Devlog - Beta Test, PvP and more

Hi there!
Welcome to our March Devlog!

In our previous Devlog, we mentioned that we would announce the next Beta Test, and we are happy to confirm that it will take place in May. We will still share more details soon, including the exact date and how to participate, but you can be sure that the test is coming soon!

Since the first Beta was focused on PvE and the overall game, the next one will focus on PvP testing. Throughout April, we will continue testing these systems internally, polishing them and refining the overall balance.

That said, if you are more interested in PvE, there is no need to worry. You will still be able to experience the content from the previous Beta, now enhanced with the major gameplay updates. With the reworked movement and controls, many of which you have been eager to try, the experience should feel smoother, more responsive and more enjoyable overall.

Before we jump in, if you haven’t yet, come join our Discord. You can chat with the devs, hang out with the community and get exclusive teasers.

Even though the game is primarily PvE, there are many ways for players to engage with PvP in Drakantos, especially since the team has a strong passion for competitive PvP games, which inspired us to bring it into the experience.

• Duel: You can invite anyone to fight you anywhere in the open world, offering a casual and spontaneous way to play. It is a classic feature in MMORPGs, perfect for testing new skills or simply challenging your friends.
• Red Chest (Open World):There are two types of chests that spawn in the open world. The blue chest summons enemies, and if players survive, they earn the rewards. The red chest, on the other hand, is PvP focused. When activated, it gives a short window for players to gather. Once it begins, everyone must fight each other, and the last player standing claims most of the rewards. These encounters are intentionally chaotic and unbalanced, but that is what makes them so fun.
• Adventure Invasions:Very rare PvP invasions can also occur during Adventurer’s Guild missions. This is an involuntary system, meaning that when you enter a mission with your group, there is a small chance you will be placed into the same instance as another group. When this happens, the objective changes completely. A new goal appears: collect red crystals called Erilith, which begin spawning across the map alongside demonic enemies. Both teams compete to gather as many as possible within a limited time. You can also defeat enemy players to steal the crystals they are carrying, naturally creating direct conflict between the groups. We know forced PvP can be controversial, but our goal here is to capture the tension and adrenaline of open PvP in a fair environment. Both teams enter unprepared, with no optimized compositions or builds for PvP, and face each other in equal conditions. This creates a very different kind of encounter and breaks the routine of a standard mission with something dynamic and unexpected. Importantly, both teams are rewarded, whether they win or lose. The winning team receives awesome rewards, while the losing team still earns the rewards from the mission they originally started. The system is designed so players never feel punished for the invasion happening, but instead see it as an opportunity to gain even better rewards. This also helps PvE focused players naturally experience PvP, often in a more approachable and enjoyable way. At its core, this system is about creating memorable, unpredictable moments. The kind of rare situations that turn into stories players remember and share.
• Hellgates: Another PvPvE feature in Drakantos is the Hellgates. You can think of them as an extraction mode. Players enter a Hellgate solo or in groups and fight through demonic enemies while gathering valuable rewards along the way. However, you are not alone inside. Other players are in the same instance, creating constant tension between pushing forward, securing loot, or engaging in PvP. At any point, you can choose to extract and leave with what you have, or risk going deeper for better rewards. Dying means losing what you collected, which makes every decision matter. Unlike the random invasions, Hellgates are fully intentional. Players enter prepared, knowing they will face both PvE challenges and PvP encounters, creating a more strategic and high stakes experience. This mode is all about risk versus reward, combining progression, tension and player interaction into one of the most intense experiences in the game.
• Arena: The main competitive PvP mode in Drakantos. It is designed to feel like a “mini MOBA” within the game.

• Unlike most MMORPGs, where PvP is unlocked later, players can access Arena from the very beginning, alongside PvE Adventures. This allows both PvE focused and PvP focused players to engage with the content they enjoy the most right away.
• When entering a match, players are placed into 3 versus 3 teams. The game then randomly selects a map and a game mode, and the Hero Selection phase begins. Because you already know the map and mode beforehand, your choices become highly strategic. Some compositions perform better in wide open maps, while others excel in tighter spaces. Certain heroes are stronger in area control, while others are better suited for fast engagements or duels. You can also adjust your orbs, artifacts and trophies during this phase, allowing you to adapt your presets to the match ahead.
• Each mode introduces a different objective. In Assault, teams must push forward with minions and destroy enemy towers and the main base. In Escort, the goal is to push your cart to its destination before the enemy team does the same. In Control, teams fight to capture and hold zones by standing on them.

• Our vision for PvP is to create a highly competitive and replayable experience, with multiple modes, maps, heroes, and strategies. Arena matches feature equalized stats, ensuring a fair environment where skill, decision making, and teamwork are what truly matter.
• Winning matches, both in casual and ranked modes, grants experience and rewards, functioning as an alternative progression path to PvE. This means players who prefer PvP can progress their heroes by playing Arena, without feeling like they are falling behind, even if the pace is slightly slower compared to PvE Adventures.
• The goal is to make PvP feel meaningful, competitive, and rewarding, not just a side activity, but a core part of the game.
• Arena also features a full ranked system, with multiple tiers that represent your progression and skill level: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Emerald, Diamond, Mithril, Adamantite, and Ethereal.

• The Hero Selection phase is designed differently for casual and competitive play.
• In casual or lower ranked matches, the process is simple and fast. All players select their heroes at the same time, allowing matches to start quickly and keeping the experience more dynamic and accessible.
• In ranked play, however, things become more strategic as you climb. Starting from higher tiers, such as Diamond, matches introduce ban and pick phases, reducing unpredictability and encouraging deeper decision making. At even higher ranks, players take turns selecting their heroes and builds one at a time, allowing teams to analyze enemy choices and respond with proper counters.
• These systems are introduced gradually because they are not as necessary in casual matches or lower ranks, where the focus is on accessibility and faster pacing.

Players will also be able to create custom games, where they can:

• Choose modes and maps
• Invite players or spectate
• Customize rules (artifacts, timings, etc.)

This opens space for community-driven experiences, including tournaments and events, especially for streamers who want to organize their own competitions. And, we also plan to introduce tournaments in the future, creating more opportunities for players to compete at a higher level.

Now Talking about things we did, non related to PvP.

• First of all, we’ve finished several quests, this is something we are always doing and is hard to show in devlogs because its an “infinite” process that we are always doing.

• We’ve polished the lighting in cities. Lights from houses, street lamps and other sources now turn on along with the day and night cycle.It’s a small touch, but we believe it adds more depth to the atmosphere and makes the world feel even more immersive.

• Speaking of polish, the Art Team has created many new structures and environments. All mountains across every biome have been fully reworked, replacing the old placeholder versions. Let’s take a look at some examples!

• Still on the art side, we previously revealed new skins for Yura and Reya, and this time we created a young version of Byron.

• The in game menu visuals have also been updated to pixel art, now fully matching the style of the HUD.

• The Adventurer’s Guild rank visuals have also been updated. They now display the exact equipment tied to each rank, allowing progression to feel more tangible and visually rewarding instead of relying on generic rank icons.

• As for some smaller updates, we have added a Fishing Order system, which works as weekly quests for players who enjoy fishing. We also revisited some older trophies (hero passives for builds) and introduced new ones. In addition, we have finished polishing the trading system and will now begin work on the Player Market.

• Something we haven’t talked about yet is the game’s localization. We’ve made great progress on this, largely thanks to the support from community members who have been helping us a lot.

The game is now fully translated into English, Portuguese (BR), Spanish (LATAM), Spanish (Spain), Simplified Chinese, Polish and Japanese. We’re currently working on the German and Turkish translations.

Localization is a huge task, especially for an MMO with thousands of lines of text, so this is a continuous effort for us. We know how important this is and we plan to support even more languages in the future.

Acknowledgment: We’d like to take a moment to sincerely thank our game translators: Anagato, Arkam, Chavez, Carpenter, Dabura, Dark Cort, Deluc, Heirun, Keikain Ko, O Alemão, Sheo, Tsu, Vedius and Yuushin for the time, care and dedication they’ve put into helping us localize the game. It genuinely means a lot to us to have so many people from the community willing to contribute and be part of this journey. Thanks a lot! ❤️

To finish, we will see you in May! We hope you enjoy the new features, as well as the updated movement and controls, as much as we did.

We also want to apologize that development has not been progressing as fast as many of you would like, including ourselves. We understand that expectation, and we want you to know that we are working hard to deliver an amazing game for all of you.

Part of our time is currently being invested in training programs to improve our hiring process and expand the team. This is not only to support development now, but especially to ensure we can deliver faster updates once the game launches.