Surprise! Torchlight 3 is out in early access right now

With no warning, Torchlight 3 launched into early access today. The action-RPG brings a whole heap more monsters to click on into they burst in a shower of coins and trousers. Torchlight 3 grew out of Torchlight Frontiers, which was to be a free-to-play persistent online game until they realised people didn't want that. Sounds like the launch is having some server problems, mind, which are everyone's problems because it's currently online-only.

In its initial early access state, Torchlight III has two acts, four classes, crafting, pets, and other Torchlight-y things, as well as a fort home base you can customise. It is only playable in multiplayer, mind - a singleplayer offline mode will follow later in early access. This dev post explains a lot more about its current state. The plan is for early access to last "at least a few months" while they finish the endgame, add offline, and generally polish.

Torchlight 3 is out now on Steam Early Access for £23.79/€29.99/$29.99. Be warned: quite a few folks are complaining that the servers are busted right now. Still waiting on that offline mode, then.

Runic Games, the creators of Torchlight and the first two games, were shut down by owners Perfect World Entertainment in 2017. Torchlight 3 devs Echtra Games do have a connection, mind. The studio was founded by Max Schaefer, who worked on the first two Torchlights then bailed a while before Perfect World closed Runic.

Whatever you call it, hit our E3 2020 tag for more from this summer's blast of gaming announcements, trailers, and miscellaneous marketing. Check out the PC games at the PlayStation 5 show, everything at the PC Gaming Show, and all the trailers from the Xbox showcase, for starters.