really care about. Thankfully it hasn't totally disappeared it seems.

  • Eldritch #7 3 years ago

    Crap graphics and stereotypes galore. And as repetitive as the "Mind the gap" tape on the tube.

    Release it on Xbox Live for 1,200 points. Or maybe 800.
    Edited by 1 at 04/11/08 @ 15:10

  • Freek #8 3 years ago

    With the original developer long gone, is their any hope Mythos will actually be any good though?

  • Kami #9 3 years ago

    Namco Bandai have been very kind to keep the online servers up this long, to be fair to them.

    However, I understand the frustration if it ends up Korea-only. Hellgate fans are fiercely loyal people. They've been willing to keep paying, and are willing to keep paying.

    HanbitSoft are likely to note the loyal Western fanbase though and at least appease them with patches for the single player mode, if not online play. One thing you realise is that you do not piss off a loyal fanbase, tends to bite you in the ass in the future. Diablo 2 is still going strong after all. The power of a fanbase is amazing.

    Not over by a long shot, we'll likely get more information towards the end of January when the current servers are taken down, but kudos to Namco Bandai for being decent enough to provide support during the limbo this game has been in.

    As for Mythos, I think that's more than likely to end up Korea-only. Which is a shame. Was a very interesting title.

  • Mooks #10 3 years ago

    Having gold sellers spamming every few mins in the chat channels ruined the online experience.