Watch the announcement trailer for 33 Immortals

MMO raids can be some of the most satisfying experiences in multiplayer gaming, so it’s a shame that they’re so often one of the last things you gain access to after a whole lot of time and grinding. That makes me very interested in33 Immortals, the newly announced next game fromJotunandSpiritfarerstudio Thunder Lotus. It’s a 33-player cooperative action roguelikelike which they say offers “ultra-fast runs through a streamlined distillation of the MMO raid experience,” with “pick-up and raid” matchmaking. Huh!

33 Immortals will send 33 damned souls through hell to battle through hordes of baddies and mash giant bosses, fighting through randomised enemies and challenges to earn randomised rewards.

“Players optimize their builds to match their playstyle, mixing and matching weapons, perks, and persistent upgrades to steadily improve their rebellion’s odds of withstanding the wrath of God,” Thunder Lotus explain in a press release. “Above all, 33 Immortals actively encourages players to collaborate throughout the runs, to ensure that the largest and strongest group possible survives the enemy hordes, and prevails in the showstopping boss fights.”

I do wonder how this “pick-up and raid” experience will work. Part of what I like about raiding is being part of an organised and practised team, a murdermachine that runs smoothly because you can trust everyone is doing their part, and with good communication so someone can leap into another spot to salvage the fight if disaster strikes. I probably would not expect that from a game putting a 33-player raid group together with matchmaking. Perhaps the experience will be closer to tackling big world events and world bosses with randos, which can have a huge range of awareness and ability but are still fun as you cut through hordes and mob bosses. Either way, I’m interested.

This streamlined take on MMO raiding reminds me ofanother NotE3 announcement, Stellaris Nexus. ThisStellarisspin-off aims to distill the sprawling sci-fi strategy experience into a six-player game that wraps up inside an hour.