[Now confirmed – see update at the end!]Â German website Mein MMO has a Gamescom interview up that seemingly announces the launch date for Astellia Online. “The release of the western version of Astellia will take place on September 27th,” Barunson reportedly told the website. “There will be no beta tests before, but a headstart for pre-orderers is planned.” MMO players will recall that the company originally suggested the game would launch here in the west this summer, and it appears it will miss that technical window by only a few days.
Most of the interview rehashes what our readers will already know, though it does appear the studio will be making some specific changes for the game ahead of launch, specifically the addition of new skills, an adjustable and more intuitive UI, a better tutorial, improvements to the in-game help journal, and more achievements. Post-launch, players can expect the requisite Halloween and Christmas events, the opening of specific endgame dungeons and PvP, advanced classes, and the last few gender-unlocked toons.
We took a look at Astellia during its first closed beta test, finding it to be a surprisingly respectable fun romp, though it didn’t wholly astonish us. “My first impression wasn’t that this is the Next Big Thing to hit the market or that it’s going to blow people away who never would have believed in it before or anything of the sort,” MOP’s Eliot Lefebvre opined. “It is a solidly designed game of its subgenre that does a few things differently and a lot in a familiar fashion, and it is ultimately notable as much because of the care taken in its design as anything else.”
“Barunson E&A is pleased to announce that Astellia is heading for launch on September 27, 2019! Those who preorder Astellia will be able to participate in a headstart event that begins as early as September 20th. Best not tarry, however, as pre-orders end on September 19th! Players with eligible packages will be able to reserve their character names and pre-download the game client starting September 12th. All these activities pave the way for a successful start to Astellia on launch day! Launch day will come with a number of new additions to Astellia that have been made since the end of beta testing. Players will be able to create female Warrior and Assassin characters as part of Barunson’s commitment to a tailor-made version of Astellia for western audiences. In addition, players will find a number of in-game events with GMs actively participating with the community for tons of fun.”
