Happy New Year everyone!
After last month's beta test, we have completed all the major tests and server stress assessments; we have made a number of significant changes to improve various game balance issues by taking into account player feedback from the last closed beta test and by analyzing the data collected from players. We would like to thank all players again for their support to HEAT REBORN !
【Game public test announcement and arrangement】
First of all, we would like to apologize for the late progress update 🙇 ️ After a full month of hard work from the development team, the game has reached the internal milestones that were set earlier, so we are happy to announce the schedule of the next phase of HEAT REBORN “Open Beta” will be held on February 13, 2021 (Saturday) [GMT+8]
At the same time, we have also learned a lesson from the last closed beta, where we did not get a sufficient number of serial keys to distribute. Since then we have been actively communicating with the Steam platform to find a solution, therefore, we will be using the new Steam Playtest feature provided by the Steam platform to launch the public test of the game to players in a faster and more convenient way.
From now on, players can pre-apply for HEAT REBORN BETA at the bottom of our Steam store page - you will be notified when the game is ready to be released and playable, and you can download and launch the game directly from the Steam game library without the need of a serial number.
【More map content】
While we are developing more new features for the game, the development team is also working hard on the map development and remake of the map. At the beginning of the open beta public test, we will be adding two new remade maps in addition to the existing map pool- "The Middle East Bazzar" (formerly known as "Desert Storm") and "Four-Room" Deathmatch mode map!
1．"The Middle East Bazzar" (formerly known as "Desert Storm")
According to our last map poll, the Desert Storm map was the most popular map among players, so the development team has been working on remaking the map since long before the closed beta. However, due to the complexity of the map, it was not until recently that we finally completed the map remake.
The story of "Middle East Market" is set in a marketplace in the Middle East, currently occupied by the Resistance and defended with military weapons, attempting to produce large quantities of fuel products at the refinery for resale to fund the military. It is also the largest map in HEAT REBORN, which is suitable for large scale battles such as "16 vs 16" and "Biohazard" mode.
2．Four-Room
The "Four-Room" map is a small deathmatch map consisting of four rooms linked together. It is the classic Deathmatch map of "HEAT PROJECT". Since there is no deathmatch map in the game at present, the development team chose to remake "Four-Room", whose relatively narrow space can also provide more opportunities for fierce gun battles.
We collected players' opinions based on the previous map remake poll to determine the remake priority. As the map remake is nearing completion, we expect to release more new remade maps and more game modes to enhance the variety and playability of the game in the form of game content updates one to two weeks after the start of the public beta.
【More Weapon Remakes】
We have received many positive comments from players since we introduced the weapon model remake, so the team has given priority to remake most of the new weapons, and we plan to continue to remake the relevant level of weapons according to the progress of players after the public test.
At present, we have completed the remake of weapon modules since the end of the closed test, including CCG69, CM2000, ES92F, GROCK17, HG70, M83, NP5, SR500, UJI, G61, FB5, SB3, etc.
【The New "Competitive Matchmaking" System】
The development team has taken into account that the original "Clan Battle" system in the original “HEAT PROJECT” has limited the general players and made it difficult to engage in competitive gameplay - so we have decided to abandon the original Legion Battle system and introduce a new "Competitive Matching System" to replace it.
The "Arena" system and the interface will be added to the game - players will be able to choose to pair up at any time in the lobby or in-game, either as an "individual" or by inviting "friends/clan members" to team-up and play in a 6 vs 6 matchmaking mode.
Instead of completing all 18 rounds, the game will be played in a "10 rounds to win" format - with every five rounds, the attackers and defenders will switch sides until either team wins 10 rounds first.
The current game matching system will search for opponents and teammates in accordance with the player's strength ranking. The game matching system is still in the experimental stage and will be improved and improved as we collect more players' feedback, technical and ranking data, etc. We also planned to fully open "Teammate Damage" at the later stage of the opening.
【Further Weapon Balance Adjustment】
After the feedback from the closed test players, we have also adjusted the values of the novice submachine guns to enhance the usability of some of them. We have also fine-tuned other weapons accordingly.
【Weapon Levels and Upgrade System】
Whenever a player uses a weapon to kill or inflict damage on an enemy, the weapon will receive the respective EXP value; after the weapon level is upgraded, the performance of the weapon will also be increased accordingly. In addition, players can also upgrade their weapons and complete the requirements for a specific level to unlock a unique weapon skin.
Lastly, we would like to thank all players and Patreon subscribers for their support. We have learned from the experience of the last closed beta, and due to our current server resource constraints. During the public beta, we will still have a limit on the number of rooms that can be opened for AI-only players. We hope to allocate server resources more efficiently and provide a more stable gaming experience for everyone!
From now on, you can request beta access on the HEAT REBORN Steam Store page, and Steam will notify you by email when the game is ready to open. Please stay tuned to our Facebook page and official Discord server for announcements!
HEAT REBORN is developed and maintained by a small team of amateur independent game developers in Hong Kong, mainly in their spare time. If you like our games, you are welcome to join our Patreon, your support will provide us with additional resources to speed up the development process and improve the game! Happy New Year to everyone!
