Artifact 2.0 Beta Gameplay Changes Detailed, Valve Will No Longer Sell Cards

With Half-Life: Alyx out the door, Valve is ready to talk about Artifact again, including details about the upcoming Beta 2.0. While details are still sparse, Valve revealed some key early details including how Artifact cards and packs will no longer be sold but instead earned through gameplay. Despite a relatively positive reception upon launch, Artifact’s player count soon crumbled. One of the key complaints about Valve’s Dota 2 card game was around the controversial marketplace which attempted to digitize the card-buying experience. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-valve-game-review&captions=true"] Valve soon announced there were “deep-rooted issues” with Artifact that required a drastic overhaul instead of incremental updates. Valve founder Gabe Newell even told IGN that Artifact was a “giant disappointment” for the company. Another gameplay change coming to Artifact is giving players access to all three lanes at once. Like in Dota 2, Artifact utilizes a lane mechanic that’s reminiscent of the MOBA. However, players were only able to access one lane at a time. This will apparently no longer be the case. There will also be a Hero Draft mode that will let players experiment with deck constructions without the pressure of having to worry about the ranked ladder. Valve says invites will be prioritized to players who purchased the first Artifact, and selection into the Beta will then be given out randomly. Decks from the original version will no longer be valid due to some individual cards being either changed, removed, or brand new. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/11/28/artifact-launch-trailer"] There will also be some kind of microtransaction for Artifact 2.0, but Valve says “none of them are cards/packs,” so it could be something related to cosmetics. Valve recently released Half-Life: Alyx, a VR-prequel to Half-Life 2 that IGN awarded a perfect score, calling it a benchmark for VR gaming. Check out IGN’s full coverage, including an in-depth interview with Newell. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN.