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FANGS, a project by ex-DotA Allstars, LoL developer Guinsoo, is in alpha this October

FANGS will be on Alpha playtest soon. (Photo: Hidden Leaf Games)
FANGS will be on Alpha playtest soon. (Photo: Hidden Leaf Games)

A new MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) title has been in the works for over a year now, and it’s being led by Steve “Guinsoo” Feak, who has previously worked on League of Legends (LoL) and the DotA Allstars mod that eventually became the basis for Dota 2.

Guinsoo announced on Twitter in late September that he’s been working on the game, calling it a “fast-paced action MOBA".

He even went on to jokingly call it “Fantasy Action Novelty ft. Guinsoo aka Steve”.

Who is Guinsoo?

Guinsoo has been at the centre of huge developments in the MOBA space.

He was the original creator of DotA Allstars, the popular Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne mod that eventually grew into its own game and genre as well as the basis for Dota 2.

Among Guinsoo's biggest contributions to the DotA formula was the addition of the recipe system, which allowed players to combine smaller items into more powerful ones, and the boss character Roshan, which he named after his bowling ball.

In 2005, Guinsoo passed development of DotA Allstars to IceFrog, who would go on to create the most iconic versions of the DotA mod and become the lead developer for Dota 2.

Guinsoo then went on to be one of the lead developers in Riot Games for LoL. He contributed to the game design of 27 champions, including Ashe, Evelynn, Master Yi, Nunu & Willump, Soraka, Teemo, Tryndamere, Twisted Fate, and Warwick.

He is also the creator of an item with his namesake, Guinsoo’s Rageblade, which still exists in LoL and Wild Rift.

What is FANGS?

Guinsoo's new MOBA undertaking was originally planned to be a 3v3 title when its game development studio, Hidden Leaf Games, raised US 3.2 million in 2021 to fund it.

Hidden Leaf Games is a new game studio led by veteran developers who’ve worked on LoL, VALORANT, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, DotA Allstars, TeamFight Tactics, and more.

The MOBA was eventually revealed to be a 4v4, complete with session-based rounds in an arena, a diverse cast of characters, and strategic real-time gaming.

That may seem like most MOBAs these days, but the developer aims to solve some of the main problems plaguing the genre.

Those drawbacks include long matchmaking time, lengthy playing sessions, the lack of cross-platform play, and little incentives to play with friends.

FANGS on Alpha Testing in October

FANGS will go on Alpha Playtest, which will start on 5 October and conclude on 14 October.

This will feature 14 heroes, three maps and new MOBA features.

FANGS is still in early development and will continue to have developments over the next couple of months before the complete game will be released to the public.

Anna is a freelance writer and photographer. She is a gamer who loves RPGs and platformers, and is a League of Legends geek. She's also a food enthusiast who loves a good cup of black coffee.

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