Akella has signed an agreement with Strategy First to purchase the Disciples brand. Currently, Akella is knee-deep in development on Disciples 3: Renaissance. The Disciples series started in 1999. The first game was a step-by-step strategy offering that incorporated some role-playing elements. Akella says Renaissance, the next title in the Disciples series, represents a “leap forward in the evolution of the turn-based RPG strategy genre.” The game scenario reveals a collision course of four race, each with its own unique characteristics and units. While the visual design follows the ominous style of the Disciples world (click on the concept art to the left), all of the game environments and individual units are being rendered in real-time 3D.