Torchlight III entering Closed Beta - Achievement Unlocked!
Hey Torchlight Fans,
Torchlight 3 is entering Closed Beta this week. This is an acknowledgement of where we are in the journey of making this game with you. Let’s take a couple moments to look at how we got here.
Back in November of 2018 we ran two Weekend Alpha events - where the game was quite rough and several design risks were on display. Then from March through December 2019 we were in Closed Alpha - with various big updates along the way. Listening to feedback, we completely remade several fundamental systems in Updates 1-9. Remember when skill progression was currency based? Or Relic Weapons that swapped out your equipped weapons and only had one power?
Then, in January 2020, we released Update 10 with some massive new content: the Sharpshooter joined the fray, and heroes began delving into the Echnonok mountain fastness of Act 3. We also announced that the game was renamed to Torchlight 3 and that our business model had changed. Happily, your response to that was resoundingly positive. Since Update 10, we’ve been releasing patches almost every week. Although some chunky content like Class Skill Tiers, cinematic transitions, and legendary items have been added in this time, the TL3 team has been almost entirely focused on bug fixing and polish. You’ve seen their massive bug fix lists in the patch notes, and how polish on combat skills can make a massive difference in game feel almost overnight. We still have a bunch of that to do - especially as we prepare to launch on the various platforms. Which brings us to today.
We see TL3 as ready for the label “Closed Beta”. These definitions for Alpha, Beta, and Early Access vary widely across the industry. To us, Beta reflects the fact that we have shifted from “adding” to “finishing”. We have a massive list of bugs right now to work through: some of them obvious, painful and unshippable and some of them minor, nitpicky and skippable. So what can you expect to see in the coming months beyond bug fixing? We will keep listening for problems and find solutions that we can achieve while still hitting our dates. This is because part of entering Beta means aiming towards Launch Day.
So while there’s no big fireworks in Torchlight 3 as we enter Closed Beta, it’s still a major milestone for Echtra on the way to Launch. It’s the time when we can really polish what we have. We couldn’t have gotten here without your help, and we appreciate that. Together we have found the path to a great game.
Tyler Thompson
TL3 Project Lead
Quick reminder from Echtra: The Closed Beta test is still invite-only and the NDA remains in effect. We’re getting closer every day to opening the doors wide, but we’re not there yet!
Torchlight 3 is entering Closed Beta this week. This is an acknowledgement of where we are in the journey of making this game with you. Let’s take a couple moments to look at how we got here.
Back in November of 2018 we ran two Weekend Alpha events - where the game was quite rough and several design risks were on display. Then from March through December 2019 we were in Closed Alpha - with various big updates along the way. Listening to feedback, we completely remade several fundamental systems in Updates 1-9. Remember when skill progression was currency based? Or Relic Weapons that swapped out your equipped weapons and only had one power?
Then, in January 2020, we released Update 10 with some massive new content: the Sharpshooter joined the fray, and heroes began delving into the Echnonok mountain fastness of Act 3. We also announced that the game was renamed to Torchlight 3 and that our business model had changed. Happily, your response to that was resoundingly positive. Since Update 10, we’ve been releasing patches almost every week. Although some chunky content like Class Skill Tiers, cinematic transitions, and legendary items have been added in this time, the TL3 team has been almost entirely focused on bug fixing and polish. You’ve seen their massive bug fix lists in the patch notes, and how polish on combat skills can make a massive difference in game feel almost overnight. We still have a bunch of that to do - especially as we prepare to launch on the various platforms. Which brings us to today.
We see TL3 as ready for the label “Closed Beta”. These definitions for Alpha, Beta, and Early Access vary widely across the industry. To us, Beta reflects the fact that we have shifted from “adding” to “finishing”. We have a massive list of bugs right now to work through: some of them obvious, painful and unshippable and some of them minor, nitpicky and skippable. So what can you expect to see in the coming months beyond bug fixing? We will keep listening for problems and find solutions that we can achieve while still hitting our dates. This is because part of entering Beta means aiming towards Launch Day.
So while there’s no big fireworks in Torchlight 3 as we enter Closed Beta, it’s still a major milestone for Echtra on the way to Launch. It’s the time when we can really polish what we have. We couldn’t have gotten here without your help, and we appreciate that. Together we have found the path to a great game.
Tyler Thompson
TL3 Project Lead
Quick reminder from Echtra: The Closed Beta test is still invite-only and the NDA remains in effect. We’re getting closer every day to opening the doors wide, but we’re not there yet!