Artifact 2.0 beta footage reveals new hero draft and retooled perspective

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Reckon that Phantom Lancer art might change

(Image credit: Valve)

The first gameplay footage of the upcoming Artifact 2.0 beta has arrived, and it's mighty promising. 

The eight-minute clip is all about the game's new hero draft mode, which was built in response to player feedback requesting a way to learn cards and mechanics without investing in a constructed deck. The reboot won't have a card market, so no more buying and selling on the Steam marketplace, and the draft will only make it easier to get into things. 

  • Placeholder art and temporary effects in places
  • Changing cards, art, and even game rules as we go
  • Play modes that are currently disabled for testing will gradually be enabled as we add more players
  • Card collections and stats may be reset during the beta
  • We’re still working on the ability to do observed playtests during this time, so expect some usability issues as we work out those kinks

This is also our first look at the new three-lane perspective, which resolves all lanes simultaneously at the end of each turn. Originally, lanes were managed individually and in sequence, but Valve pulled back the camera to make things easier to track. As the beta video shows, lanes resolve from left to right on even turns, and from right to left on odd turns. It'll be interesting to see how this order synergizes with some heroes, especially the more aggressive ones.

The Artifact 2.0 beta will initially be limited to players who bought the original game early on, but it will open up in the months ahead. You can sign up for the beta here.

Artifact 2.0 will add plenty more than a draft mode; it's also got an all-new story mode. 

Austin Wood
Austin Wood
Senior writer

Austin has been a game journalist for 12 years, having freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree. He's been with GamesRadar+ since 2019. They've yet to realize his position is a cover for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a lot of news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.