Cult of the North is preparing to unveil its ambitious multiplayer fantasy war game that blends RTS base building, MOBA-style combat, and 4X resource management. The Swedish studio, founded by former Candy Crush developers, has been quietly developing this unique gaming experience that promises to deliver epic-scale warfare where fairness takes a backseat to strategic adaptation.
A Bold New Approach to Multiplayer Warfare
We Will Be Gods enters its first public pre-alpha test on May 17, inviting players to experience weeks or months-long campaigns featuring 10 or more player-run kingdoms battling for supremacy. What sets this game apart from other multiplayer experiences is its deliberate rejection of balanced matchmaking. As studio founder Marcus Jacobs bluntly stated, There is no fairness. There can be 140 people on one side and 70 on the other, and that's how it's going to be. This philosophy extends to all aspects of gameplay, including the possibility of attacking an enemy kingdom when few defenders are online.
Accessible Yet Deep Gameplay
Despite its ambitious scale, Cult of the North aims to make We Will Be Gods more accessible than comparable games in the genre. The skill ceiling is intentionally a little bit lower, according to the developers, with multiple paths to success beyond combat prowess. Players can focus on strategy, economy management, city building, or tower defense elements depending on their preferences. This approach may help the game find a sweet spot between demanding MMOs like EVE Online and more casual mobile strategy games.
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| The Lumber Mill represents the strategic resource management elements players can utilize in their kingdoms |
Kingdom Management and Progression
Each kingdom can house up to 100 players working together to expand their influence across a hex-grid map. Currently, the highest-level players (those who have played the most) will have the most decision-making power regarding communal resource allocation, though the developers plan to implement a voting system in the future. Discord integration will provide voice and text chat for coordination among kingdom members, essential for organizing large-scale operations.
Technical Innovation
Notably, Cult of the North chose to build its own game engine after finding both Unity and Unreal unsuitable for the networking requirements of We Will Be Gods. This decision, backed by Andreessen Horowitz financing, demonstrates the studio's commitment to realizing their vision without technical compromise. The custom engine will need to handle thousands of players in massive battles, according to the developers.
Player Classes and Combat
Combat in We Will Be Gods resembles MOBA gameplay, with each player controlling a hero class with unique abilities. Options include battlemages wielding giant hammers, bonedancers who bring numerical advantages, and priestesses casting tide-turning spells. Players gain access to additional skills as they level up, adding depth to the battlefield engagements. The defensive aspect includes strategic placement of structures like towers, which can be built anywhere but can only be repaired within kingdom borders.
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| The intense combat scene illustrates the hero classes and MOBA-like gameplay in We Will Be Gods |
Release Plans and Availability
We Will Be Gods will be free-to-play when it launches on Steam later this year. Unlike many games in the genre, Cult of the North emphasizes no early access, no founder or access passes – just free sign-ups for testing and eventual release. Players interested in joining the pre-alpha test can register through the studio's website, though the initial test will have limited capacity with expanded opportunities in future testing rounds.
A New Genre Hybrid
By combining elements of Civilization-style 4X strategy, League of Legends-inspired hero combat, and persistent warfare reminiscent of browser classics like Tribal Wars, We Will Be Gods is attempting to carve out a new niche in the strategy gaming landscape. Whether this ambitious blend will resonate with players remains to be seen, but the free-to-play model and accessible skill floor could help it find an audience when it fully launches later in 2025.