>This week we wanted to talk about the Artifact Beta 2.0, what it will include, and when it will happen.
>We’ve been focusing on gameplay changes first. The biggest change is zooming out to allow players access to all three lanes at once. The majority of effects still work on individual lanes so they still maintain their identity, but it’s less likely that a player will get shut out in the same way they used to.
>We’ve also focused on making the game easier to pick up. We aren’t selling cards, so you won’t face an opponent with a stacked deck. We’ve also added a new draft mode, Hero Draft, that gives you a taste of constructing decks without all the pressure.
>The beta will exist as a new executable and access will be granted to individual accounts. When we are ready to send out invites we will let you know the process.
>Here’s the current road-map:
<1 Test boring stuff <- We are here
<2 Trickle out invites, starting with players of the original release (ramping up similar to Dota 2)
<3 Work on the Beta, eventually transitioning to an open beta
>4 Leave Beta (hopefully quicker than Dota 2)
It's weird seeing Valve acting so informal, and it's even weirder seeing them using an image like this for a header.