Team17 doing new Worms for Steam

By Robert Purchese Published 24 February, 2010

Reloaded in 2D.

Worms maker Team17 is making a new Worms game for Steam.

This one's called Worms Reloaded and will play to the series' 2D strengths.

For now, that's all the information available. Team17 boss Martyn Brown has promised to reveal more soon.

Team17 broke out into self-publish land recently with Alien Breed on Xbox Live Arcade. The first episode was a strong start, as our Alien Breed review points out.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds. @Clert on Twitter.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (48) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • mingster #1 2 years ago

    ok as much as i love team 17 how about working on something other than worms.
    surely you must be bored of working on the same thing for so many years

  • MasterNameless #2 2 years ago

    There's a terrible 'Early bird catches the worm' pun in there somewhere... although they've caught so many worms over the years, I pretty much feel the same as mingster. Come on, Team17, you started the ball rolling with Alien Breed, run with it!

  • wizlon #3 2 years ago

    Ok, you've done Alien Breed, thanks for that, how about some Superfrog or ATR? Maybe even a bit of Body Blows? But worms... played it, loved it, got sick of it.

  • MasterNameless #4 2 years ago

    They should try something a little different with worms, maybe a co-op worms FPS? Haha... maybe not. Worms 3D never turned out very well - not that I expected it to. :/

  • Quint2020 #5 2 years ago

    The whole team surely must be suicidal by now.

    Team 17 Director: "Ok then guys, we've got a new project!"

    Development Lead: "That's excellent news, we've had some great ideas...."

    Team 17 Director: "Let me stop you there Paul, we don't even need to come up with any new ideas! We're just doing ANOTHER Worms game!"

    *BANG*

  • Rirekon #6 2 years ago

    Back to 2D? THANK YOU TEAM17!

  • Machetazo #7 2 years ago

    So...This is another Worms, after the one that was accepting applications recently for beta? :/ Why?
    Just port Forts, fps and be done with it.

  • TheNinkyNonk #8 2 years ago

    Any minute now expect the head of team 17 to be on here defending their lack of originality once more. Yes, you're a small developer, but would it hurt to think big?

  • redneon Verified Programmer, SUMO Digital #9 2 years ago

    What on Earth has happened to Team 17? They were gods back during the Amiga days :(

  • Shakey_Jake33 #10 2 years ago

    @Rirekon - In fairness, they've been back to 2D for the past 3 or 4 iterations.

  • YoshiMcTaggis #11 2 years ago

    So
    Sick
    Of
    Worms

  • Eraser #12 2 years ago

    The thing with Worms is not just that there's already so many of them, it's also that they've barely changed a thing (not counting the 3D versions) between them. The graphics are the same since 1997's Worms 2.

    I'm not saying that the graphics of later Worms games are bad, it's pretty good in fact. They chose a cartoon style which they executed very well in 1997 already. But there's no room for improvement in this style because it's perfect as it is. On one hand, that's it's strength, but on the other hand also it's failure in the long run.

  • Murton #13 2 years ago

    As much I like Worms I'd much rather see Alien Breed finished and perhaps even ported to the PS3 before seeing other projects and the inevitable delays that will ensue from them spreading themselves too thin.

    Aside from that Team 17 could really do with either a new IP or taking another of their old IPs in a new and bold direction. I don't think a 2D Worms game on Steam will really hit the sales figures in today's market that the originals hit way back when.

  • TheFlashGuy #14 2 years ago

    worms? again? tsk tsk...

  • dsmx #15 2 years ago

    Personally I like the cartoon graphics, worms essentially is cartoon violence so it fits perfectly with the nature of the game. Just remember team 17 once you make the PC version you don't have to make another one you can just update the one you've already made, worms doesn't need lots of versions it only needs 1 as despite your best efforts it's never really changed in the what seems like 20 years since it came out.

  • sneetch #16 2 years ago

    I'm presuming (and this is a hell of a presumption I admit) that this will basically be a "port" of an earlier version of Worms to today's standards. "Reloaded" means: take an earlier Worms, upscale the graphics, throw in a couple of new stages (or assemble "classic" stages from a number of previous Worms games) add some Steam achievements and push it out the door for about a tenner a go. Job's a good un.

  • DoctorZoidberg #17 2 years ago

    It's a bit early to start moaning. Maybe its going to be a different format? Or a completely different game? Maybe a puzzle game, or something completely new?

  • ignatiusjreilly #18 2 years ago

    Well, I'm delighted :)

  • robg #19 2 years ago

    We all want to see Worms MMO. Stop wasting time with anything else.

  • MasterNameless #20 2 years ago

    If we're mentioning Infogrames... I miss North & South. *sob*

  • HermitArcader #21 2 years ago

    Post deleted at 09:17:39 22-12-2011

  • MasterNameless #22 2 years ago

    I still remember my two worms teams, from my very first worms game(unsure if it was the first game);

    IRDA - Intestinator, Regurgitator, Discombobulator and Apshyxinator.

    The Utensils - Fork, Spoon, Knife and Teaspoon.

    Ah, they were good days.

  • Vroom #23 2 years ago

    They gotta go where the money is in this climate.

    Alien Breed was a risk and from sales figures I'm not sure it paid off unfortunately.

    I wonder if those of you asking for more remakes actually bought Alien Breed?

    I'm just asking......

    /runs

  • bad09 #24 2 years ago

    Never mind bloody Worms again, where the hell is Alien Breed on PC T17? Come on we are nearly in March!

  • HermitArcader #25 2 years ago

    Post deleted at 09:17:39 22-12-2011

  • Machetazo #26 2 years ago

    *already covered before I posted* :)
    I'd like to see T17 acquire the Carmageddon licence.
    Edited by Machetazo at 24/02/10 @ 13:30

  • chiz #27 2 years ago

    Can't wait. There's not been a good worms game on the PC for ages.

  • FooAtari #28 2 years ago

    I think I still like the original Worms is best. Uploaded a video of Worms United to Yotube the other day actually. Although to be honest I haven't played much of Worms Armageddon that a lot of people seem to think is best.

    I just hope this is different enough from Worms 2: Armageddon that they announced a few weeks ago.

  • Retroid #29 2 years ago

    I for one welcome our 2D annelid overlords.

  • redneon Verified Programmer, SUMO Digital #30 2 years ago

    Worms - The Director's Cut was the best one they ever did, in my opinon.

  • spadge #31 2 years ago

    Some notes on the various comments here:

    - There are a lot of viable platforms, so we hit them. We've not actually released a 2D worms on PC since 2001.
    - We don't expect everyone to get the game on every platform - nor is the new PC game aimed specifically at console guys.
    - Some of our old PC Worms titles struggle to run well on new operating systems and were developed during Win95/97!
    - Publishers were not too bothered about 2D PC worms titles, but now we're indie again, the demand is there, so its happening. It'll be released at an attractive price and offer great playability/replayability.
    - If you're not interested, move on, that's how it works really, lots of other games out there.
    - For the record, the studio is working on a bunch of things, certainly not all Worms, but it's an obvious statement that we'll deliver Worms to most platforms where we can - much like any company that owns a franchise/IP in this climate.
    - PC Alien Breed is in Beta now. Release in Spring.
    - With regards to comments about our studio people being sick of working on this or anything else, I think you'll find them pleased to be in a studio that's had no forced losses, never missed a pay-roll and is still in business, as an indie, some 20yrs on and that has a good working ethos. More than half the studio was working on Alien Breed in recent times, by the way.
    Edited by spadge at 24/02/10 @ 14:14

  • raion #32 2 years ago

    The last one I played was Open Warfare 2 on psp. The last one I liked was Armageddon.
    Yeah, time to move on.

  • VandelayIndustries #33 2 years ago

    @spadge
    Any word on PSN versions of Alien Breed and Worms 2? Will they make use of the YouTube uploader?

  • spadge #34 2 years ago

    I can't imagine Alien Breed doing that. Not sure on Worms 2, that's almost ready (if not already) for it's beta. Alien Breed PSN not far behind though.

  • mingster #35 2 years ago

    To spadge - I didn't realise you were still or had gone back to being independant.
    I thought you may have been being 'forced' to make more worms games by some publishing overlords.
    if you are actually still creating the games because you want to and not because your being made to, then i'm pleased that your still doing what you enjoy.
    Well done on your business success and not having to lay off people.

  • spadge #36 2 years ago

    We're not forced to do anything, other than make sound commercial decisions and create games of a good enough quality. We certainly are making games for certain audiences and original titles where it makes sense or feels right. We've been fully indie for 2yrs now and been self-publishing for 3yrs. We still work with some of the platform holders, but not 3rd party publishers.

    Being able to comfortably make calls on content, to our timeframes and support the products properly has helped enormously. We're also getting closer to our community - and that aspect will improve greatly over time.

  • schnide #37 2 years ago

    Still.. must be a bit sick of Worms by now though eh? ;)

  • HermitArcader #38 2 years ago

    Post deleted at 09:17:39 22-12-2011

  • spadge #39 2 years ago

    New stuff is discussed all the time. I don't think anyone has any idea how much so. The chance of it getting to market is pretty slim, though. We're currently working on 4 things totally disconnected with Worms and 2-3 others in principal. Whilst concepts are on-going, we tend to get on with developing titles that we know are bread and butter to the company. Walking before you run, so to speak.

    I can see that people think that all we do is Worms (and yep, there's a lot of versions for all the various platforms) but that isn't the case internally. Takes a while for things to appear, or get the go-ahead.

    It seems to have escaped everyone we did Alien Breed very recently too :)

  • HermitArcader #40 2 years ago

    Post deleted at 09:17:39 22-12-2011

  • spadge #41 2 years ago

    Actually we already did a lengthy post-mortem and there's fairly large changes gone into the PC, PSN editions as well as other games in the series for XBLA.

    As a studio we're around 80 staff and that means 65 or so devs, including our production staff, so there is some limits, but we are kicking about around 12-14 releases in 2010 (whilst working on others too) so we certainly punch above our weight.

  • Bigglesworth #42 2 years ago

    Worms? In MY Steam?

  • Vroom #43 2 years ago

    @spadge thanks for getting involved in the discussion and the best of luck.

  • chiz #44 2 years ago

    Does that ean worms on steam will have achievements?

  • GruttyFuttock #45 2 years ago

    Is this because Alien Breed has completely tanked and they need to claw back some cash?

  • Calundann #46 2 years ago

    I love Team17's logo, everytime I see it I get this warm feeling and happy memories :)
    Please don't ever change it, its the logo I remember the best from the Amiga days...

  • Red-Moose #47 2 years ago

    I made a sarcastic comment earlier that has disappeared. Anyway, if this game gets a re-release, I assume as an average game it will get 5/10 from EG, eh?. 50% score for average games, that's the rule.

    EDIT: actually it was in the other Worms newws item on the front page. Apologies.
    Edited by Red-Moose at 25/02/10 @ 00:32

  • BTBAM #48 2 years ago

    is there any way to play the original worms on Vista? I'd love to have a quick go on it, even if just for nostalgia's sake.