Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel News

Hey Survivors!

We're happy to share that the number of sign-ups for our playtest has exceeded our expectations. Your constructive feedback is incredibly valuable as we develop Jotunnslayer together, and we’re thrilled with the response rate so far.

To show our appreciation, we’ve decided to extend the playtest and grant more of you access to this closed beta before we release the public demo. We'll be granting 200 access slots per day to ensure that everyone interested gets a chance to play. Access will be given in waves to manage the feedback analysis workload effectively.

While we refine the game experience based on your feedback, we're working hard to deliver a public demo in the upcoming weeks that you’re going to love!

WHAT'S NEW IN THE PLAYTEST BUILD?

And since the team has already started fine-tuning and implementing your feedback at full steam, a new build is now available for playtesting with the following fixes:

Gameplay

- Lowered the amount of XP needed for level-up (Max Level changed from 20 to 25)
- Reduced damage from Skeleton arrows and Suiciders
- Increased explosion delay for Suiciders
- Decreased Bone Jotunn contact damage
- Decreased movement speed of Loot Bat
- Removed collision on treasure chests
- Added XP drops from Objectives
- Reworked XP rewards from Objectives & Items, which now increase with hero progress
- New skill for later versions of Skeleton Spellcaster
- Removed Trinkets from chest rewards
- Reduced prices of Temple Passives

UI

- Added missing icons for Skills and Difficulties
- Reworked Character Statistics on the Pause Screen
- Simplified HUD
- Tweaked Minimap zoom

Technical

- Added optional data collection for gameplay improvement purposes
- Minor performance optimizations

SFX

- Added Objective Completed and New Objective sounds
- Added new Bone Jotunn ability sounds
- Added Brazier sounds
- Added Suicider spawn, death, and explosion sounds
- Added Loot Goblin hit and death sounds
- Added Freya and Thor passives trigger sounds

Bugs Fixed

- Enemies spawning outside of the map
- Mouse cursor disappearing when switching to gamepad
- Circular spawn waves not working correctly

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Finally, let's wrap up today’s Dev Blog with some words from our Lead Game Designer, Marek Hlavaty:

Recently, we conducted a closed test to see if our game is ready for a public demo. After addressing major issues found in our internal test last month, feedback indicates the game is fun to play. Based on this feedback we continue to improve the experience, and we are on track to deliver a public demo we know you will enjoy. Thanks to everyone who provided feedback—it was truly invaluable!

I’d like to add that we’re particularly curious about our quest system. Currently, each run has fixed quests, allowing players to prepare but making the gameplay somewhat repetitive. To mix things up, we’re considering randomizing quests based on your suggestions.

Random quests might be unbalanced—some runs could be very tough, others too easy. But we're willing to give it a try. For this, we need a diverse pool of quests. We have some ideas, but we want to hear yours too!

Share your quest ideas on our Discord. Your suggestion might just make it into the game! We look forward to your contributions as always!

Keep up the amazing job!

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Thanks for being here and helping us shape Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel into a hell of an adventure!

Stay tuned for more updates, and keep slaying!

Cheers,
The Jotunnslayer Team

Hey Survivors!

Welcome to the new edition of the Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel Dev Blog #3 - Thor: God of Lightning, Thunder, and Mighty Protector of Humankind!

In Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel, Thor is the mighty God of Thunder wielding his legendary hammer, Mjölnir. He is one of the gods who aids the player by lending them his powers through various passive and active abilities.

Thor commands storms and lightning to vanquish his enemies and inspire his allies. As Odin's son and protector of humanity, Thor's valor and strength are unmatched. Thor will offer his powers to assist you in epic battles and heroic hunts against his eternal enemy - the Jotunn and their perilous hordes.





Thor's Passive Skills

Thor's passive boons revolve around his command of thunder and lightning, such as the chance to sprout chain lightning that jumps from enemy to enemy. His unparalleled might can increase your health, chances to stun enemies, or generally improve your power and prowess with enhanced skill damage and critical chances.

Thor's Active Skills

Lightning Strike

Thor summons the fury of the heavens, bursting lightning bolts in a crisscross pattern. Each strike delivers a powerful blast of electrical energy that damages foes in its path. At higher levels, the Lightning Strikes may become more frequent and increasingly devastating.





Mjolnir

With a mighty throw, Thor hurls his legendary hammer, Mjölnir, which always returns to his hand. The hammer crashes through enemies, delivering thunderous damage and occasionally shocking them, providing a temporary current of lightning damage over time.





Thunderstorm

Thor calls down a barrage of lightning strikes, each one impacting a small area and wreaking havoc on those caught within. The storm grows more ferocious with each use, striking more frequently and covering a wider area, leaving no place safe for his enemies.





Sentinel

A loyal lightning warden in Thor’s likeness materializes, striking down foes around the player with relentless precision. As the warden’s power increases, its strikes become more frequent.




That is it for today's edition of the weekly Jotunnslayer Dev Blog! Stay tuned for more on the Gods of Jotunnslayer in the upcoming episodes!

Cheers, Survivors!

Hey survivors!

Submissions for the playtest have officially ended.

MASSIVE THANKS TO ALL OF YOU who promptly took the chance to participate in this first super-early Jotunnslayer playtest. Unfortunately, although we'd love to include everyone, we are unable to do so due to the time limitations we have at this stage. That being said, the FIRST 100 PLAYERS, the fastest ones, are opening the doors to the Norse Underworld today at 5 PM CET / 8 AM PT / 11 AM EDT.

For the rest of you, please be assured that we are doing our best to get a Jotunnslayer demo to you as soon as possible. The results of this playtest will help us tremendously in that effort.

For those of you who were lucky this time, please pay attention to:

DATES - The deadline for playing the build you received is June 16th 5 PM CET / 8 AM PT / 11 AM EDT. After this date and time, the playtest will be disabled.

FEEDBACK*FEEDBACK*FEEDBACK* - Please be aware of the form that awaits you at the very end of the build and make sure to set aside enough time to complete it by the end of playtest period.





Once again, YOUR FEEDBACK IS CRUCIAL FOR US to tailor the action that we will all spend hours enjoying.

Now, roll up your sleeves and create mayhem in the merciless Viking underworld.
We can’t wait to dive into your comments, ideas, suggestions, and recommendations.

THANKS A MILLION!

Hey Survivors!

In today’s DevBlog Episode #2, we're diving into the remaining classes that will join you in the grim Norse universe of Jotunnslayer. Alongside the Berserker, who we showcased in the previous episode, you'll have the chance to play, later on in the Early Access, as: the Revenant, a possessed hunter, the Scoundrel, an assassin of the Flame, and the Seeress, a dark witch. Let’s take a closer look at what makes them so formidable.

[h2]Class: Revenant[/h2]





Weapon: Bow

Once a feared marksman and a skillful hunter, the Revenant has been tricked by once betrayed and long disgraced ancient Wight. The Wight once controlled a heroic warrior, to whose restless corpse the Wight tricked the smug hunter. When the query was slain, the spirit possessed the hunter, making him a formidable vessel of both his powers, and the quest for vengeance.

The Revenant is a ranged class utilizing his prowess and Wight’s powers, enhancing his archery skills and hunting abilities to help him keep control over his enemies, and allow for better positioning to best utilize the effects of his arrows.

Revenant`s abilities:

Ethereal Arrows
Revenant’s arrows have a chance to turn ethereal and pass through enemies, allowing the arrows to hit multiple targets in a single shot.

Undying
The Revenant has a chance to heal a portion of their health with a well-placed killing blow, enhancing their survivability during battles.

Ghost walk
During a dash, the Revenant becomes immune to damage and has a chance to enter a Ghostwalk state, which boosts their offensive capabilities for a short time.

Basic Attack:
The Revenant fires a cone of three arrows with each attack. This attack pattern covers a wider area, making it effective against groups of enemies.




[h2]Class: Scoundrel[/h2]





Weapons: Daggers

Although empowered by fiery spirits and fanatical in their devotion to Loki’s trickery and ingenuity, the Followers of the Flame have been shunned as outcasts and blasphemers for ages. In the true honor of her ever-defiant patron and empowered by the diligent training of the sisterhood, the Scoundrel seeks redemption for her deeds and vows to be unshackled from the bounds of fate and superstition.

Scoundrel is a highly mobile melee class specializing in swift, lethal strikes and fiery chaos. With a deadly combination of daggers and fire, she excels in offense but lacks defensive capabilities making her a high-risk high-reward class choice.

Scoundrel abilities:

Lethal Strike
When the Scoundrel lands a critical hit, the damage is amplified by fiery enhancements, causing devastating burns to enemies, and has increased chances to immediately dispatch her foes.

Dasher
This ability grants the Scoundrel an additional dash, allowing for quick repositioning in battle. This extra mobility is crucial for evading attacks and closing gaps to strike enemies.

Blazing Soul
The Scoundrel’s soul is a volatile source of Loki’s finicky fiery power. Unpredictably, it might erupt into a ring of flames, damaging and burning all enemies nearby. This spontaneous combustion adds an element of unpredictability and continuous damage to the Scoundrel's arsenal.

Basic Attack:
The Scoundrel's basic attack may alternate between a flurry of swift dagger strikes, or a fiery blast. This combination keeps opponents guessing and diversifies the damage output. The dagger strikes are quick and precise, while the flame attack delivers a powerful burst of fire.



[h2]Class: Seeress[/h2]





Weapon: Staff

Ever reclusive and mysteriously powerful, the Seeress has long been the target of both the desperate, looking for their forlorn hope; and the contemptuous, seeking the end of her sinister and eldritch ways. A shadowy and clairvoyant opportunist, able to invoke contempt in the desperate, and desperation for contempt, she seeks to once outsmart the very ancients with her mastery of dark ancient arts.

The Dark Seeress is a dark, staff-wielding witch, perfect for players seeking an eldritch spell caster. She uses her mystical foresight and dark magic to protect herself and deal damage to her enemies.

Seerees abilities:

Malicious Wisdom As the Seeress collects experience crystals, these can sometimes inflict dark damage on enemies they pass through, turning her growth into a weapon against her foes.

Augur
With her ability to foresee the future, the Seeress enjoys increased luck, providing her with additional options for skills and trinkets, enhancing her versatility and power.

Eldritch Wards
Over time, the Seeress is surrounded by protective energy shields that grant her brief periods of invulnerability when struck, allowing her to withstand enemy attacks effortlessly.

Basic Attack:
She releases an eldritch raven from her staff, which explodes on impact, damaging all enemies within its blast radius. This attack is effective in dealing with groups of enemies and maintaining control over the battlefield.


That's it for today!

Just a reminder, these classes are still a work in progress, and to remember that your feedback will shape them into the champions you need in the battles ahead. Next time, we'll dive into the Norse Gods who may lend you their hand (or maybe throw a challenge) in the realms of Jotunnslayer.

Cheers Survivors and keep your eyes peeled for more updates!

Hey Survivors!

Finally, Playtest submissions for Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel are OPEN!

All you interested in participating, feel free to REQUEST ACCESS at the bottom on the game`s store page.




WHAT IS NEXT?

On Tuesday, July 9th the limited number of the fastest players will be granted access to the game and provided with other technical details regarding the playtest. So, feel free to request access and secure your spot on this intimate super-early playtest as soon as possible!

YOUR FEEDBACK

We can't stress enough how important it is for us!!! Take this exclusive chance to try out Jotunnslayer for the very first time and provide us with your honest feedback by filling out the form you will receive. Your role is crucial as both a player and a co-creator of the rules in the shadowy world of Jotunnslayer.

Feel invited to this special opportunity and happy slaying!