Orcs Must Die's next entry will bring a roguelite twist next year

Orcs Must Die Deathtrap heroes walking away from explosion — (Image credit: Robot Entertainment)

The Orcs Must Die series is getting another entry next year with Orcs Must Die Deathtrap, which will be the fifth game in the series from developer and publisher Robot Entertainment. The new release will have players, alone or as a team of up to four, battle oncoming waves of enemies in third-person action gameplay. This time, players will "evolve through rogue-lite progression" as they defeat hordes of orcs.

The reveal trailer showed off four different characters: An elf with a crossbow, a wand-wielding sorceress, a lady with a gun, and a large angry bear. "Each hero is tailored to different play styles and can operate independently or work together with complementing heroes, ensuring versatile and mighty orc-smashing," said Robot Entertainment.

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While it'll stick to the wacky comedy and combination of trap-based and third-person shooting and melee that made Orcs Must Die popular, the twist for Deathtrap is that "no two runs" will be the same. Ever-harder waves of orcs will be accompanied by "randomized buffs and debuffs that impact your hero, traps, weapons, stats, and the levels themselves." Between waves, players can push forward for greater rewards or retreat to their bases to power up.

“We are thrilled to unveil the latest installment in the Orcs Must Die! franchise," said Robot Entertainment CEO Patrick Hudson in a press release. “Our goal has always been to push the boundaries of fun and creativity. With Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap, we embraced the challenge of innovating within a thirteen-year-old franchise by listening closely to our fans and their requests. We've stayed true to the classic chaotic action and light-hearted tone, while introducing four-player co-op, new and versatile heroes with deeply unique abilities, expanded level variety, and new rogue-lite progression choices. This game is all about delivering the most exhilarating orc-slaying experience yet.”

Stylized as Orcs Must Die!, the indie series has been going since the release of its first game in 2011. Every entry was developed and published by Robot Entertainment, with the most recent game in the series being Orcs Must Die 3 in 2020.

Orc Must Die: Deathtrap will release on Epic and Steam in "early 2025."

Jon Bolding is a games writer and critic with an extensive background in strategy games. When he's not on his PC, he can be found playing every tabletop game under the sun.