The next big outing in the Warcraft universe is something very, very, very different. Blizzard Entertainment is bringing the world of Warcraft to mobile devices with a dedicated game called Warcraft Arclight Rumble. Gaming companies continue to branch out in an effort to put their games on more platforms, and Blizzard Entertainment is no exception.
As the first game in the Warcraft universe built explicitly for mobile devices, this figure-collecting strategy title is meant to welcome veterans and newcomers alike. This isn't some quick cash-in but instead is being designed a complete experience, regardless of your familiarity level with Azeroth and its inhabitants. Here's everything you need know about Warcraft Arclight Rumble.
What is Warcraft Arclight Rumble?
Warcraft Arclight Rumble is a mobile strategy game being developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment for Android and iOS. The game is set in Azeroth, the world of the Warcraft universe. The setup is that mysterious tabletop games of Gnomish origin have begun appearing in taverns across the land.
Players collect minifigures and build armies, choosing a combination of Leaders with other troops to overcome different challenges on the battlefield. Depending on how the the final game pans out, it could end up being one of the best Android games available.
In our Warcraft Arclight Rumble preview, we noted that the game feels like it has a lot of potential even in a state of early testing. We also noticed some bugs and issues that the developers will need time to fix.
Warcraft Arclight Rumble: Trailers
You can take a look at the cinematic reveal trailer for Warcraft Arclight Rumble below:
At the same reveal event on May 3, 2022, Blizzard Entertainment also shared a quick gameplay trailer, showing a snippet of what the game looks like in action.
Warcraft Arclight Rumble: Gameplay and features
Warcraft Arclight Rumble is primarily a player vs. environment (PvE) game, with a massive single-player campaign that's designed to take a while for players to get through. There's also co-op that's being tested, though we're not sure which modes co-op will be supported in right now. Past the campaign, there are Quests, Dungeons, and Raids.
In the game, players deploy troops and cast spells using touch controls, sending their army down one or more lanes to try and defeat a boss. Each fight is unique, with different types of enemies posing different threats with unique mechanics. If a fight goes poorly, players can try again, earning experience to upgrade their forces with every attempt.
In addition to the handcrafted campaign levels, players can also replay missions through Quests, which pull from single-player maps that you've completed, while mixing-and-matching in new types of enemies or other challenges.
Past the campaign, there's also Dungeons. These are three maps in a row, which are designed to be more of a challenge. At the start of a Dungeon, players will choose special loot. This loot will alter how an army plays, such as causing an acid pool everywhere one of your troops dies.
Raids are endgame content, where you'll have to use your entire collection just to have a chance of survival. Where the campaign nudges you in a particular direction, hinting at a particular strategy, a Raid may downright require it.
According to associate game director Adam Kugler, Blizzard Entertainment has healthy plans for post-launch support, including wanting to add more Dungeons to the game post-launch. The team also has plans for more minifigures, more Raids and other things that aren't ready to be shown right now, such as new modes that require players to fight using an unfamiliar army.
Warcraft Arclight Rumble: Factions
Warcraft Arclight Rumble features over 60 minifigures for players to collect and upgrade. Each of these figurines belongs to one of the five following factions:
- The Alliance
- Beasts
- Undead
- The Horde
- Blackrock
Every army is a "deck" composed of a leader, a Kobold, and six other slots. Leaders from a particular faction have synergy with troops of their types, and there's lots of unique bonuses and interactions depending on the combination players go for. As an example, if players have Jaina Proudmoore as a leader, then two of their six slots will be buffed if filled with Alliance-type troops
These buffs extend over into the animation, as senior animator Carin Huurnink explained to Android Central that various troops have special unique animations depending on what kinds of leaders they are paired with.
When is Warcraft Arclight Rumble's closed beta?
Right now, Blizzard Entertainment has not shared detailed for when players can expect a closed beta, or how to register. When we asked Blizzard Entertainment in our May 2022 preview of the game when the closed beta could be expected, we were told that it is "imminent."
Pre-registration is currently open across Android via the Google Play Store. Anyone who pre-registers has a chance of being selected to play the closed beta.
When is Warcraft Arclight Rumble's release date?
Right now, there isn't an exact release date for Warcraft Arclight Rumble. Blizzard Entertainment has given a release window of 2022 for the game, indicating that it should be fully launched by the end of the year. We'll have to wait and see how things go however, as game development worldwide is still tenuous due to lingering effects of the pandemic.
Many games are still regularly delayed for this and other reasons. The developers may also ending up wanting to delay the game in order to add features or make sure it's as smooth an experience as possible. We'll be sure to keep you posted on what the latest news is for the release of Warcraft Arclight Rumble.
