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Is Drakantos Worth Your Time? Beta Impressions

August 2, 2025 josechurape Leave a comment

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Introduction

The wait is finally over! We got a beta for an MMO I’ve been waiting a long time for, Drakantos. If this is your first time, Drakantos is a pixel art hero MMO comming to PC and mobile. Players can jump into a fantastical world as one of its 20 unique champions as they explore the fantastical world of Eldras. There is a dark fantasy story for those who want to dive into its deep lore, pvp for those who are feeling a little scrappy, and group content for those who like to raid. I have written about Drakantos for a while now, so make sure you check out my previous posts for more details.

So What Did I think?

Drakantos fairs better than a lot of the other MMO beta’s I have tried, but I am still uncertain about my excitement. While I did enjoy my first few hours of the game, it started to get stale. A lot of the missions began to feel the same and pointless, and it didn’t help that the game was buggy. I know the game isn’t released yet and the bugs should be addressed on release, but it became hard to overlook as I lost interest in the game. A lot of the issues I had with the Beta have been addressed, and I am hopeful they will make those changes. Make sure you join the official Discord to stay up to date on all the news.

I played on the Steam deck and while it was playable, there was a level of jankiness to it that made the game harder. Movement was a little awkward. Sometimes it wouldn’t move when I wanted, the pathing was awkward, or my character would get stuck on random elements on the map. This made getting the mount incredibly annoying, but this struggle seems self inflicted. Combat had similar issues where latency and jank would mean missing skill shots or dying to latency.

The Questing system is fine. I like that there is a story to play through, and the writing seems fine. I like that you can queue up for different quests without having to leave the hub, but I also have the opportunity to explore this huge map and pick up a few crafting and gathering jobs. The problem with the queue system is that you can’t solo quests. Aside from a couple of toxic encounters, the community seems friendly enough where random queues aren’t a reason to not play, but sometimes I wanted to take my time with a quest and practice my rotation. I still want there to be the MMO side because finding a good group made the game more fun, but sometimes I don’t want to be social. It would be cool if they could implement a system where you can get better rewards for playing with others, but you can also join your own private lobbies.

Another issue with the game is that if you choose a character that doesn’t vibe with your play style, you are going to have a rough time. I don’t think the grind for this game is worse than other MMOs. There are definitely worse grinds, but the grind does feel bad when choosing a character you don’t like. Switching to a new character was easy in the Beta, and I hope they keep this system for the full release. Players need to be able to choose from a decent pool of heroes and be able to easily switch between them at launch or people are just going to quit. A lot of people like to create and customize their own characters, and choosing from preset champions is going to be a hard sell. I have no issue and would argue that there is a good amount of customization, but it is going to suck for the new player who loads into the this game who can’t choose their look and gets stuck with a character that doesn’t vibe with them. I did eventually find a character I liked after a bit of trial and error, and that journey was fine.

My main draw to the game is the art. I love the pixel art, and while it does take some inspiration from existing genres, it is able to create its own unique flare. My problem with the art is that the maps feel a little too busy. Some maps feel like they cram as many of the artifacts into a world to build their rail road, and it is a little distracting. It isn’t enough to ruin my experience, but with how buggy movement was, it made things annoying. Other than that, the monsters, champions, and bosses all look cool, and there are some cute mounts and pets you’re going to want to collect.

So how was the experience overall? I enjoyed the first few hours of the game where I was exploring and finding my way. Once the novelty wore off, I started to run out of reasons to stick around. If felt like I ran out of things to do early on. The quests started to feel repetitive, and not everyone was willing to do the side quests. The buggyness made some of the quests harder than it should be, and I wasted too much time trying to unlock the mount. Combat is fine for a mobile game, but I need to see a more polished version before I can rate it properly.

That said, I am still hopeful. This was the first beta, and it is honestly in a better place than some of the other MMOs I’ve tried from bigger developers. Sure the game is still rough, but the devs have already acknowledged a lot of the issues, and I’ve seen enough interviews with devs that I am confident the game can only get better. Until then, I will continue to follow Drakantos closely because I still hold on to the hope that this will be a good game.

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Drakantos Closed Beta is Live: First Day Impressions

July 26, 2025 josechurape Leave a comment

Intro

The wait is finally over. After years of waiting and following this game, I finally got my hands on beta. The Drakantos closed beta will run from July 25 – 27th and it is looking like a very successful run. With over 150k applications for entry, this game is getting a proper test. Make sure you apply over on the official Steam page if you haven’t done so, and don’t forget to wishlist. It looks like they are still rolling out keys in waves. Make sure you also join the official Discord, you might get lucky with a giveaway.

Shameless Self-Promotion

What is Drakantos?

Drakantos is a free-to-play pixel-art MMORPG coming to Steam and mobile devices. Players can choose from a collection of 20 diverse heroes as they explore the world of Eldras. Players can enjoy the worlds facinating story, fight players in a competative PvP Arena, or help each other out on PvE content. There are plans for raids, world bosses, and everything you’ve come to love from a PvP, but accessible to everyone. One thing to note is that all characters will not be playable at first. Characters will need to be unlocked through play or a battle pass, but I hope that none of it is locked behind a pay wall. I was assured that the cash shop would only be cosmetic last I spoke to the devs, but we will have to wait and see. I’ve been covering this game in great detail for a while now, make sure you check out my other articles on the subject.

Impressions

I have beta test a few of the newer MMO’s in recent years, and none have gotten me as excited as Drakantos. I know I’ve only played the game a day, but I am prepared to spend my Saturday playing this game. I love how alive the game feels in the hubs and in missions, which gives me hope for its success. I love the art. The game does a good job of creating fantasy through its pixel-art, and it has been a lot of fun exploring the world. Some of the maps do feel a little busy, but its nothing that will get me to quit. Playing this game on the Steam Deck gives me the nostolgic feeling of the gameboy days I spent playing JRPGs, and I am here for it. The fact that I can play this game properly on the Steam Deck during a beta is also a huge plus. Everything feels snappy and optimized, and I am preferring the handheld experience.

The combat uses a simple cooldown system. Instead of mana, players will need to wait on cooldowns. While the game looks simple, there are some nuances in rotation, and some skills you need to aim or hold. Make sure you read your spells

The grind so far has been pretty fun. Players have story content to play through that slowly introduces different mechanics. There are also a few side quests to fill space and unlock more content like gathering. Mostly, players can queue up for random jobs that scale based on a player’s power level. These jobs rotate on a timer and randomly pairs players into teams of threes (unless you have friends). There are different types of quests that scale with your power level, and give loot. They make it beneficial to explore the whole map and kill everything with hidden chests and additional rewards. You get more loot the more enemies you kill. There is no PvP yet, which is fine for the beta.

Now it is only the first day, so I need a bit more time for a fuller picture. I will be doing a more detailed version of my impressions when the beta is over. For now, I am very excited to keep playing more. Now if you’ve made it this far in the article, I do have an extra key to give away. First person who contacts me, gets it. Good luck!

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Drakantos Close Beta Signups are now Live!

June 23, 2025 josechurape Leave a comment

it is finally happening! After a long anticipated wait, we finally get a date for the Drakantos closed beta! The closed beta will run from July 25th – July 27th, and signups are live! Make sure you join the official Discord and add the game to your watchlist! If you don’t know what Drakantos is, make sure you check out my initial post.

This will be a short post because not much is known aside from the dates. We will get news about the playable characters at a later date, and I will be sure to cover it then as well. For now, all we know is that you will be able to invite your friends to the beta if you get in (provided the Steam function properly works properly that weekend).

I have been following Drakantos since I got a chance to talk to a few of the devs during my time at GDC a couple years back. Every Dev log, and I recommend you check them all out both the official coverage and my own, has added to my excitement and made me impatient. I am really rooting for this game’s success because I love the art, the flavor, and the passion that is going into the project. I can’t wait for finally get my hands on this game! Until then, we wait for more news.

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Drakantos Gets Closer to Release and a Solid Gameplay Teaser

July 10, 2024 josechurape Leave a comment

This month’s Dev log was a little late, but it was juicy. While we don’t have a firm release date, we do have a time frame. Drakantos plans its release for 2025. This seems like a long time, especially for those of us following from the beginning, but I’ve made it this far, what is a couple of more months. I rather have a finished game than a rushed one. Make sure you check out the official log for all the details, and don’t forget to Wishlist!

In a bit of sad news, dev logs will be moved to a three-month schedule. This means longer waits between devlogs, but it also means we’ll be getting juicier ones. There will be a consistent stream of teasers on the official Drakantos Discord, so make sure you join up and check regularly. I’ll try to do a monthly update of the teasers of they are juicy enough.

Liam Teaser

This month’s teaser was fantastic. We not only got to see Liam gameplay, but we got to get a good look at how the world of Drakantos works. We get a peak at the player hub and how questing works. I like the clean UI and the guild hall has a fantastic vibe to it. Most importantly, we got to see group combat. I love the art and am always impressed with how good they make the attack animations. I can see it being a little too busy for some folks, but I find it the perfect amount of world-shattering chaos without it ever being too distracting. I am curious to see how it things will work with busier instances like PvP and World Bosses.

I wasn’t too impressed with Liam’s gameplay, but I don’t tank. He seems too slow for my taste, but in the right hands, he can be a menace. Liam has a solid taunt, access to valuable debuffs, AOE, and he can close gaps quickly when needed. The cherry on top is his cool animations and voice acting. If you are looking to tank in Drakantos, you definitely need to consider Liam.

Game Info

Drakantos will be an MMO with dungeon-crawler elements. It will have an open world to explore, quest, and make friends in. There will be an overarching story which I am very excited to dive into. The game already has a solid amount of lore, I can’t wait to see what they do with it. There will also be a traditional player market. As long as players aren’t allowed to sell real money items, I’m cool with a player-run economy.

Drakantos will include character-specific prologues that will eventually lead to the starting zone. This will include a character story, a great way to start the game. The devs talk about moving away from the traditional linear system of questing in the hopes of giving the system purpose. Quests will reward players with gold and experience, but it will also unlock new systems, shops, and areas for the players. Some side quests will be class-specific, requiring players to use a character that knows magic for example. Most importantly, these types of quests will offer horizontal progression, which means completing a mission counts for the entire account. I like that the game isn’t forcing a tedious grind with their unique system.

The Dungeon Crawl

We got to see a bit of the Adventurer’s Guild in the Liam teaser above. The Guild is the main player hub where players can gather and queue for instances. Instances will take players to over 120 different maps and have them complete different quests. The intention is to always have players complete a different quest every time, even if they queue up for the same map. This is a very cool feature. While I do find comfort in repetition, the grind can get soul-crushing and monotonous. I can’t wait to see how this system is implemented. There will also be a random secondary objective or rare event to make things extra spicy. This can be a random encounter or a golden gnome for example. Completing side quests will net you more rewards, but they are optional.

Matchmaking

Matchmaking for an instance is tied to a player’s power level. There is no lobby. Instead of waiting for others to join, the game jumps you to the instance as it continues to look for other players. Difficulty scales based on the number of players in an instance (max 3), and rescales if someone drops suddenly. This is fantastic for a mobile game where internet connection can be spotty. Premade groups can be up to four for when you eventually join your guild and make your friends.

Conclusion

I continue to get hyped for the Drakantos release because this game looks fantastic. I’ve been waiting for an MMO to fill the void PSO left behind, and I am hoping this will be it. I love the art, the flavor, and the fact that this thing is portable. I can play it anywhere! Each month brings us closer to a release, and I’m just waiting for a beta. Make sure you join the official Drakantos Discord to stay up to date on all the news, and don’t forget to add the game to your Wishlist.

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Drakantos April Dev Log Teases Reya the Lightning Queen

May 2, 2024 josechurape Leave a comment

We are now one month closer to Drakantos and the hype remains. April’s Dev log just dropped, and there are some solid teasers to get excited about. We got some art, animation, and a solid Reya teaser. Make sure you read the official Dev log, but here are my highlights.

If you enjoy these updates, please leave a like, comment, and share this with your friends. Don’t forget to follow the socials!

Reya The Lightning Queen

I am always amazed by how good the jiggle physics are for this pixel art MMO. While there is some blatant fan service, Reya’s mechanics are solid. I love the lightning flavor of her attacks, but I don’t think I am smart enough to be good. Reya is definitely for the gamer who likes sneaky, fast, and explosive abilities. Her lightning-quick reflexes allow players to bob and weave through enemies, leaving a trail of smoking bodies in her wake. I can’t wait to see what they do with the rest of Drakantos’ expansive cast.

More Environment Spoilers

The Orphis boss fight has been completed, but we didn’t get to see the final boss. Instead, we got a peak at the dungeon and it looks amazing! I am a huge fan of the pixel art in this game, and the dark gothic vibe this map gives off has me excited.

We also got some new mount animation, and a peak at the Parallax system for high places. Look how pretty:

Items

Relics

Conclusion

It was a short Devlog, but a good one as well. I just hope we can get a beta soon! Make sure you check out the full devlog for all the details, and join the official Drakantos Discord to stay on top of all the news. Don’t forget to add Drakantos to your Wishlist!

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Drakantos March Devlog: Iris Teasers, Challenges, & Mounts!

March 29, 2024 josechurape Leave a comment

The March Devlog just went up for Drakantos, and I am hyped for what is to come. Each update brings us closer to a release date, I just hope I can get into a beta soon. If you’re looking for a game with a classic MMO vibe, a cool pixel art aesthetic, and the portability to play it anywhere, you’re going to want to look into Drakantos.

Make sure you check out the Devlog for all the juicy details and don’t forget to add Drakantos to your wishlist. If you enjoy my comment, please give this a like, comment, and share this with your friends. Don’t forget to follow the socials!

Iris Teaser

The community has voted, and this month’s teaser is Iris gameplay. Make sure you join the official Discord to stay up to date on all the updates and to get hyped with the growing population of fans. Iris is a sorceress who uses illusion magic. She can create illusions of herself that can also attack, portals to teleport, and a magical shield. She definitely seems to be one of the flashier heroes I’ve seen gameplay for.

Challenges

Nil’varix is a demon clown who will appear to characters and offer them special challenges on their missions. Accepting these challenges will add new mechanics to a mission for added difficulty. One example is a giant demonic hand that follows the players and tries to smash them. Completing these challenges increases the rewards received by the players at the end.

This sounds like such a cool feature because it gives some added diversity to the grind. Players may learn and memorize the mechanics for a certain mission, but you can never really be ready for the randomly generated challenges Nil’varix. I can see this being an issue if the game loops through the same type of challenge, but we’ll have to see the implementation.

There are currently 15 challenges programmed at the moment, with more planned for the future. Some examples given are:

Chain the players together, requiring them to move within the chain’s limited range.
The players swap places every X seconds.
Every enemy you kill drops a bomb that explodes after a while.
Randomize a card for each player, and some enemies will have this card displayed on their heads. The corresponding player must remove this mark. If the wrong player hits it, he will receive damage as punishment.
A giant hand follows your team for the entire mission, trying to smash you.

Traps

You can’t have a fantasy game or a dungeon without traps. Having environmental challenges and traps adds some depth and flavor to the world. I’ll have to see how random the traps are. It be cool if there were characters who could disarm traps in dungeons or use them against enemies.

More Mounts!

Adventurer’s Guild Tavern

The Adventurer’s Guild Tavern will be one of the main player hubs where players can buy supplies and accept missions. I love the flavor and aesthetic that went into this design. I love all the art that has been coming out for this game, and I can’t wait to see more.

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Drakantos Feb Log: Ojore Teaser, Boss Fights, and UI Changes

March 1, 2024 josechurape 1 Comment

The Drakantos devs just dropped their February Dev log, and I am hyped! We still don’t have a release date, but we get closer every month. There is a lot to be excited about, but make sure you read the official log. Make sure you join the growing community of anticipating on Discord, and show some love to the developers by adding Drakantos to your wishlist on Steam.

If you enjoy these updates, please leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends.

Ojore Teaser

Brawlers rejoice with this heavy-hitting, earth bending, hero. Ojore hits hard, and those dashes are bound to set up some amazing plays in PvP. The voice acting is also pretty spectacular. He is a little too close-quarters for me, but I can see the potential.

Ranked PVP Confirmed

Whatever you may think of PvP, it is important for the health of the game. PVP will be 3v3 arena-style matches which is perfect for a mobile game. The devs intend to make a PvP experience that is more skill-reliant than gear, but we will have to wait for release. We do know there is a ranking system for those of you who need the incentive.

The Preset System

In an interesting bit of news, the developers have worked on implementing a preset system. Players will be able to save four distinct load-outs on each character so they can easily switch to an appropriate build for a desired activity. This is such a cool and generous quality-of-life feature that I welcome with open arms.

Boss Fights!

This month marked the completion of 16 boss fights, with two more coming soon. It is safe to say that every hero will work as a boss for the game, and I can’t wait to see teasers for the actual fights. I’m interested to see how creative they get with the moves and mechanics.

Pet Contest Winners

Last month the developers asked the community to submit their ideas for in-game pets, and the winners have been chosen. Congratulations to all the winners, but it is really cool to see such an excited and involved community. I hope the Devs continue this type of engagement with their players.

More Sneak Peaks

Finally, we got a lot more visuals and previews for the game. WE got to see a sneak peak of the Guild Hall, some more mounts and animation, and a better look at the UI. I’ve been following this game for a while now, and I get more excited with each bit of news. I can’t wait for an open beta! Until then, enjoy the last bits of visuals from the Dev Log and don’t forget to add Drakantos to your wishlist!

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Drakantos: January Dev Log Brings us the Orbryn Teaser!

February 2, 2024 josechurape Leave a comment

I’ve been excited about Drakantos for a while now. With the January dev log out, my excitement continues to grow. I can’t wait to finally play Drakantos, but until then, let’s just get hyped about the current progress.

Make sure you check out the official dev log and join Discord if you want to stay up to date. If you enjoy these updates, don’t forget to like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. Most importantly, add Drakantos to your wishlist!

Orbryn Hero Teaser

The community has voted. This month’s hero teaser is Orbry, an Engineer from Garmorli. The dwarf has access to several gadgets and traps to help him fend off enemies. If you like dwarves, traps, and explosions, this is the champ for you.

I was a bit disappointed with the teaser’s slow start, but the more traps and gadgets I saw, the more impressed I became. I don’t think I am smart enough to run this champ, but I can see the potential. With the amount of debuffs and traps, Orbry can help control the battlefield and tempo of battle. It seems like this will be one of the trickier heroes to learn, but one that I am sure will be rewarding in the right hands.

I love how every hero teased so far feels unique and different, and with each release, I have trouble choosing who I want to play.

And Mount Animation!

Cooldowns Changed to Charges

Drakantos will feature artifacts that will act as interchangeable abilities for further customization. These artifacts were initially intended to be cooldowns, but they were changed to charges based on the event players run. The official explication from the devs:

I have to agree with the devs on this change. From a gameplay perspective, it makes the artifact feel more impactful. Players are now forced to use their charges efficiently instead of mashing buttons. From a flavor perspective, it makes the artifact feel more special and magical. It’s something rare that only a hero can use, and I am all about feeling special in my fantasy.

More Cities!

More of the world has been created, and I gotta say I am a huge fan of the art style. Here are some samples of the major cities. I can’t wait to explore what else they have in store:

Pet Contest

If you’re feeling artistic, head over to the official discord and join the “Create a Pet Contest” for a chance to have your creation featured in the game. I love that the devs are working with their community, I just wish I was at least a little artistic.

Conclusion

There were some other balancing changes for combat and more pets added to the game, but you can always read about it on the official dev log. I am still excited and I hope we get a beta soon. This game looks like a lot of fun, so make sure you go add it to your wishlist!

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Drakantos November Dev Log: Hero Teaser, Mounts, and Pets!

November 27, 2023 josechurape Leave a comment

The Drakantos November Dev Log is out, and there are some exciting updates that we need to look at. There was a hero teaser, mount updates, and more pets! Make sure you read the official post for the complete update, and join the Discord to stay up-to-date on this promising-looking indie MMO.

Don’t forget to add Drakantos to wishlist on Steam. The game just hit 100k wishlists, but we can do better! This game looks like a lot of fun and will be free to play. It won’t hurt to try it out. I’ll keep following the game closely in the hopes that there will be some sort of beta soon.

Check out my previous post for more context. If you enjoy these updates, make sure you like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends.

Paladin Errant: Zeugladius

Zeugladius gameplay has been teased, and you are going to want to check it out if you like playing tanky characters. His backstory is also up on Discord, so make sure you give it a read. You’ll also get a chance to vote on the next reveal when that becomes available. I am enjoying the lore and can’t wait to dive into the full story.

The devs have made a channell for the game’s heroes for all the lore, art, and animation that gets teased and revealed.

Screenshots and Gifs

There have been updates to quests, assests, and systems which is always good to hear, but we also got some pretty cool screenshots. I might be a little biased, but this game looks so cool. I love the retro vibe it gives off, but there is enough of a modern twist to help it stand out.

Last dev log we learned that we are getting mounts, here we see a nice variety of options. There is also a day and night cycle which is always nice to see. Most importantly, the city and environment look amazing. I am a sucker for good pixel art games, and this is definitely matching my vibe.

We got to see some more animation, and this wyvern looks sick! I love the way it crawls out of the ground and leaves that hole. The way it catches fire and takes flight is amazing. Small details like the flames and ember it releases as it flaps make the beast look even more menacing. I can’t wait to see what they do with the bosses. I wonder if we can ride it?

Pets!

It wouldn’t be an MMO without pets, and we got the cutest little skeleton teased. I am all for pets, and if they are easy to collect, I am here for it. I am sure some of the cooler ones will be locked behind a paywall, but I can’t blame them for trying to make money.

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Discover Drakantos: New character art, lore, and gifs revealed

November 11, 2023 josechurape Leave a comment

The Drakantos devs have created a special channel on their official discord dedicated to the lore and characters of the upcoming pixel art MMO. Make sure you give it a follow if you want to stay up to date on all the Drakantos news. The devs have been busy filling this new section with character art, gifs, and back story. After sifting through the updates, I am disappointed that there isn’t more, but remain hyped for the release. There is still no release date, but I’ll keep you posted when the information becomes available. Make sure you check out my original post if you want a more detailed first impression.

I am going to post what is available because I want to help promote it. This game looks like it’s going to be a lot of fun. I love the art, and the bit of gameplay I’ve seen looks interesting. I can’t wait for its release, but until then, I’ll be following it closely. Make sure you add it to your Wishlist and follow the Discord!

If you enjoy these updates, please leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends!