It's been a good number of years since Valve released a game and this fall we're going to get our first look at what it's been doing all of these years. It's not Half Life 3, but Artifact, which offers lane-based card gaming based in the DotA 2 universe. It's not a game anyone asked for, but could be a fun game to play and may shake up the relatively stagnant digital card game scene that's dominated by titles like Hearthstone.
If you're not convinced by that idea though, consider checking out the beta, as that'll give you a good taste of what the game will be like, whilst not charging you for it! Ideal.
Set to begin in October, ahead of the game's November release, the Artifact beta will give you access to the full game. The only trouble is actually getting into it. To do so, you'll need a key and to get those, you'll need to one of two very distinct groups of people. The first, is that anyone attending The International 8 will receive a key -- you're there already if you're one of that crowd -- and if you attend PAX West and play Artifact at the show, you'll get a key too.
That's a little specific, so it means that the Artifact beta won't be quite as accessible as other games have been, but it does mean the most dedicated of Valve and DotA 2 fans will get to try the game out first.
Are you excited for Artifact and what it means for card gaming online?
