Hey bras, thanks for putting up with my dumb little April Fool’s post below. I do actually have a big announcement some of y’all have been waiting for.

But first, let’s talk for a second.

Fenoxo started working on Trials in Tainted Space in 2013. Since then, you guys have made FenCo pretty much explode: we’ve grown to a six-strong studio, plus all the volunteers, commission writers, and other awesome people who’re out there working with us to make TiTS the best it can be. We’ve grown the community to something like 20,000 forumites and 6,500 backers, plus a great and growing discord community.

So first off, I want to say thank you. You guys have been seriously amazing. Fen’s right to call you guys “bras,” with all the support you’ve given us the last five years.

With that being said, here’s the news:

No, it wasn’t a joke after all. Corruption of Champions is coming back with a new game that’s in development right now. In fact, you can play the first build of it right here, right now.

Please note that this is a very early build! The combat system isgoing to be completely overhauled over the next few weeks, and the new UI (designed by the very awesome DCLzexon) is in the process of implementation.

I think a lot of you have heard rumors and rumblings about this over the last little while (especially after that Save Export addition to the final encounter in CoC), but there it is. Corruption of Champions returns with a breath of new life: a new lead developer, all new code, a new world, and a new direction… but the same familiar fun you’ve come to expect from a FenCo game.

Now that I’ve said that, let me quell a little panic (or at least, concern) I’m sure a good few of your are feeling. Most importantly, CoC2 Development won’t interfere with TiTS Development. CoC2’s development is being handled by a whole different team: that means that, while the people working on it will of course still be here, and the game will appear on the blog where you’d expect it, CoC2 won’t be taking any funds or development time away from TiTS.

Here’s the lowdown on what to expect:

Savin (that’s me!) on lead writing/designing duties. Fenoxo’s involvement with the project will be effectively nonexistent, as he’s still slaving away in the Oxonium mines of Tainted Space. We’re using an all-new code base for CoC2, built in Javascript instead of Flash. We’ve learned a lot — and I mean a lot — from TiTS’ development cycle, and we’ll be improving on previous FenCo games whenever we can. That means faster and more flexible content delivery for you, and a whole lot easier time working on the game for us. Also, because we’re using JS, you can play the game on mobile and browser without much issue. Corruption of Champions II is a true sequel to CoC, with its introduction taking place a few minutes after Lethice’s downfall. You might have noticed that your Champion of Ingnam’s epilogue doesn’t exactly mesh with that, what with dying of old age or going on an endless crusade. That’s because… CoC2 stars an all new cast of characters, including a new Champion , on a new world connected to Mareth through the portals. Lethice may have fallen to the Champion of Ingnam, but the demons’ Corruption is far from extinguished with her defeat. New mechanics! A lot of the nuts and bolts of the game, from combat rules to the new class system to how TFs work, are going to change from CoC and TiTS. The most interesting — and to me, by far the most important — is that CoC2 will support party adventuring . Possibly the most requested feature of CoC and TiTS will be front and center here, with the Champion of Hawkethorne able to bring companions along for fighting, fucking, and everything in between. Pictured above is the game’s first companion, the catgirl white mage Caitriss.



So what’s on the horizon? Well for starters, you’ll be able to play the first builds of the game here. We won’t be doing backer builds like TiTS for the first little while (while we get things like the basic UI and mechanics fleshed out) but if you want to show your support and excitement for the project, you can head over to the shiny new Patreon here. Once again, I’ll remind you that CoC2 and TiTS aren’t connected business-wise: funding for writing and art comes out of my pockets, not Fenoxo’s.

Big things are afoot at FenCo, bras. Thanks again for all your support over the years, and for sticking with us as we open a new chapter for you.

(Fen Note: This is why you promise the rights to a sequel to a friend years and years ago. Because sometimes they gather up some of the top talent in the community and actually do it.)

Be sure to check out the new Forum Section, as well as the Wikis as we get them up and running.

Art of Cait, above, by Cheshire!