Default Vambrace Power: Invisibility—Upon impact, grants the invisibility status for a short duration to all nearby scavengers.

Ghost is a stealthy scavenger, who excels at moving unnoticed. His sharp survival instincts grant him superior navigational skills and map awareness.

He’s an indispensable ally who provides scavengers with extra bolts at the start of a match.




Early concept of Ghost

Backstory Concept art of Ghost

"I was part of the Enclaves, one of the chosen few. But I believe that everyone has a right to Humanity’s riches. And so, I choose to fight until I draw my last breath." – Yani "Ghost" Amini

Don’t forget to tune in for our third DG Insider episode on Youtube. We’ll unveil more information about our latest characters, the Stalker, Inked, and Ghost.

Default Vambrace Power: Shield — Provides a shield to all nearby scavengers upon impact.

Inked is a battle-hardened scavenger. She’s not one to shy away from challenges and isn’t afraid of soaking up a few bullets in the garden.

Her strength and ability to find hiding in higher places allows her to save herself and survive. She’s now ready to face the hunters.




Early concept of Inked

Backstory concept art of Inked

"I had no choice but to enter the garden—to hide my secrets in the only place where my enemies wouldn’t follow." – Aiswarya "Inked" Kumaran 

Be sure to follow us on Youtube. We'll have footage of Inked in our upcoming DG insider video, so don't miss out!

The Stalker enters the garden!

Default hunter power: Fade—the hunter becomes invisible for a short duration

Default loadout: Sniper rifle and burst rifle

The Stalker lurks in the shadows, imperceptible to those who enter the garden. This sharp-eyed hunter will lie in wait patiently for that perfect, savage moment.

The Stalker is a methodical hunter; she’s equipped to accurately eliminate her targets from afar or to effectively take down scavengers at point blank.




Early concept of the Stalker

Backstory Concept art of the Stalker


"A single, well-placed shot can change the world." – Eve "the Stalker" Barnes

Next week, we’ll reveal two new characters. Check back here regularly or, if you don’t already, follow us on Twitter & Facebook to stay up to date on the latest Deathgarden news!

Cheers,
The Deathgarden Dev Team  

Last week, we talked about our character lineup, which we’ve been working on these past few months. We also introduced Fog, the first scavenger to join Deathgarden’s roster. Today, we’d like to present you our first hunter, the Inquisitor.

Default hunter power: Turrets—Places up to two heat-sensitive turrets that shoot nearby scavengers.

Default loadout—Assault rifle and shotgun

The Inquisitor is a cunning hunter capable of forcing scavengers out of hiding. He feeds off the fear of those who dare to oppose him, relishing in his preys’ suffering.

The Inquisitor is symbiotic with the garden and moves efficiently around his arena.




Early concept of The Inquisitor

Backstory concept art of The Inquisitor

“Make your own glory through their destruction.” — Tomás Guerra

Stay tuned for more character reveals. Next week, we’ll share some more content about Fog and the Inquisitor.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been testing new features and mechanics with a few community members. Today we wanted to give you a small progress update on the game’s development.


In the new iteration of the game, we’ve replaced team-based objectives with more personal goals. In other words, scavengers no longer depend on one another to achieve victory.

The removal of team-based objectives, however, required that we tweak the end-of-game conditions. The hunter still ends the game upon eliminating the final scavenger. However, the Exits open after a set amount of time. As you’ll discover, this end-of-game scenario further reinforces Deathgarden’s new individualistic game loop. While hunter may execute several scavengers, some may be lucky enough to make it out alive.


One of our main objectives in the new iteration of the game is to ensure that scavengers truly fear the hunter. This, in effect, is paramount to the integrity of our darker and more brutal fantasy. To achieve this goal, we started by removing the scavengers’ conflictual bow powers. While this was a step in the right direction, we wanted to push this idea further.

We’ve been experimenting with a new Hunter map control tools because we truly want hunters to feel like they can dominate their arena. The feature isn’t final yet, but it should lead to tense, exciting match moments; scavengers might be able to escape the hunter, but they may find themselves running out of places to hide as the match progresses.


Naturally, if we’re giving hunters new tools to force their prey out of hiding, we need to give scavengers additional means for escaping.

Scavengers have always depended on their high mobility and ninja-esque gameplay to outmaneuver the hunter. Now that we’ve removed their conflictual powers, they rely on their navigational skills more than ever. Consequently, we’ve been working on new structure models for our agile contenders to scale. Breaking the Hunter’s line of sight is critical to the scavengers’ survival.

Not only do these structures help us capitalize on the scavengers’ exciting navigation-oriented gameplay, they also give more flavour and character to Deathgarden’s maps.

We’ll be sharing you more information about the development progress in the weeks to come. In the meantime, we wish you all the best.

Cheers,
The Deathgarden Dev Team

Over the past few months, our designers, artists, and animators have been working hard on shaping Deathgarden’s character roster. As previously mentioned, one of our main goals moving forward is to create unique, meaningful characters to help us drive our new fantasy. And so, we’re pleased to announce that, over the next few weeks, we’ll reveal our character lineup, which will be comprised of 3 hunters and 5 scavengers.


We’ve replaced the term “runner” with that of “scavenger.” We believe that the term scavenger is more in line with the new gameplay loop and fantasy. The characters still run within the Garden (very much so), but their reason for entering the arena has changed; we’ll have more information on that in a subsequent, gameplay-related article!


Each character, hunter and scavenger alike, has:
–Special Powers
–Perks
–A combination of Weapons (hunter)
–A character-based progression
–Character-specific bonuses/passive skills (new feature)
–A distinct aesthetic
–A unique backstory (i.e., a reason for partaking in this violent trial of blood)

Every character possesses a limited set of powers, perks, and weapons, which you can mix and match to create your own loadout. As you play with a specific character, you’ll improve their abilities, unlock additional powers, perks, and weapons, and, eventually, unlock new characters.

We do need to mention, though, that some character-related elements may change as we move closer to releasing Deathgarden’s major update later in spring.


Default Vambrace Power: Smoke Screen – Upon impact, the bolt rapidly creates a dense smoke screen.

Fog is a fearless, resilient scavenger. His toolkit allows him to effectively take down Constructs and cleverly escape the hunter's grasp.




Early concept of Fog's smoke screen

Backstory Concept Art

"When the world fell, I fell with it. When the hunters took control of the Enclaves, I tried to tear them down. Now, I subject myself to their twisted game." – Iosif Blatov, "Fog"

Stay tuned for more information on Deathgarden's characters!

Best,
The Deathgarden Dev Team

Over the past few weeks, we’ve hinted at our next steps and at the future of the game. Today, we’re pleased to announce that we’re rebuilding Deathgarden’s core experience. The new gameplay elements we’re introducing will allow us to realign the game with what we’d originally envisioned; we want Runners to have a tense but exhilarating experience and want Hunters to feel powerful and utterly unstoppable.

Deathgarden is no longer a glorious sport—it’s a trial of unnatural selection.

In the Garden, your objective is to collect as many resources as possible. The resources you successfully secure during the match will allow you to upgrade your characters’ abilities after the match (persistent upgrade on the character). This applies to both Hunter and Runner players.

Runners must locate and collect resources found within the Arena. To secure resources, Runners must deposit any resource they've collected at “resource banks.” On the other hand, the Hunter is rewarded by eliminating Runners and preventing them from collecting resources.

We’ve made several significant changes to Deathgarden’s gameplay. The first major change is the removal of the Bloodpost. The Hunter’s gameplay now focuses much more on the tracking and killing of Runners.

We wanted Hunters to be and feel unstoppable and make them feel in control of the arena. Therefore, we removed a major element that would force them to disengage from a chase (something that is enjoyable/exciting for Runners and Hunters).

The second major change is that each Runner possesses one life. Runners must now adopt a stealthier playstyle if they are to survive the trial and gather as many resources as possible. It increases tension for the Runners and makes killing Runners feel more rewarding for the Hunter.

In addition to this change, Runners now rely on “defensive” or “survival” Vambrace powers instead of offensive ones. In other words, we’ve removed all directly confrontational Vambrace powers (Stun, Blind, Slow, etc.) and replaced these with new tactical powers. (There are several new powers, which we’ll unveil in the weeks/months to come). We are still iterating on those to figure out which ones are most enjoyable and useful. This change further reinforces the fact that the Hunters are an utterly unstoppable force and that Runners are nimble escape artists.

The final and perhaps most important change is that Runners will now adopt a more individualistic playstyle. While we’re not removing teamplay from their core experience (we will reward Runners for completing actions that benefit their team), Runners are now rewarded for what they accomplish within the Garden and awarded only what they manage to take out of the Garden.

If one Runner is carrying a set amount of resources and they see a downed ally, they’ll think twice before attempting to rescue their friend. Should the Hunter also “down” the Runner carrying resources, that Runner will lose everything he or she carries. As for the Hunter, they will be rewarded for all Runner kills.

In short, everything you accomplish in the Garden, (deliver resources, rescue Runners, down Runners, etc.) grants you XP and, ultimately, the resources you’ll need to further your characters’ progression.

On several occasions, we’ve mentioned that, in our initial vision, the Hunter was a brutal and unstoppable force. The new gameplay experience allows us to realize this fantasy. It lets us balance the game around the notions of tension and brutality rather than around those of agility and strength. The Runners and Hunter are no longer in a direct competition—everyone strives to complete the match with as many resources as possible. This means that more players should come out of the match feeling rewarded. Realigning our direction also gives us freedom as to how far we can push the asymmetry of power and experience for Hunters and Runners.

We sincerely believe that the changes we’re making will ensure a strong coherence between gameplay and fantasy. Rethinking Hunter and Runner power dynamics allows us to transform Deathgarden into a much more enticing and heart-pounding experience.

Runners, will you become lone wolves, or will you work together in the face of the unstoppable Hunter? Hunters, will you allow those Runners to survive your onslaught.

OVERALL DESIGN INTENT:

• As mentioned last week, Deathgarden is in a transition phase. We’re working towards making the game a more rewarding and meaningful experience. This patch is the first step in that direction
• The changes we’re implementing today should empower the Hunter and provide Runners with a tenser, more heart-pounding experience.
  • We want to make sure that the Hunter is feared and that their capabilities cannot be disrupted.

SOFT WIN CONDITIONS

• Design intent: to begin rewarding individual performances and to diminish Runners’ dependency on teamplay Once the Hunter has Killed 3 Runners, or the Runners have completed 2 of the 3 Objectives, the Exits open. However, this does not end the round
• The team that opened the Exits has ‘won’ the Round and receives an XP bonus for their actions (‘Exit Opener Bonus’ for Runners, ‘Merciless Bonus’ for the Hunter) (viewed on the end of match Progression Tab)
• Escaping as a Runner, when the Exits are open, provides an XP bonus (‘Escape Bonus’ viewed on the end-of-match Progression Tab
• Additionally, Killing Runners as the Hunter provides XP (‘Runners Executed Bonus’ viewed on the end-of-match Progression Tab)
   

RUNNER HEALTH BARS (from the Hunter’s perspective)

• Design intent: to provide the Hunter with visual feedback on confirmed/registered shots
• When damaging a Runner, the Hunter sees that Runner’s health meter for a short duration

HUNTER

• Design Intent: this a first step towards making the Hunter more powerful and more brutal
• Increased default Vambrace Power immunity time (5)s->(10)s
• If Hunter gets hit with a Vambrace Power within the 10s after the ‘immunity time,’ increase immunity from (2)s->(5)s
• Increased base Stamina (10)->(11.5)
• New Perk: “Lucky Charm” – 25% chance of gaining an additional Upgrade Part from Upgrade Part Crates
  
• New Weapon: TriSynkt .45c Burst Rifle – a highly accurate medium range 3-shot burst rifle
   
  

RUNNER

• Design intent: we want Runners to fear the Hunter and to think twice before taking the Hunter head-on
• Full stamina meter: (5) Evades -> (4) Evades
• Full NPI meter: (5) shots -> (3) shots
• Available Tier 3 Vambrace Powers (3)->(1)
• All 3 are available until 1 of the 3 is purchased
• New Perk: “NPI Hoarder” – Increases maximum NPI by 20%

GATHER & DELIVER OBJECTIVE TYPE

• Design intent: Because we reduced the Runners' ability to rapidly travel across the map, we decided to adjust the key delivery time to ensure that Runners may retain the possibility of delivering keys
• Key delivery time (4.5)->(3.5)s

PREFERRED SERVER QUEUE

• Design intent: to improve the (technical) quality of matches so that players across the world may enjoy better communication with the game’s servers.
• We’re introducing a new server (EU, NA, & Asia) selection mechanic. When joining a match, each player passively and automatically votes for the server closest to them. The server will then be randomly selected according to the players’ passive votes.
  • E.g. 3 players are in NA and 3 players are in ASIA, there is a 50% (3/6) chance that the match connects to the NA server and a 50% (3/6) chance that the match connects to the ASIAN server
  
  
• BattlEye now automatically launches upon launching Deathgarden
• Various bug fixes

Next week, we'll be releasing a “transition” patch. While the changes we’re making might seem small at a first glance (or even surprising), they’re the first step towards Deathgarden’s new/realigned vision. In other words, we’re introducing some elements that are part of a bigger whole.

NEW VICTORY CONDITIONS

One of our main tasks moving forward is the redesigning and rethinking of Deathgarden’s victory conditions—what it means to ‘win’ a match. Our initial philosophy was that Runners should win as a team or lose as a team. Runners would be victorious if and only if they manage to complete all objectives and escape the Garden. On the other hand, the Hunter should win if and only if they wipe out enough Runners.

Our new philosophy, however, puts much more emphasis on the individual player. Runners are still part of a team, but they’re also individuals with personal goals and a will to survive.

When the November patch goes live, matches will no longer end immediately upon three Runner deaths or three Runner escapes. If the Hunter kills three Runners, the two remaining Runners will have the chance to escape the Garden with their lives and reap a small reward (more information on that in future articles). Similarly, if the Runner team successfully captures the objectives and three Runners escape, the Hunter will have the opportunity to get additional kills. Ultimately, we want to reduce the reliance on teamplay and better reward your individual actions.

We’re confident that these changes will change the feeling of Hunter and Runner defeats and, as you’ll discover in future articles, we believe that they’ll make for a much more meaningful and satisfying Deathgarden experience.

NEW TALLY SCREEN

In addition to altering the game’s victory conditions, we’re introducing the first iteration of the new tally screen. After each match, players will be able to measure their individual performance in the garden and will be given a score. Keep in mind that this tally screen will become more meaningful further down the line.

FEAR THE HUNTER

In next week’s patch, we’ll also implement some changes that will make Runners think twice before taking the Hunter head-on! You’ll find out more in next week’s patch notes.

NEW WEAPONS, PERKS, AND ATMOSPHERE

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been sharing with you concepts of our new art direction. This week, we even showed you a glimpse of our new in-game atmosphere. We’re happy to announce that we’ve implemented new ‘Weather Conditions’ in the November patch.

We’re also adding in a new Hunter weapon and new perks. Although these might change in future updates, we’ve decided to nonetheless release the content we’ve been working on since entering Early Access.

As mentioned above, this patch is a first step in the new direction. While the changes we’re implementing next week might seem small, they’re making way for our next patch, which should be much more significant.
Stay tuned for more information in upcoming communications.

Sincerely,
The Deathgarden Dev Team

Early Access Dev Diary 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaTF73dQ5KM

When we started developing Deathgarden, our mission was to create a game that would be filled with exciting and memorable moments ranging from epic chases to clutch kills and rescues. Although we did achieve several of our initial goals, Deathgarden isn’t where we’d like it to be.

So, today, we’re announcing that Deathgarden will evolve; we’re realigning the game with our original vision and shaping its future around a darker and more brutal fantasy.

This evolution will directly impact all aspects of the game, from visuals to gameplay. It will also help us reinforce the game’s identity. And so, in the coming months of Early Access, we’ll be working diligently on revamping Deathgarden’s art direction, defining our characters’ identity and progression, and reworking central gameplay elements.

We want to reassure you, though: Deathgarden will retain its asymmetrical nature. We’re simply working on improving the game’s fantasy, on giving it more depth and meaning, and on ensuring the synergy between fantasy and gameplay.

Our brutal and dystopian fantasy requires a complete revamp of our Hunter and Runner character design. Many of the images we’ve included in the dev diary are works in progress. We look forward to showing you how our character design evolves in the coming weeks!

As mentioned above, we’re in midst of creating characters. We want our Hunters to embody brutality and our Runners to convey a sense of hardship and struggle. Each character will boast their own backstory and progression “line.” Although we can’t reveal too much about the progression system yet (because we’re still developing the feature), we can say that the more you play with the different characters, the more you’ll unlock their potential.

Our realigned fantasy also necessitates that we rework and re-evaluate several core gameplay elements. One such element is that of “team play.” Like the progression system, we don’t have too many details for you today, but we are looking to better reward individual Runners and Hunters for what they accomplish in the Garden.

We’d like to finish off by stating that our previous roadmap is no longer valid. The reason for this is, quite simply, that it no longer reflects the direction in which we’re evolving. Despite the changes we have in store for Deathgarden, we sincerely believe that we’ve built a solid foundation. This is largely thanks to you, the community. You’ve shown us tremendous support and provided us with precious feedback.

We look forward to keeping you updated throughout the journey! Stay tuned.

Sincerely,
The Deathgarden Dev Team