Hellgate: London
A post-apocalyptic action RPG blending Diablo-style loot with roguelike randomness.
Hellgate: London is an action role-playing game with a dark fantasy setting, launched on October 31, 2007. It was created by Flagship Studios, a team led by former Blizzard Entertainment developers who had worked on the Diablo series. The game was co-published by Namco Bandai Games and Electronic Arts. The story takes place in a post-apocalyptic London in 2038, blending fast-paced hack and slash combat with roguelike elements such as randomized weapon and armor stats, item drops, enemy spawns, and level layouts.
The game originally offered both single-player and online multiplayer modes, though North American and European online support has since ended. The single-player campaign consists of a five-act story. Upon completion, players can restart the storyline at a higher difficulty or create new characters in an elite mode. In 2008, Flagship Studios filed for bankruptcy, and its intellectual property was seized by Comerica Bank as collateral. Development stopped, and Namco Bandai Games provided free server support until January 31, 2009, when multiplayer servers and websites were shut down. HanbitSoft later acquired the rights and redeveloped the game as the free-to-play *Hellgate London: Resurrection* in South Korea, adding Seoul-based maps. In 2014, *Hellgate Global* was announced, introducing Tokyo for a potential release outside South Korea. A planned Xbox 360 port was never released.
Gameplay builds on roguelike design through random generation of maps, monsters, and loot, encouraging replayability. Players can switch between third-person and first-person perspectives. The game is free to play offline or online, with a monthly subscription offering extra content like new areas, weapons, monsters, classes, quests, events, titles, and game modes. The six acts unify the areas and take roughly 25–40 hours to complete in single-player. While primarily focused on solo and cooperative PvE combat, players can duel in certain areas, and subscribers can access a free-for-all PvP mode. PvP mode allows attacks outside safe zones, but LAN support is absent.
The game world consists of demon-infested dungeons and city streets, with safe zones in disused London Underground stations. These hubs let players buy and upgrade items from NPCs, interact with others, and start or finish quests. Zones are randomly generated in fully 3D environments using a proprietary graphi
- Developer
- Flagship Studios
- Release Date
- October 31, 2007
- Genre
- Action role-playing, hack and slash
- Setting
- Post-apocalyptic London, 2038
- Co-publishers
- Namco Bandai Games, Electronic Arts
- Platforms
- PC (Xbox 360 port considered but never released)
- Notable For
- Built upon Diablo-style gameplay with first- and third-person perspectives and roguelike randomization
Lore & Background
Hellgate: London was announced in March 2005 via an exclusive article in PC Gamer, following months of concept art teasing. It was formally released on October 31, 2007. The game features six classes grouped into three factions: Templars (Guardians and Blademasters), Cabalists (Summoners and Evokers), and Hunters (Marksmen and Engineers). Players can choose between third-person or first-person perspectives, with melee classes limited to third-person view. The single-player version includes a five-act story questline, and after completion, players can restart in a higher difficulty or create elite characters. The game world includes historical London landmarks such as St Paul's Cathedral and Big Ben, with safe zones in disused London Underground stations. Multiplayer support was available at release but later discontinued in North America and Europe.
Reader's Guide
Hellgate: London holds significance as a high-profile project from a studio founded by former Blizzard North executives who created the Diablo series. Its development and release were marked by ambitious design—combining Diablo-style loot systems with 3D graphics and both first- and third-person perspectives—but the studio faced financial troubles. Flagship Studios filed for bankruptcy in 2008, and all intellectual property was seized as collateral by Comerica Bank. Namco Bandai Games provided free server support until January 31, 2009, after which multiplayer servers and websites were taken offline. HanbitSoft later acquired the rights and redeveloped the game as the free-to-play Hellgate London: Resurrection in South Korea, adding Seoul-based maps. In 2014, Hellgate Global was announced, adding Tokyo for a possible release outside South Korea. The game's legacy includes influencing later action RPGs and demonstrating the risks of ambitious online features tied to a struggling developer. A port for the Xbox 360 was considered but never released.
Did You Know?
- Hellgate: London was developed by a team led by former Blizzard Entertainment employees who had overseen the creation of the Diablo series.
- The game features six classes grouped into three factions: Templars, Cabalists, and Hunters.
- Multiplayer servers for North America and Europe were taken offline on January 31, 2009.
- A port for the Xbox 360 was considered but never released.
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