''Mythos'' was a

multiplayer A multiplayer video game is a video game in which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time, either locally on the same computing system ( couch co-op), on different computing systems via a local area network, or ...

role-playing video game A role-playing video game (commonly referred to as simply a role-playing game or RPG, as well as a computer role-playing game or CRPG) is a video game genre where the player controls the actions of a character (or several party members) immers ...

that was originally under development by Flagship Studios Seattle, a subdivision of Flagship Studios, a video game company composed largely of ex- Blizzard North employees who were lead producers of the ''Diablo'' series. Due to financial issues at Flagship Studios, Flagship Seattle was subsequently dissolved, leaving the

intellectual property Intellectual property (IP) is a category of property that includes intangible creations of the human intellect. There are many types of intellectual property, and some countries recognize more than others. The best-known types are patents, cop ...

rights in the hands of the Korean game company HanbitSoft. HanbitSoft's corporate partners will continue to develop ''Mythos'' for a planned release in South Korea and North America. ''Mythos'' is similar in style to ''Diablo'', utilizing a similar interface and perspective, extensive map and item randomization, and a

high fantasy High fantasy, or epic fantasy, is a subgenre of fantasy defined by the epic nature of its setting or by the epic stature of its characters, themes, or plot. Brian Stableford, ''The A to Z of Fantasy Literature'', (p. 198), Scarecrow Press, ...

setting. Its development was led by Travis Baldree, creator of the

action RPG An action role-playing game (often abbreviated action RPG or ARPG) is a subgenre of video games that combines core elements from both the action game and role-playing genre. Definition The games emphasize real-time combat where the player h ...

FATE Destiny, sometimes referred to as fate (from Latin ''fatum'' "decree, prediction, destiny, fate"), is a predetermined course of events. It may be conceived as a predetermined future, whether in general or of an individual. Fate Although ofte ...

'', now a co-founder of Runic Games.

Development history

Flagship Studios (2006-mid-2008)

Originally codenamed "Project Tugboat," the game started as a networking technology test for Flagship Studios' multiplayer game '' Hellgate: London''. By late 2006, the test project had grown into an independent game scheduled for a separate release. Its development was led by Travis Baldree and a newly formed Seattle offshoot of Flagship which remained largely separate from the development of ''Hellgate''. ''Mythos'' was built upon the same core engine and technology that ''Hellgate: London'' used. Starting in 2007, the game had been in an ongoing closed

beta Beta (, ; uppercase , lowercase , or cursive ; grc, βῆτα, bē̂ta or ell, βήτα, víta) is the second letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals, it has a value of 2. In Modern Greek, it represents the voiced labi ...

testing stage, with an open beta expected in mid-2008. However, on 19 July 2008 it was announced that due to continuing financial hardships at Flagship Studios, ''Mythos'' would be going on hiatus, and the beta closed shortly thereafter. The company laid off most of its employees, and the development of ''Mythos'' was suspended. Almost immediately after Flagship's closing, the entire Flagship Seattle team responsible for ''Mythos'' (consisting of 14 people including lead designer Travis Baldree and executive producer Max Schaefer) formed Runic Games and began development of a new game named '' Torchlight''.

Hanbitsoft (mid-2008-2014)

The intellectual property and game assets of ''Mythos'' moved into the ownership of South Korean MMO publisher HanbitSoft. In May 2009, Hanbitsoft released a statement on its Korean-language website revealing that parent company T3 Entertainment and T3's subsidiary Redbana are continuing development of ''Mythos''. Included on the site is a message from a designer identified as "Alboos" who states that they are restructuring ''Mythos'' to make it "more suited as an online game." In August 2009, Redbana/T3 launched an English-language ''Mythos'' website with a closed beta registration form. On 1 December 2009, Redbana began occasional daily updates via the ''Mythos'' "teaser" website. On 1 April 2011, ''Mythos'' began sending out closed beta keys, on 12 April 2011, ''Mythos'' began the open beta. While the planned release date is 28 April 2011, those who purchased the box version will get a 2-day head-start which will start 26 April 2011. On 19 October 2011, Frogster announced they would discontinue the game in Europe. Those servers officially closed 27 October 2011. On 2 February 2012, T3 launched the open beta test for ''Mythos'' Global. ''Mythos'' Global was operated for less than two years; the servers were shut down 22 January 2014.

References

{{Reflist, 30em Action role-playing video games Massively multiplayer online role-playing games Video games scored by Cris Velasco Video games developed in the United States Windows games Windows-only games Role-playing video games 2011 video games Inactive massively multiplayer online games HanbitSoft games Redbana Corporation games Frogster Interactive Pictures games