Hey, let’s talk about Artifact! When last we checked in with Valve’s digital card game (the first new game from the studio since Dota 2, which is also the universe the game is based on), it was losing players at an aggressive rate, the game’s Twitter account had been silent for a month, and players were anxious. As we check in on it now… the game is still managing to lose players at an aggressive rate, and the few remaining players are desperate for any sign that the game isn’t already dead.
It’s a pretty big deal when you consider that a full set of the game’s cards – the cards which were sold as being only acquired through real money – will now cost you $60 to acquire. That’s for a full set. There’s supply in abundance and virtually no demand.
Players on the game’s forums are naturally desperate for some communication, with the game having received no patches whatsoever since late January. Discussions over moving the game into a free-to-play title have been met with some consternation from the remaining players who don’t want their investments devalued further, although one could argue that ship has not only sailed but reached its destination and been burned as an offering.
