What’s new in Closed Alpha 5?

Reapers… the time has come.

Your journey into the afterlife begins on April 30. I call upon my servants to gear up, restore order, and deliver your feedback to our developers!

Those who wish to enter the afterlife must first be chosen. Sign up for the playtest before spots are filled:

https://playtest.wolcenstudio.com/

Playtest Schedule

Now… I will allow my creators to speak. 

Hear what they have forged for Closed Alpha 5 and what awaits you in the afterlife.

Matchmaking & Map Updates 

Over the past few months, we’ve been closely reviewing your feedback around matchmaking and Closed Alpha 5 felt like the right moment to introduce and test a new approach alongside meaningful changes to improve your overall experience. 

With this update, we’re introducing Stable and Unstable versions of our existing maps, Helheim and Midgard, each designed to support different playstyles and levels of experience. 

Stable Maps (PvE Only) 

Stable Maps are built with newer players in mind. Based on your feedback, we wanted to create a space where players can explore, learn core mechanics, and gain confidence in a PvE environment. These maps are intended to be more accessible, giving you the chance to master the game before stepping into higher-risk encounters in PvPvE. 

Unstable Maps (PvPvE Only) 

These maps are designed for those who are seeking a challenge. These maps raise stakes with tougher encounters and the constant threat of other players. Surviving here requires stronger builds, better gear and sharper decision-making. Greater risk comes with greater rewards. Unstable Maps offer better loot compared to Stable Maps. 

With these new changes, you no longer need to create separate characters for different modes; a single character can now be used across all maps.  

Respawning 

You can also now return to your own corpse or possess another Reaper’s body, getting their gear when you die for the first time in a match. 

Obelisks 

Obelisks come with a new behavior. After clearing an Obelisk, stand in the extraction circle to channel. If another player enters, the channel is interrupted. 

As with many features in Closed Alpha 5, this system is part of an ongoing improvement. We’ll be carefully monitoring your feedback throughout the playtest to evaluate how it performs compared to the previous character selection system. 

Endgame Introduction 

With Closed Alpha 5 we’re finally ready to introduce our first endgame introduction: Arena Mode. Players can now unlock the PvP Arena for ruthless duels where you’ll need to show your mastery in combat and the efficiency of your build!  
 
In Arena, dying won’t cost you your gear, so if you dare to enter, bring in your best game and compete for the leaderboard points. For now, the Arena Mode does not offer rewards. 

Sanctuary Upgrades 

Sanctuary is your base where you create buildings for crafting gears, customizing, and progressing your character. In Closed Alpha 5, we’re adding another layer of depth with Tier 2 and Tier 3 building upgrades. The Vault already received its upgrades in the last closed alpha and in this one we are expanding it to new buildings. Upgrading the Portal to Tier 1 unlocks Unstable Maps and Tier 2 unlocks the Arena. 

In addition to that, you can now upgrade the Workshop and Smithy for item salvage and reroll options. Sanctuary upgrades come with one caveat: to keep your Sanctuary up and running you’ll need to collect souls on maps and fuel the Power Source. 

Environmental Hazards 

Along with the new map system, we’re ready to introduce Gods, Death & Reapers’ first environmental hazards. Zones of hazardous weather will appear at random places, forcing you to adapt your strategy. Staying in them for a while leads to inevitable death. 

Define Your Playstyle: New Abilities 

Closed Alpha 5 brings a fresh set of abilities to Longsword and the Staff, along with improvements to existing ones. 

Longsword 

Null Ring: Create a ring that blocks enemies and projectiles; nothing enters or escapes. Only you can leave. Abilities cannot pass through the barrier.

There Is No Escape: Dash forward and strike, creating a web of ethereal wires. After a short delay, unleash spinning slashes that ignite the wires into blades, damaging nearby enemies.

Chaincut Blitz: Teleport to a target and strike, then chain between nearby enemies up to 5 times, hitting each one.

Blood Tether: Create an AOE that tethers enemies to its center. Leaving the area breaks the tether and slows them.

Shieldbreaker Detonation: Detonate your Longsword shields, damaging nearby enemies.

Marked for Judgement: Mark a target to empower your next ability. Killing the marked enemy instantly restores your shield bar.

The Staff 

Abyssal Pull: Create a portal that fires a projectile, pulling enemies toward it as it returns.

Suffering Link: Curse enemies, linking them together. While linked, damage is shared between them. 

Overcharge Leech: Absorb nearby DoT stacks to restore Mana. At full Mana, gain Infectious Power, boosting your next ability based on stacks absorbed. 

New Enemy Types: Jotnar & The Champions 

Closed Alpha 5 comes with a new faction and an enemy type. 

Jotnar 

Jotnar are elemental giants from Niflheim and Muspelheim, now invading the afterlife in the absence of the gods. Fierce and destructive, a single Jotun is as dangerous as a full enemy pack. 

The Champions 

These roaming mini-bosses can appear anywhere on the map and any enemy can become one. What looks like a normal fight can quickly turn into a serious challenge. 

Nidhoggr 
Last but not least, the Corpse Chewer of Helheim, Nidhoggr, receives new attack abilities and can now fly during combat! 

Localization 

German, Spanish (LATAM), Polish, Russian and Ukrainian will be added in CA5. 

UI Overhaul & QoL  

We’re also bringing a major UI and visual pass, and plenty of quality-of-life updates such as the ability to drop or switch backpacks while they contain items and new tooltip descriptions to help you better navigate. 

Ready to step into the afterlife? Sign up for the playtest here!

Join our community and be a part of the development: 

discord.gg/wolcenstudio

Follow us on socials:

Instagram

Facebook

X

BlueSky

TikTok

Wishlist Gods, Death & Reapers on Steam!
View game page