Gamespot interviewed Eric Schaefer to get a close look to Hellgate: London in its current stages.  There is a video we recommend to watch.

Eric Schaefer:
Hellgate: London will support many modes of single-player and online play. Most importantly, we will be providing a destination where players can congregate in large or small numbers within the world. Here, they will be able to group up for adventures, trade items, or just hang out and chat. Plans for competitive modes are just being discussed now, but our main emphasis will be on supporting cooperative adventuring.