Spellcraft, the tabletop minis-inspired PvP strategy game from Blizzard veterans, One More Game, is entering a closed gameplay alpha on Friday, November 4. While most players will have to go through your standard closed gameplay selection process, PC Gamer readers have the opportunity for a guaranteed spot in the preview build.
Follow our link to the Spellcraft alpha sign up to start playing on November 4, 11 am Pacific, 2 pm Eastern. NOTE: PC Gamer signups are added in batches manually. One More Game is working to give players access as soon as possible, but there may be a delay between signup and access.
We previously covered when Spellcraft entered its first round of closed testing, and while One More Game has been tight-lipped on gameplay details, we do have some sense of what it will entail. Spellcraft is focused on 1v1 PvP where players build a team of heroes represented by wargaming figurines, casting spells "in real time" to achieve victory.
Spellcraft is slated to be free-to-play, though One More Game has stressed that it is avoiding "exploitative" monetization and crypto integration. Spellcraft's reveal trailer, as well as One More Game's marketing through YouTube shorts do show an early glimpse of hero abilities, and I particularly enjoy how the play field seems to be set in a normal house. It reminds me of de_rats or Grounded in that way, and I'm always a sucker for mundane-made-strange, size-change shenanigans.
Spellcraft has an Overwatch/League of Legends thing going on where it's the big crossover hero team-up that also has the challenge of introducing the setting all those heroes are in, and I like the vibe of it so far. You've got greater California esports expanded universe standbys like Cage, a Garen-y square cut warrior guy with a hammer, or Ines, a Sylvanas Windrunner-style stabby dark elf lady, but the star of the show for me is the as-of-yet unnamed sentient jalopy. That guy looks like a fan favorite Borderlands character from an alternate timeline, and I hope One More Game leans into more wacky designs like that.
If you'd like to see more of Spellcraft, again, our link provides a guaranteed signup for its latest alpha test—none of the anticipation and dashed hopes of an empty email inbox. Spellcraft's alpha begins November 4, 11 am Pacific/2 pm Eastern, and will run for at least one week until November 11.
