Artifact: Caster Xyclopz violates NDA by revealing release date and game details

Not too much information leaked from Artifact during the Alpha phase, the vast majority of information we have now comes from Valve’s press conference and those in charge of information. But that changed over the weekend, when Dota 2’s Southeast Asian caster, Xyclopz, shared information about the game in a Thai Artifact group on Facebook.

A Reddit post summarizes the information released on Facebook by the group “Artifact Thailand Community”. Xyclopz answered questions from the community and even posted screenshots of the current build deck. Right first, Xyclopz said he knew the release date: “The game will go on sale on December 31, 2018”.

Q&A

Users in the group asked questions, and Xyclopz did not hesitate to answer them.

Are there any new heroes?

There are many new and colorful heroes like Ogre Bruiser, Mazzie, Kannah. I just lost to Kannah, he’s very strong late game.

Is the game fun?

The first 2-3 days are a bit confusing but once you know how to play it will be fun! I can’t sleep anymore.

How does the rank system work? Is it like MMR in Dota 2 or is it a dynamic tournament?

The game now has a weekly tournament to balance the game. The prize money for the winner is $100. Rank in the game is Gauntlet mode. It is a card creation mode to play against an opponent.

Will the game open Beta?

I don’t think there will be a Beta.

What about the strength of the cards?

Currently still controversial. Some say this or that color is too strong. But I think Red is a bit overpowered.

Can you make a deck with more than 2 colors?

Yes, you can build anything you like. But, it will be difficult because you have to have the hero of the same color as the spell card in the same lane to cast those spells.

How many leaves in 1 pack?

I do not know. But my guess is 12.

Card System

In the article, Xyclopz attached a picture of the card system. Currently, it seems that this interface is no different from other card games.

In the list of cards – on the right – you can see the name of one of the heroes Xyclopz mentioned, a hero that hasn’t appeared in Dota 2, which is Ogre Bruiser. A total of 4 colors and 4 different rarity.

NDA (non-disclosure agreement) issues

In the comments section, a redditor named SirBelvedere – well known to the Dota 2 community – commented on the NDA issue:

I have a friend who is in beta. I did ask him. He said he couldn’t share anything and everything was still confidential.

This means that Xyclopz violated Artifact’s NDA by posting the information. He could lose his right to participate in the Alpha stage and the possibility of being sued if Valve feels Artifact was harmed because of this behavior. While litigation is unlikely, that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.

The Artifact community is currently desperate for more information because Valve has shared very little information about Artifact since TI7. Leaks like this attract a lot of publicity but can be hindered by Valve. If the release date (December 31, 2018) is correct, the game is almost complete, so “revealing” a bit of information may not be an “overdoing” issue for Valve.