'Risk Of Rain' Is Getting A Remaster Despite Gearbox's Acquisition

RoR Returns 1 — Risk of Rain Returns features crisp and clean pixel art and updated VFX Hopoo Games

KEY POINTS

"Risk of Rain Returns" will release sometime in 2023
The game will feature better pixel art as well as an improved network structure for multiplayer
Hopoo Games has not yet announced any new projects outside of "Risk of Rain Returns"

Even though Gearbox Software purchased the rights to the "Risk of Rain" franchise, Hopoo Games will be releasing a full remaster of the original game next year, and it's going to feature more than just a graphical facelift.

"Risk of Rain Returns" is slated for an unspecified 2023 release date for PC and the Nintendo Switch, roughly 10 years after the initial version saw the light of day. The roguelike platformer's remaster will come with more content on top of the usual array of visual and audio updates expected from a remaster.

"Carefully designed, beautifully remastered, and loaded with new ways to play—'Risk of Rain' is back and better than ever," read the game's description on Steam.

Among these new features include:

Two new Survivors
Additional Survivor abilities
New enemies, items and stage variants
Improved animations
HD pixel art
New music and audio effects
10 total Artifacts

RoR Returns 2 — More enemy types will be present in Risk of Rain Returns Hopoo Games

The remaster will also include all of the classic Survivors from the first "Risk of Rain" that didn't make it to the sequel, such as Chef, Miner and Sniper. Additionally, the multiplayer component of "Risk of Rain Returns" should involve less fiddling with virtual LAN software and router settings thanks to new and improved networking services.

Hopoo Games will retain complete creative control over "Risk of Rain Returns," according to PC Gamer, though Gearbox Software will take the reins in future projects.

"They [Gearbox] have a love for 'Risk of Rain' that matches our own and are the best fit for taking the franchise into the future," Hopoo community manager Jonathan Cheetham said.

"Risk of Rain" was acquired by Gearbox early this November. Prior to this, the company was responsible for publishing "Risk of Rain 2."

The remaster will mark Hopoo Games' final entry to the series that paved the way for its success in gaming, and so far, there's no word on what it plans to release in the future.

The company still owns the rights to "Deadbolt," a brutally-difficult 2D game that features a gun-toting grim reaper on a quest to quell an undead uprising. A follow-up to this title could be on the horizon, but very little points to this happening apart from community speculation.