It’s quite a common derision among gamers these days that beta tests are simply marketing. Or glorified demos. Companies, be they makers of a MOBA, MMORPG or MMOFPS, by and large deserve the cynicism because so few appear use this core software programming stage as it’s intended. Instead, it’s a way to test the waters, grab early cash or look to secure whales and hope for a network effect to kick in. What’s worse is that game closures at this stage have become alarmingly frequent. Previously, only a small community would be impacted, that’s if any public awareness was made at all.
Robot Entertainment doesn’t appear to be doing any of this with its MOBA/Tower defense blend in Orcs Must Die! Unchained. Guest Heroes have been added early on to gauge balance and interest, user interfaces and matchmaking have seen slow, if sweeping changes and wipes are promised to be careful considerations. The latter of which came earlier this week.
The new patch will reset all profiles with gold being refunded and Skulls being rewarded based on how much you’ve played. Theoretically, rewarding those that have contributed to testing the most. Two new heroes, Sir Winston and the Kobold King, champion the update that includes team matchmaking, 40 new cards, four new cosmetic skins, the developer’s first crack at the Card Grinder and unique damage modifications for each hero.
Register for access to the Closed Beta over on OrcsMustDie.com. Don’t forget to tell them Lore Hound sent you!