Ex-Fortnite devs found new studio and reveal its chaotic debut game, Lort
Big Distraction, a newly formed independent game studio founded by former Fortnite developers, announced its debut game, Lort. It's a one to eight player co-op fantasy roguelike set to launch later this year on PC.
Formed in 2023, Big Distraction is led by the former Lead Producer and Marketing Lead on Fortnite Battle Royale. It's currently an 11-person team comprised of veterans from studios like Dice, Blizzard, and MachineGames. Big Distraction's initial goal was to create a game that it could launch within two years of the studio's founding. Lort is the end result of that effort.
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Lort is a co-op action roguelike set in a comedic fantasy world. Its debut trailer emphasizes a gameplay loop that will have players exploring a procedurally generated map in search of loot, scaling their power up, and hunting down bosses. Think of something like Risk of Rain 2, but with more more absurd humor.
Players will start a run by squading up with up to eight players. They'll be able to choose from three character classes initially, including a wizard, warrior and ranger, but Big Distraction has ideas for more. There are no team composition restrictions, so players can run with a team of eight wizards if they so desire. From there, they'll explore an open area, hunt down treasure chests featuring over-the-top weapons, and get upgrades that boost their stats.
Since it's all high fantasy themed, players will fight with weapons like maces, oversized hammers, and bows. In hands-off demo footage, I watched a crew take down hoards of Dragon Quest-like slimes and other colorful monsters using over the top spells, like one that whacks foes with an enormous hunk of wood. Big Distraction says that the power progression is a major focus of a run, as it will let players eventually put together builds that feel like they can break the game. It all makes for a multiplayer game that looks lighthearted and chaotic.
Lort is set to release in the fourth quarter of 2025. It will release on PC and be compatible with Steam Deck.
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