Mass Effect 2 writer Chris L'Etoile is penning EA's new narrative MOBA Dawngate

Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2 writer Chris L'Etoile is the man penning the story for Electronic Arts' narrative-centric massive online battle arena title Dawngate, developer Waystone Games told Polygon today during this week's E3 conference.

The lore-driven game will feature an ongoing and online graphic novel that is at the centre of Dawngate's "Living Lore" story arc which mirrors events triggered by players. The result is essentially a "crowd sourced choose-your-own-adventure," lead producer Dave Cerra told us, with players helping to make decision on how the story unfolds.

Dawngate is currently in beta as of May this year, and already has hundreds of thousands of players, says Cerra. It's with this growing user base in mind that the game studio is readying itself for an eventual push by players into eSports territory. The company plans to bring a spectator mode to the game, a fundamental feature for cultivating an eSports-viewing audience, and will eventually add ranked play to Dawngate down the line. According to Cerra, the studio will follow its players into the world of progaming but will not force the game into that zone.

Dawngate features five players, or Shapers, two lanes and a jungle expanse. It also introduces economy-based objectives, such as Spirit Wells to "create a new strategic landscape." Players can earn loot drops from their allies and foes in the form of Blessings, which are awarded for teamwork and sportsmanship.