New MOBA MMORPG hybrid Corepunk arrives in early access on PC

What’s a genre hybrid you thought would be impossible to crack? To me, it would combine the expansive and immersive nature of an MMORPG with the competitive, tactical thrills of a MOBA. These two genres are at odds with each other, right? Well, that’s exactly what Corepunk aims to conquer, cleverly combining elements of League of Legends and Diablo 4 to create something all its own.

Now available on PC in Early Access via a special launcher, Corepunk takes on both the best MOBAs and the best MMORPGs in one fell swoop with its unique mashup. It’s a top-down isometric multiplayer game that at first glance looks a lot like existing MOBAs like League of Legends and Dota 2 – it even has a similar interface and fog of war to obscure the map. However, if you take a closer look, you’ll discover that Corepunk is actually much more of an ARPG MMO.

First off, Corepunk takes place in a seamless open world with various points of interest to find, secrets to discover, and even quests to complete as you wander through the already diverse biomes during Early Access. With this in mind, the iconic MOBA fog of war is perfect for adding a layer of mystery and surprise as you explore.

Corepunk also features a leveling system reminiscent of both MOBAs and MMORPGs. You start by leveling your character to level 20 to unlock new skills, passive abilities, and weapon specializations before branching out and refining your build. This is supported by a deep crafting system for weapons and upgrades that rewards your looting in the open world.

Combat is where you’ll see the biggest MOBA influences, with responsive action that rewards perfect timing and smart use of skills – whether you’re participating in a PvE or PvP activity. While PvP in the overworld is often optional, there are contested areas and specific PvP modes (including an extraction mode coming in the future) where you can focus your bloodlust. If you prefer to keep things civil, you can climb the leaderboards while minimizing your build by conquering dungeons both alone and with a group.

Unfortunately, Corepunk isn’t available on Steam, so if you’re intrigued by the unique genre mashup, you’ll need to download a separate launcher. Importantly, Corepunk has adopted a buy-to-play model with an in-game cash shop solely for cosmetics. Corepunk costs $36 / £29 for the most basic early access edition, while the highest tier costs $68 / £54.

Nevertheless, Corepunk has the potential to be one of the best multiplayer games out there as there is little direct competition. Additionally, more updates and additional content will be added during the Early Access period, so it’s only the case from here on out. If you’d rather wait for the full release, why not delve into some of the best PC games in the meantime?

You can also follow us on Google News for daily PC gaming news, reviews and guides, or use our PCGN deals tracker to score some bargains.