Despite improvisational player-versus-player mayhem, the developers of Magicka (and its awesome spell effects ) have set forth on an arduous-yet-generic adventure to release a not-so-unique Vietnam expansion pack, followed shortly by an official PvP mode; that's right, you won't need any more excuses for slaughtering your friends with a quick blast of FQASA. I had the chance to sit down with Mattias Lilja, executive producer at Paradox Interactive, and talk to him about some of Paradox's upcoming releases.

"We sort of already have PvP... but this will let you battle [players] officially," Mattias told me. He's absolutely right: there's nothing stopping the 'accidental' spontaneous combustion of a companion, but now, with the impending release of a PvP mode, you won't have to constantly glance over your shoulder for the inevitable retaliation. Actually, you probably will -- but the point remains!

Mattias was eager to note that the Vietnam content will be played through a series of "stages," similar to a mission-oriented movie, and will feature an ambush-happy variant of diabolical goblins, affectionately named the Goblin Cong. From what it sounds like, the Vietnam expansion will not include much (if any) new multiplayer functionality, but PvP will be released soon after to alleviate any murderous urges that players will undoubtedly experience.

When asked about what sort of features PvP would offer, Mattias told me that it would "most likely be King of the Hill; and of course, we'll have leaderboards [...] players need to be able to brag about everything." My speculative side tells me that King of the Hill will be taken quite literally by the Arrowhead team. If I had to guess, I'd say a new map with a big hill will run red with blood (and bathrobes) in the near future.

The Magicka: Vietnam expansion will be available via Steam in the coming months, followed thereafter by the PvP releases. As always, keep 'em peeled for more information as we get it! We'll be posting articles about Paradox's other upcoming titles very soon!

Our thanks to Mattias Lilja for taking the time for this interview!

~Steve "Lelldorianx" Burke