Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap — Everything We Know

Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap continues the franchise’s tradition of intense, gory combat against waves of orcs and other monstrous enemies. Known for its addictive gameplay, the series has captivated players with its unique blend of tower defense and action. The upcoming title introduces a rogue-lite twist, promising to bring fresh challenges and attract a broader audience. While specific details are still emerging, fans can expect the same fast-paced, strategic gameplay that has defined the series, along with new features designed to keep the experience engaging and dynamic.

What is Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap?

Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap is an upcoming action third-person shooter and trap defense game. As always, you’ll take on the roles of one of four orc-slaying war mages. However, you’ll grapple with roguelite mechanics as you destroy, decimate, and put down hordes of orcs. Moreover, you can always tag along with friends, with up to four players per gaming session.

Story

Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap casts you in the role of a powerful War Mage. You’ll be tasked with cleansing the rift from hordes of Orcs. There’s no set way on how to kill the Orcs, with the freedom to be as brutal as you like. Provided you annihilate all the Orcs, you’ll be good to go. 

Gameplay

Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap will introduce new War Mages – four total – to choose from. Each will have a unique set of weapons, skills, traps, and personality. Further, they will cater to different play styles, with ranged and melee-based characters among those available. 

You can choose to play solo or in teams, working together with up to four players to smash orcs’ heads. Solo and multiplayer game modes will each offer different challenges and rewards. In teams, you can play independently. But you can also sync each player’s abilities, complementing one another on the battlefield. Moreover, gameplay will adjust the difficulty, ensuring playthroughs remain exciting.

With more buffs and debuffs, you can choose to keep going against an increasing horde of Orcs. Alternatively, you can return to base and upgrade your hero’s weapons and traps. Afterward, you’ll go up against a mighty Orc General that will be the boss fight at the end of each level.

Combat, on the other hand, will blend intense fighting and setting up clever traps. According to Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap’s Steam page, you can look forward to a “tighter, more responsive third-person shooter and melee combat.” Further, you’ll enjoy more ridiculous status effects showcasing crazy physics and ragdoll effects. As the title suggests, players will be in for setting some deathly traps. And as they go off, Orcs will be sliced, crashed, hurled, and incinerated in a thrilling spectacle of events.

Above all, the new game plans to stick to the series’ “beloved humor, personality, and charm.” Fans of the series can, therefore, be happy knowing that the witty Orc banter, heavy guitar and drum music scores, and flamboyant physics thrusting Orcs into the air will return in the new entry. 

Roguelite

For the first time in the series, Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap will introduce roguelite mechanics. That way, you’ll annihilate hordes of Orcs and other monsters in near-endless waves of run-throughs. However, to curb repetition, you’ll unlock buffs and debuffs at random. These will alter your character’s play style, influencing their stats, weapons, and, in some cases, the missions themselves. Additionally, missions will have varying weather and time of day, which will further influence enemies’ behavior and defense.

Key Features

In summary, you can expect the following key features:

• Roguelite mechanics
• Four-player co-op play
• More profound progression systems
• Deeper third-person shooter and melee combat
• Over-the-top physics and crazier Orc death animations
• More level variety within a massive outdoor fantasy world

Development

Robot Entertainment is currently working on developing and publishing Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap. The series first broke through to the gaming space in 2011 to mostly positive acclaim. The studio has since kept fans up to speed with consecutive entries leading up to the current Orcs Must Die! 3 (2020). The new game will be the fifth installment in the relatively successful Orcs Must Die! series. 

Robot Entertainment CEO Patrick Hudson expressed excitement over the upcoming game, saying, “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.”

Trailer

Good news, Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap’s announcement trailer is out now on YouTube. It reveals the four new War Mages you’ll be playing as. There’s an elf who wields a crossbow, a sorcerer who wields a magic wand, a woman who wields a ranged gun, and a humongous bear. Unfortunately, fans don’t seem all that excited to play as the new characters, with many sentiments expressing their lack of intrigue.

The series has been treading dangerously close to repetitive gameplay alongside a few enemy types. Contrary to the title, Steam’s description suggests you may be slaying some other monsters besides Orcs. Now, if the characters looked more exciting and varied. At least, the core gameplay remains intact, reassuring fans of the same addictive gameplay they fell in love with in previous iterations.

Release Date, Platforms, & Editions

Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap is planned for release sometime in the first quarter of 2025. Unfortunately, we don’t have a specific release date yet. However, we can at least confirm that the new game will be coming to PC platforms via Steam and Epic Games Store. We don’t know if any editions will be available for preorder. While we await further updates, you can add the game to your Steam or Epic wishlist to get a notification as soon as it drops. Alternatively, you can follow the official social handle here to keep track of new updates.

So, what’s your take? Will you be grabbing a copy of Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap when it drops? Let us know over on our socials here.