It has been a long while since we last heard about anything surrounding Valve's next game, Artifact. Last time we checked in, there was an invite-only preview event, which we only got to see brief snippets of. Now, Artifact is ready for the public, and has a final release date.
Artifact is a Dota 2 themed trading card game. While the likes of Hearthstone and Elder Scrolls Legends make their money by locking you down into buying card packs, Artifact will make use of the Steam marketplace. This allows players to freely trade or sell their cards in order to obtain new ones. You will still be able to obtain card packs, but if there is a specific card you want, you'll be able to get it with fewer hurdles to go through.
A round of Artifact takes place across three separate boards, adding another layer of strategy. The game will launch with 280 cards in total. Artifact will be playable at PAX West from the 31st of August until the 3rd of September.
The game will officially release on the 28th of November on Steam. It will have a $20 price tag though, and we don't know how many of the 280 available cards you'll get for your money. Mobile versions of the game are planned for 2019.
KitGuru Says: While I knew that Artifact wouldn't be free to play, I would have guessed a buy-in price around the $10-$15 mark. Either way though, it is nice to see that progress is finally made, it has certainly been a while since Valve last shipped a full game.