Some feedback and suggestions for the closed beta

FEEDBACK
,
1

I only played a little during the closed beta, mainly because Ascension mode wasn’t available 24/7. I understand why that was the case, since it was a closed beta.

Spires Mode
To be honest, this mode feels a bit uninteresting to me. Arena-style modes don’t really offer much depth, they’re essentially short combat rounds that last around 4 minutes, without anything particularly exciting.

I do recognize that it’s useful as a practice environment where players can quickly learn items and mechanics (although the training mode already served that purpose), and it’s also good for players who don’t have much time.

However, if I wanted a true arena experience, I would rather play something like Battlerite, which has a much stronger combat feel and more intense fights. In Spires, I didn’t feel that same impact - mainly because I think there’s a lack of mechanics like parry/counter, which I’ll explain further below.

Ascension Mode
Moving on to Ascension, it feels like there haven’t been any major or meaningful updates to this mode, possibly because most of the focus was placed on Spires. I find this a bit confusing, since Ascension seems to be the core mode of the game.

It makes me wonder: do you see less future potential in Ascension, or are you planning to shift the game’s main focus in a different direction?

Combat Mechanics (Parry/Counter Suggestion)
Right now, combat feels quite one-dimensional, especially melee combat. It often comes down to spamming LMB - LMB - LMB without many meaningful ways to outplay your opponent.

Using the triple dash to disengage doesn’t really feel like a skill-based or satisfying counterplay mechanic.

I think adding something like a parry/counter system could significantly improve combat depth. For example:

• Entering a defensive stance to block or deflect the next incoming hit or ability.
• Brief invulnerability frames (i-frames) after a successful parry.
• A short movement speed boost to allow repositioning or escape.

This kind of system would raise the skill ceiling, make fights feel more dynamic, and create more opportunities for outplays, especially in melee situations. Overall, I believe systems like this could greatly improve both the depth and the feel of combat.

Movement / Space Ability

I’d also like to add some feedback regarding the Space key.

Right now, the “run and space-space-space” gameplay feels repetitive and not very engaging. Everyone keeps spamming the same small dash, and it doesn’t really add meaningful depth to the gameplay.

I think it would be much more interesting if, instead of having only three small dashes, there were multiple alternative abilities that you could loot and assign to your Space key. This would allow players to choose based on their playstyle and add more variety to movement.

For example:

• A single dash with longer range.
• A short-range teleport with a small cast delay (useful for flanking or repositioning).
• Other utility or defensive movement abilities.

Each option could have different cooldowns depending on its strength. Overall, more variety and freedom in movement would make gameplay feel more dynamic and less repetitive.

Trio Mode & Solo Experience

Now moving on to Trio mode design. As a solo player, I would strongly prefer having the option to play a Solo mode (e.g. 1v1 x45) for several reasons.

Playing with two random teammates often makes the experience frustrating. There is usually little to no coordination, and players tend to split up and follow their own paths, which removes any sense of teamwork.

In a Solo mode, I would be fully responsible for my decisions and outcomes. I could follow my own strategy without the pressure of having to stay close to teammates or adapt to their playstyle.

Even the Duo mode you previously introduced felt significantly better and more manageable compared to Trios.

Solo mode would give you the freedom to be judged purely on your own skills and mechanics, whether you’re good or not depends entirely on you. Forcing players who prefer solo play into team modes creates a really bad experience. You should definitely consider adding something for solo players, otherwise, what would motivate me to buy the game when it releases? Unless that’s not a priority for you - cool.

That’s all I wanted to say. I hope to see more dedication to Ascension at some point. So far, the closed beta left me with negative impressions and disappointment. Best of luck with the development!

2 Likes
2

I agree with quite a few of the points you made.

Personally, I enjoyed Spires more than Ascension, although I have played much less Ascension. Yesterday I played some private Ascension matches a day after writing my feedback post, and I enjoyed it a little more than I had before.

I also suggested some kind of parry or counter mechanic in my own post. I think it could add another interesting layer of depth and tension to the combat. I would not go into the specific implementation, because that would need to be thought through carefully, but I agree with the general idea.

Regarding the movement space, I am not sure I felt that it was particularly necessary. Honestly, I did not think the current system was that bad. I usually try to avoid using all three dashes in a row, because then you are left without one until the whole resource recharges. I normally try to use two and space them out, so I do think there is already a small skill gap in managing your dashes.

I would also like the game to add a solo mode, to be honest.

Overall, I agree with most of what you said. In my case, though, I did enjoy Spires quite a lot. I do not have much experience with battlerite, but following your recomendation I might need to give it another try.

1 Like
3

I’m glad you found my feedback aligned with your thoughts. I wouldn’t be against Spires mode if I saw more improvements in the future, but overall, I feel like arena games lacks depth and long-term potential.

At the moment, Arkheron doesn’t have clearly defined hero roles, and the item system doesn’t offer enough meaningful support-oriented builds. In my opinion, arena-style games without a proper support role tend to feel poorly designed.

Support roles are extremely important in arena games, they add sustainability, create more strategic depth, and make fights feel more meaningful rather than just raw damage exchanges.

Additionally, I believe the game would benefit from stronger defensive mechanics that reward skillful play. Systems that allow for timing, reaction, and counterplay would not only increase the skill ceiling but also make combat feel more impactful and satisfying.

If you’re familiar with Fangs (RIP) or Blightveil (currently in development), they approach arena gameplay a bit differently compared to the usual form.

Instead of having players wait until the end of the round after dying, they use a respawn system, allowing players to return to the fight. This creates a much more continuous flow without long interruptions.

In the case of Blightveil, it doesn’t rely on round-based gameplay at all, it uses objectives instead. Personally, I find this much more engaging, as it keeps the match flowing and gives players constant things to fight over, rather than just short, isolated encounters.

I think systems like these could add more depth and pacing variety compared to traditional round-based arena modes.

Also, I’d definitely recommend trying Battlerite if you haven’t already, it’s a great example of how impactful and satisfying arena combat can feel when the mechanics are well-designed.

4

I agree with the combat being not very complex right now, its just LMB smashing most of the time with some CCs here and there. A dodge/perfect dodge, block would help it a lot. Having better/faster ways of healing or breaking out of a CC chain. Some i-frames here and there maybe. But the best thing in what you said is the respawn system, and overall the rounds, Lost Ark also had a 3v3 arena, where you had a timer, and the team that wins is the team with most kills at the end of that timer, if its a tie(eg: 10 kills on each side) the game will go on until the first kill. I think that would also be nice here, giving players a bit more time to adapt to the enemies, strategize more depending on their playstyle etc.

5

Oh yeah, I remember the arena in Lost Ark - it felt more like a deathmatch mode, where the goal was simply to get the most kills before time runs out.

Personally, I’d love to see more objective-based gameplay added. For example:

• A base structure that teams need to destroy
• A final objective like an inhibitor or core
• A boss that spawns every few minutes to help a team push and close out the game
• Buff or healing orbs around the map
• Capturable objectives that provide advantages

Also, I strongly believe a parry/counter system would be a very important addition. It would allow for more counterplay, better reactions, and overall make combat feel deeper and more skill-based.

1 Like
6

Thanks for taking the time write up this feedback!

We’re still working on improving Spires as well as adding more Eternals. As you already know, there can only be 10 Eternals in the current rotation. We hope changing the Eternal pool adds new ways for players to engage in combat mechanics.

One of the goals of Spires is to provide players with enough combat cycles so they can get ready for Ascension. I do agree it’s great for players who just want a quick game or two. Personally, I have enjoyed being able to do so in Spires.

We’ve been actively developing both modes, though there was a greater focus on getting Spires into a strong state for this beta. That said, we’re continually thinking about and improving both experiences.

Ascension remains our primary mode, and we believe there’s still a lot of potential to make it even better. Our long-term commitment is to both modes, with priorities naturally shifting from time to time based on what we’re trying to accomplish in a given milestone.

While it may feel like Spires has received a lot of attention recently and that’s true when looking at this beta specifically but taking a step back, Ascension has had significant development over the course of the project, and we’re just as committed to continuing to evolve and improve it.

Those systems lean more into item choice, and we want players to feel encouraged to make meaningful decisions around their builds. At the same time, we’re always working on new Eternals that we hope will make fights feel more dynamic and create new opportunities for skillful outplays.

Personally, I’d love to see a Solos/Duos mode as well. The biggest challenge right now is our player base. Splitting players across additional queues would lead to longer queue times and lower matchmaking quality, which isn’t the experience we want to deliver.

We’re definitely not ruling out Solos or Duos in the future, but we need a larger player base before they become a viable option. We actually experimented with both modes internally in the past, and they were a lot of fun. Hopefully, as the community grows, they’ll become something we can seriously consider.

Heard! We are still very dedicated to Ascension. Thank you so much for this thoughtful feedback.

2 Likes
7

Thank you for your responses.

Regarding Spires, as I mentioned earlier, arena-style games rely heavily on support roles, characters who can heal or shield their teammates. At the moment, Arkheron doesn’t really offer that, and as a result, fights feel like something is missing, like the experience isn’t fully complete.

As for the parry/counter mechanic, my main concern is adding more depth to combat. No matter how many Eternals you add, it won’t be enough to create that depth on its own. What’s really needed is one or two additional combat mechanics - extra inputs that allow for more skill expression and decision-making during fights.

I’m aware that there are items like Resilience Crown or Vaton’s Payback Crown that somewhat serve this purpose, but it’s still not the same as having a dedicated, core mechanic built into the combat system.

Regarding Solo mode, I understand that if the player base isn’t large enough, it can be difficult to split it across multiple modes. However, it’s also important to consider that there are many players who prefer solo play. Adding a Solo mode could actually attract more players who are specifically looking for that kind of experience.

Wishing you all the best. Have a great rest of your day!

2 Likes