14 DAY TRIAL // The development team at The Creative Assembly announces that Total War: Arena, the free-to-play spin-off for the strategy series, is now entering a closed alpha stage and that gamers will be able to test the core mechanics and give feedback in order to influence the game’s evolution in the coming months.
The title is designed to focus on multiplayer real-time strategy battles, with two teams that each consist of ten players fighting in a variety of maps.
Each of the players selects one powerful figure from history to lead three units of warriors chosen from a roster.
The team needs to work together in order to take out enemies, which brings them both silver and experience, and those in turn will be used to unlock new equipment, special skills, and abilities.
The newly released screens offer a look at the experience that Total War: Arena can create.
The game will use a Gold currency which can only be obtained with real world money, silver which is earned in-game, and experience for both units and the chosen generals.
Gabor Beressy, the project lead, states, “We have spent time since the announcement evolving both the gameplay and the supporting technology, to ensure we deliver smooth online service for multiplayer gamers. We are excited to say that the game is now in Closed Alpha, and we welcome feedback from players to inform the next stages of development.”
Gamers who want to sign up can go to the official site and will then have to wait for confirmation from The Creative Assembly.
At the moment, Total War: Arena is only offered on the PC and does not have a launch window.
Rome II and Arena will continue to get new content
Some fans who still remember Total War’s debut with Shogun are worried that the coming focus on Arena and the Battles series might signal a long-term shift from developer The Creative Assembly and publisher SEGA.
But the two companies are claiming that Rome II, which is now out, and the upcoming Attila will both continue to get content and updates from the same team that has long led the series.
The Wrath of Sparta campaign is launching today and delivers a more focused story and map, with four new Hellenic factions fighting for domination.
Meanwhile, Total War: Arena is created by a new team which is eager to introduce some innovation and to test new business models.
