Artifact (video game)
Artifact is a 2018 digital collectible card game developed and published by Valve for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It focuses on online player-versus-player battles and is based on the universe of Dota 2, a multiplayer online battle arena game by Valve. Artifact was designed by Magic: The Gathering creator Richard Garfield.
| Artifact | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Valve |
| Publisher(s) | Valve |
| Director(s) | Brandon Reinhart |
| Designer(s) | Richard Garfield |
| Programmer(s) |
|
| Writer(s) | Steve Jaros |
| Composer(s) | Tim Larkin |
| Series | Dota |
| Engine | Source 2 |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release | November 28, 2018 |
| Genre(s) | Digital collectible card game |
| Mode(s) | Multiplayer |
While Artifact's gameplay and drafting mechanics received praise, it was criticized for its high learning curve and monetization model, which some saw as pay-to-win. It saw a 95% decline in players within two months of its release, with only around a hundred concurrent players by mid-2019. Valve was surprised by the response, describing it as the largest discrepancy between their expectations for a game and the outcome.
Valve reworked the game as Artifact 2.0, altering several features, including removing the need to buy or trade cards with money. It was tested through a closed beta starting in March 2020. A year later, Valve announced that it had ceased development of the game, citing a lack of player interest, and made both versions of the game freeware. The original Artifact was renamed Artifact Classic and Artifact 2.0 was renamed Artifact Foundry.