Fellowship is a game that feels special. It takes the dungeon exploring style of World of Warcraft. It also uses the deep build system of Diablo. The mix of these two ideas makes it very exciting. This is the type of game I have been waiting for.
MMOs have been popular for decades. World of Warcraft is the most famous example. Many players have spent thousands of hours inside its raids and dungeons. But MMOs also require a lot of time. You must grind for gear. You must farm resources. You must complete long quest chains. For many people the time commitment is too great. Even those who once loved the game often cannot return. That is why Fellowship feels like such an important release. Fellowship is a new game that tries to bring the spirit of MMOs but in a lighter more focused form. It might be the game that many players have been waiting for.
Fellowship is made by Chief Rebel. It is the debut title from this studio. The game was shown at Gamescom 2025 where players were able to try it. One player traded their time with another game called Bloodlines 2 to get hands on with Fellowship. From the start the difference was clear. Fellowship is like World of Warcraft but without the massive world. Instead of huge continents the game is focused on dungeons. The goal is simple. You go into dungeons. You complete missions. You earn gear. You upgrade your character. Then you repeat the cycle.
The team calls Fellowship a MODA. That stands for Multiplayer Online Dungeon Adventure. It borrows ideas from many different genres. There are parts of MOBAs like League of Legends. There are parts of ARPGs like Diablo. There are elements of MMOs like World of Warcraft. Fellowship mixes all of these ideas into one. There is a roster of heroes. Each hero has a role. You must learn how to build and refine your hero to make them powerful.
One example is Vigour. Vigour is a radiant scholar who works as a healer. If you have ever played a priest in World of Warcraft you will understand him quickly. He can heal single targets. He can heal groups with area spells. He can even throw books at enemies to make them pay attention. Playing Vigour can be stressful because healing is always important in group content. At Gamescom one player chose Vigour as their main hero. The dungeon chosen for the test was called Sailors Abyss. This dungeon is known as one of the hardest. The director Hamish Bode warned that no group had cleared the final boss on their first attempt.
At first the dungeon felt simple. Bode took the role of tank and drew enemy attention. The damage dealers attacked. The healer restored health. Everything seemed to go smoothly. But as the group moved deeper into Sailors Abyss the fights grew harder. Finally they reached Sinthara. Sinthara is a giant siren like monster. She can interrupt spells. She can cause bleeding damage. She can bind two characters together so they share damage if they move apart. Her most dangerous attack is Sirens Song. This ability throws players off the ship if they are not careful. In the first run the group failed. They were knocked into the ocean. In the second run the same thing happened. Then they noticed Bode had tied himself to the mast of the ship. The fight required players to tether themselves to survive. It was a clever twist that made the battle memorable.
Fellowship is not only inspired by World of Warcraft. The developers also draw from Diablo. Bode worked on Diablo 3 and often mentions Diablo 2 as a favorite. Fellowship includes gems that give boons. At first they are simple. As players progress the gems become more complex. Unlike World of Warcraft talent trees you can choose abilities in any order. There are no prerequisites. Items can also grant unique powers. These fit into a 14 slot roster. One of the slots is for a character ultimate ability. Players must make choices about what to equip.
Bode explains that Fellowship is a mix of MMOs ARPGs and MOBAs. The game actually started as a PVE MOBA. But the team loved ARPGs like Path of Exile and Diablo. They added more ARPG influence over time. The combat in Fellowship feels more like an ARPG than a traditional MMO. This is because of the streamlined ability system. Players already experiment with builds. Some find unexpected power. The developers enjoy this creativity. Since the game is PVE there is more room for overpowered or underpowered builds. In PVP one strong build ruins fun for others. In PVE it can still be fun as long as it does not trivialize the whole game.
Fellowship is designed as a live service. The team is small and can react quickly. If a build is too strong they can adjust it in a day. They will continue to make changes once the game is live. Sometimes they will let strong builds remain for a season. If it makes the game more fun they can keep it. Then in the next season they can adapt again. The goal is always to keep the community happy.
Like many games of this type there is some grind. Players can customize characters and mounts. The mounts are creative. Some examples include horses tigers and even a rat with a bomb strapped to its back called Sir Bombastic. Some mounts and items can be bought with in game currency. Others require real money. Some are unlocked by achievements. For example fighting through the leagues unlocks rewards. Leagues are sets of dungeons with increasing difficulty. At the end there is a boss fight. Winning provides unique loot. Topping the leaderboard gives even greater prizes.
Balancing grind is difficult. Fellowship does not want to be as grind heavy as World of Warcraft or Diablo. Bode says they want players to feel the power fantasy without frustration. Fellowship uses personal loot. Every dungeon gives rewards that push you forward. You always progress. The time to reach gear cap is shorter than in most MMOs. This ensures players feel rewarded even with short play sessions.
Accessibility is another focus. Accessibility means different things for different players. Some need controller support due to vision or mobility issues. Bode himself has multiple sclerosis and sometimes cannot use his hands properly. This makes accessibility a personal mission. Controller support is confirmed. The team wants the game to be open to as many people as possible.
Accessibility also includes financial accessibility. Fellowship has no subscription. The price is set at 25 dollars. Compared to many modern games this is affordable. Many players cannot spend 60 or 70 dollars on new games. Fellowship aims to be reachable for a wider audience.
Fellowship appeals to players who lack time for long MMOs. It provides quick dungeon runs with rewarding loot. It removes the fear of falling behind. The game blends inspiration from World of Warcraft Diablo and MOBAs to create something new. It is a love letter to all of these communities.
The release date for Fellowship is Thursday October 16. An open beta is live on Steam. Players can try the game now. Those who join early will meet mounts like Sir Bombastic. The game will continue to evolve after launch. With its focus on dungeons quick progression and accessibility Fellowship could become a major success.
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