A new playtest has been announced for Action RPG Adventure Vaultbreakers at the Golden Joystick Awards, which will run on PC via Steam from December 4 to December 7. If you want to get involved then you'll need a key, which can be obtained from Twitch Drops or by requesting one via the official website – though if you've redeemed a key for a previous playtest then you don't need to register again as you're already in.
Vaultbreakers places you as a member of the Vaultguard, an order sworn by oath to keep the world protected from ancient darkness. To do this, you'll need to rebuild your outpost from rubble to a formidable fortress, while completing missions and recruiting NPCs to help you expand your base and your abilities.
Standing in your way are the Changelings, who are a faction of shapeshifting enemies controlled by the CPU or other players. These foes are unpredictable so you'll need to assess each encounter individually, and decide if you're going to attack, avoid, or even align yourself with these chaotic creatures to achieve your objectives. PvE is the focus, but optional PvP encounters with other players add a tense element to your progress.
While only solo and duo play have been available previously, this new playtest adds a trios queue for the first time so you can team up with two friends. Alongside regular and elite enemies you'll now encounter a "Nightmare" tier of opponents, so you'll need to work on your combat strategies to succeed. This playtest also introduces the first Vault you can actually break into, thus helping the game live up to its name, though there will be plenty more of them woven through the story when the full launch arrives.
Vaultbreakers doesn't have a confirmed released date yet, but it'll be available on PC via Steam and is also targeting a future launch on consoles.
