City of Heroes Devs Announce Champions Online

Cryptic Studios, developer of the superhero MMO City of Heroes, have today announced their next project: Champions Online, a self-published superhero MMO based on the popular pen-and-paper game Champions RPG.

The key bullet point of Champions Online will be customization, with Cryptic boasting a "near infinite" amount of character-defining traits.

Says the press release: "Gamers will be able to create their hero's name, back story, costume, powers and abilities as well as design their own personal arch-enemy and his or her back story, which will guarantee a truly unique experience."

"We thought carefully about which IP to select for our next game," said Cryptic chief creative officer Jack Emmert. "I've been playing the Champions RPG since it first came out and I love both the rich history and the wide array of compelling characters which made this an obvious choice for Cryptic Studios."

Champions Online is slated for a spring 2009 release. A website for the project has also been launched.