Helrift News

[p]We made the difficult decision to delay the Helrift playtest by 3 days, moving it to Monday 22 December starting at 8:00 PM GMT.[/p][p]Interest in the playtest has been higher than expected, which is fantastic, though it highlighted the need for additional server infrastructure and preparation to ensure stability at launch.[/p][p]Helrift is a solo-developed project, balanced around work and family commitments. Missing the announced playtest date is frustrating, but this short delay gives time to strengthen the backend and add some final polish ahead of the playtest.[/p][p]We are confident this will result in a better experience for everyone involved, and we can’t wait to see you in-game on Monday.[/p][p]The Steam event has been updated, thank you for your patience and understanding. [/p]

[p]All testing will be handled through Steam, but we invite you to join our Discord to be the first to hear about game developments, engage with other playtesters and join the growing Helrift community.[/p][p][/p][p]The closed test will take place Monday, December 22 2025 until Friday 16 January 2026[/p][p][/p][h2]Our objective[/h2][p]This is all about gathering early, meaningful feedback from the community.
We’ll be focusing heavily on:[/p][p][/p][p]- Tutorial clarity & new-player onboarding[/p][p]- PvP combat and balance[/p][p]- Server performance & stress testing[/p][p]- Bug reports & stability issues[/p][p]- Early-game PvE and PvM[/p][p]- General gameplay impressions[/p][p][/p][p]Helrift is free and anyone can register, but we may need to limit slots depending on how busy the playtest servers are.[/p][p][/p][h2]What to expect[/h2][p]An FAQ page is available.[/p][p]Additional details and known bugs will be shared closer to the playtest date.[/p][p][/p][h2]Register now[/h2][p]Be one of the first to step onto Wayfarers' Rest, register now by clicking "Request Access" on the main Helrift Steam page.[/p][p]Thank you for helping shape the future of Helrift. The journey to Early Access continues.[/p]

[h2]Thank you![/h2][p][/p][p]To reach 1000+ wishlists before we reach testing phase is really something we didn't expect for a solo development project.[/p][p]We are enormously grateful to everyone supporting, following and sharing Helrift. This is only the beginning, there is still so much more to come![/p][p]Our fastest communications are on Discord where you can see the latest news and media posts.[/p]

[p]All testing will be handled through Steam, but we invite you to join our Discord to be the first to hear about game developments, engage with other playtesters and join the growing Helrift community.[/p][p][/p][p]The closed test will take place Friday, December 19 2025 until Friday 16 January 2026[/p][p][/p][h2]Our objective[/h2][p]This is all about gathering early, meaningful feedback from the community.
We’ll be focusing heavily on:[/p][p][/p][p]- Tutorial clarity & new-player onboarding[/p][p]- PvP combat and balance[/p][p]- Server performance & stress testing[/p][p]- Bug reports & stability issues[/p][p]- Early-game PvE and PvM[/p][p]- General gameplay impressions[/p][p][/p][p]Helrift is free and anyone can register, but we may need to limit slots depending on how busy the playtest servers are.[/p][p][/p][h2]What to expect[/h2][p]An FAQ page is available.[/p][p]Additional details and known bugs will be shared closer to the playtest date.[/p][p][/p][h2]Register now[/h2][p]Be one of the first to step onto Wayfarers' Rest, register now by clicking "Request Access" on the main Helrift Steam page.[/p][p]Thank you for helping shape the future of Helrift. The journey to Early Access continues.[/p]

[p]Recently we have focused on item balance and armour progression to enable enjoyable PvP. There has also been major work to core and social systems.[/p][p][/p][h2]Armour tiers and combat balance[/h2][p]We have expanded armour tiers across all classes. This gives players more noticeable progression and helps balance combat.[/p][p][/p][h3]Warrior upgrades[/h3][p]Dark Knight armour. Heavy, imposing, and built to withstand blow after blow.[/p][p] [/p][p][/p][h3]Archer upgrades[/h3][p]New archer gear. Sharper looks, stronger stats, and perfect for the ranged assassin, with the added bonus that under-armour is dyeable. Arrow trails have also been added.[/p][p][/p][h3]Mage upgrades[/h3][p]Mages have new robe tiers, optional hooded variants and natural magic resistance and absorption baked into the armour.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Coatings[/h2][p]We have introduced coatings which are crafted using alchemy. These consumables can be applied to weapons including arrows, applying extra damage and a visual change to the item.[/p][p]Damage values have been adjusted for balance.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Social systems[/h2][p]This has been fully revamped and expanded to make Helrift more social and connected.[/p]

• [p]Chat interface overhaul[/p]
• [p]Whispers now open in separate tabs to keep conversations organised[/p]
• [p]Friends list added[/p]
• [p]Approval / rejection of friend requests[/p]
• [p]Presence notifications to see who is online[/p]

[p][/p][h2]Gate server enhancements[/h2][p]To support long-term scalability, more systems are being moved onto the Gate server.[/p][p][/p][h2]Next Steps[/h2]

• [p]Technical preparation and ongoing content development for the upcoming playtest[/p]
• [p]Major changes and additions to the research system[/p]
• [p]Complete rework of Wayfarers' Rest, the starting map zone[/p]