Arkheron News

[p]We've deployed a hotfix for Update .16 to address some balance issues between a few Eternal Item Sets. This update won’t require any downtime, you’ll be prompted to update between matches. [/p][p]We’ve received feedback that Rynshi and our two New Eternals, Penelope and Tsu'bo, feel too strong compared to other item sets. This is particularly true when these pieces are used together like in the ‘Tsu-shi’ build that combines pieces from both Rynshi and Tsu'bo to leverage their set bonuses. [/p][p]Part of what’s fun about Arkheron is being able to make a series of choices around which items you pick up and how they combine. A small collection of strong items limits those choices, and your match outcome becomes ‘did I get those items or not’. As such, we’re reducing the overall power of these three Eternal Sets in the following ways: [/p][p][/p][p]Penelope’s Looking Glass[/p]

• [p]Base damage has been reduced to 5 (down from 10)[/p]
• [p]Detonate damage has been reduced to 15 (down from 16)[/p]

[p](Penelope’s set will also receive additional updates in a future patch). [/p][p][/p][p]Tsu’Bo’s Forefather Crown [/p]

• [p]Damage has been reduced to 5 (down from 8)[/p]
• [p]Duration has been reduced to 8 (down from 10)[/p]
• [p]TsuBo’s Yah’towa ability (Wolf Summon) has had its hitpoints reduced when upgraded to Level 3. The hitpoints are now 100 (down from 125) [/p][p][/p]

[p]Tsu’Bo’s Boom-Chakas Bind Ability Bola RMB[/p]

• [p]At Levels 1 and 2, the buff duration has been reduced to 2 seconds (down from 3)
  At Level 3 the duration has been reduced to 3 seconds (down from 5) [/p]
• [p]TsuBo Set Bonus, ‘Endling’ has been reduced to 70% more damage at low health (down from 100%). [/p]

[p][/p][p]Rynshi[/p]

• [p]Rynshi Set Bonus, ‘Relentless’ has been reduced to 40% Damage Reduction at Low Health (down from 60%)[/p]

[p]
Thanks so much for all the feedback! We look forward to seeing what builds you create! [/p]

[h3]NEW TRAILER AND SHATTERED SYSTEM EXPLAINER[/h3][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][h3]

NEW UPDATES[/h3][p]For more information about the latest patch, check out our .16 Patch Notes. We’ve also revealed our newest Eternal Item Sets. Check them out below! [/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]

If you want to know more about what to expect from servers, performance, matchmaking and more, check out our latest post here. [/p][p][/p][h3]
HOW TO JOIN[/h3][p]Download the client on our Steam Demo page here. The demo is available to PC players globally through Steam. For a limited time, no key is required for entry! 
[/p][p]The servers will be live 24/7 until March 2nd. [/p][p]
[/p][h3]SIGN UP FOR CLOSED BETA[/h3][p]Following Next Fest, we’ll announce our upcoming Closed Beta where we’ll be testing our upcoming Ranked progression system with a limited group of players. If you’d like to join the waitlist, click here to request access.

If you already have access to our main game client, you’ll be able to join the Closed Beta!

[/p][h3]FAQ[/h3][p]What kind of game is Arkheron? [/p][p]Arkheron is a team-based pvp game where 45 players enter a match and compete to ascend a mysterious tower and be the last team standing. Teams of three gather items and work to make powerful combinations of abilities. Check out our Official Announcement Trailer and Gameplay Explainer for more information. 
[/p][p]When will Arkheron launch? [/p][p]We’re not ready to confirm a date yet but we will officially launch Arkheron later this year. 
[/p][p]What platforms will be available?[/p][p]At launch, we’re planning to make Arkheron available on PC, PlayStation and Xbox. 
[/p][p]Will Arkheron be free-to-play? [/p][p]Arkheron will launch with an upfront price. We’ll share more details about pricing closer to launch.
[/p][p]Will there be Ranked mode? [/p][p]During our upcoming Closed Beta, we’re planning to test a partial version of our Ranked mode. We do anticipate their being a ranked progression system available at launch. We will share more details about our Closed Beta after Steam Next Fest ends. [/p][p][/p][p]Will there be solo mode? [/p][p]We have no plans for solo mode just yet but we’re aware that it’s a popular request. As we get to launch, we want to have our best chance at high quality matchmaking. Because of this, we are unlikely to split the queues further than necessary. When Arkheron has a higher player population, we can look at various possible modes!

We also have other plans that we’ll reveal later this year which may help the solo player experience. We also keep our eye on how high-skill premade teams affect the gameplay experience of others. [/p][p]
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[h3]Open Demo[/h3][p]On February 20, the Arkheron demo will be live for Steam Next Fest. Servers will be up 24/7 until March 2. For the latest updates, check out our .16 Patch Notes. [/p][p][/p][p]Before you jump in, we wanted to let you know where Arkheron is at from a tech perspective. 
[/p][h3]Performance[/h3][p]Performance is a critical part of Arkheron gameplay feeling great. Maintaining a smooth 60FPS+ is a top priority for us. We want to get the game in the hands of more players for testing but we are also still knee-deep in some large-scale optimization efforts that we will be landing gradually with each upcoming release. We aim to get to our target performance state before launch. [/p][p][/p][p]If you run into specific performance issues on your machine, please let us know on our Discord, we are keeping a close eye on issues reported there.[/p][p][/p][p]Our current minimum and recommended specs are still slightly higher to compensate for the current performance level. We plan on lowering them once we have validated that our optimizations are holding up.
[/p][p]Current Minimum:[/p][p]OS: Windows 10 or later[/p][p]Processor: Intel I5-7600k[/p][p]Memory: 16 GB RAM[/p][p]Graphics: Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB VRAM[/p][p]Additional Notes: SSD 25GB[/p][p][/p][p]Current Recommended:[/p][p]OS: Windows 10 or later[/p][p]Processor: Intel i5-9600K[/p][p]Memory: 16 GB RAM[/p][p]Graphics: Nvidia RTX 2070 8GB VRAM[/p][p]Additional Notes: SSD 25GB
[/p][h3]Loading Times[/h3][p]Right now it takes a while to load into the game, and go back to the front end after a match ends. Because of this, we strongly recommend playing from an SSD drive. [/p][p][/p][p]Much of this loading time is the client pre-warming shaders to avoid choppy gameplay. There are a few things that are currently loaded during this process that can be moved to background processes to help improve loading times. We will be making this change further into development.
[/p][p]Once we make these optimizations, it should also improve the play experience on an HDD drive. These changes are a few months out as we’re pushing performance improvements before we can move onto this work. 
[/p][h3]Anti-cheat[/h3][p]Arkheron’s gameplay revolves around competition. In order for it to feel fun, it needs to feel fair. We are actively working on our current anti-cheat systems and will continue iterating on these as our playtests progress. 
[/p][p]We’ll be keeping a close eye on these systems and keep you in the loop as things evolve. [/p][p][/p][h3]Matchmaking & Regional Support[/h3][p]Arkheron matches require 45 players per game and the system aims to create matches that are the best fit for everyone in the group. The system's ability to do that is affected by the number of players online at a given time and how well it’s determined your skill level. Determining skill level takes around 10-20 matches before the system has enough data to make good decisions. [/p][p][/p][p]What this means in practice during Next Fest, is that new players may not feel the effects of skill-based matchmaking for some time. [/p][p][/p][p]Matchmaking Considerations[/p][p]The system aims to match you with players near your skill level while also providing the best ping it can for the whole group. When there are a lot of players online, matches can be formed quickly with closer skill levels and optimal ping. If queues begin to slow down, the system gradually relaxes certain constraints to keep wait times reasonable. 
[/p][p]High Skill Players and Pre-mades[/p][p]At very high skill levels, especially for coordinated premade teams, fair competitive matches can be harder to form. In very rare cases, a high-skill party may not be able to find a match at all. This likely applies to fewer than 20 players in our current community. During Next Fest, we would expect this to almost exclusively apply to some of our very long-time players who have been playtesting since before our Alpha Playtest weekends.  
[/p][p]Language Matching[/p][p]When possible, the system will attempt to match solo players with teammates who share a common language. If this search makes waiting for a match take too long, it may skip this requirement. 
[/p][p]Regional Server Selector[/p][p]In Update .16, we added a regional server selector. You can now select your preferred region to reduce your chances of high ping. In some cases, matchmaking conditions may still vary depending on who is in the queue. 
[/p][h3]Bots[/h3][p]In some situations, you may encounter player bots. These are still in early development. Our current focus is getting them to behave in ways that make basic sense in the context of a fight. They can still make obvious mistakes or take actions that feel clumsy or inconsistent. We will continue improving their behaviour over time.

Here’s where you will encounter them: [/p][p][/p][p]“Bots” Mode[/p][p]You can practice Ascension against bots in Bot Mode. It’s designed to help you learn Arkheron’s gameplay loop and mechanics in a low-pressure environment. The enemy bot teams will match the size of your party. If you log in solo, you’ll face solo opponents. You can also log in as a duo, or trio. 
[/p][p]Bot-Filling in Live Matches[/p][p]In lower and medium skill matches, you may encounter enemy bots in games when there are fewer players online to fill the queues at a quick rate. [/p][p][/p][p]In higher skill matches, we prioritize competitive integrity over forming quick matches which means that high-skill players may experience longer queue times rather than facing bots in game. [/p][p][/p][h3]Thank you![/h3][p]We appreciate your patience and feedback while we continue our development through to launch. Your insights have a big impact on our team and help us make Arkheron as fun as possible. Thanks so much! [/p][p]
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[p]Our Next Fest Demo will be live tomorrow! Jump in from 10am PT on February 20. Servers will be live 24/7 until March 2. [/p][p][/p][p]This is a separate game client that will be downloadable from Steam at 9am PT on February 20! [/p][p]
The demo is available globally - no key required! 
[/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

It has been a few months since the developers at Bonfire Studios, comprised of former staff from Blizzard Entertainment and Riot Games, revealed their debut title, Arkheron. The game is billed as an “Ascension Royale,” pitting 15 teams of three against one another inside the Tower. Players battle through chaotic floors of mayhem and PvP combat before a final showdown at the summit. When given the opportunity to play a few rounds in the Tower, I signed up. Arkheron delivers fast-paced, team-based multiplayer matches with deep gameplay that feels satisfying on the controller.

At the outset, players embody an Echo, an entity anchored to the Tower. As an Echo, you climb the Tower and survive against competing teams to claim victory. Rather than selecting predefined heroes, Echoes are adaptable, allowing players to tailor their build to their preferred playstyle. My first session with Arkheron involved experimenting with the various equipment combinations available in training mode,... Read more