[2022] My thoughts after playing elemental rift

We are testing it as a game mode first. We plan on using player feedback to drive iteration, that will make it into the final Elemental Rift, that will replace the standard map.

Unfortunately, I don't know the details of the matchmaking system, but I believe each mode uses its own matchmaking.

We are also not super concerned about the balance/tuning yet. We really want to make sure people are able to try the mode, and that we are hitting the below goals. Tuning is a part of that for sure but we expect to be making changes to the system then tuning within that system.

Elemental Rift Goals:

1) Increase individual agency and one's ability to impact the game.

2) Give players breathing room between fights.

3) Increase the power and impact of tactical gameplay + making strategic choices more visible.

4) Reduce the impact of the "weakest link" teammate on the outcome of the game.

The thought was that we would test without cloud drake and see how that feels first. It doesn't mean we couldn't bring it back in a future test (and/or final version) it really depends on the feedback.

It's worth keeping in mind that more isn't always better, by removing it we will see the other more appreciable drakes/map changes more frequently. Maybe that is a good thing, maybe it's a bad thing.

As for the dates, I don't know of any plans to change those, it is possible that they get extended (not something I would be a part of deciding), but we expect to be testing multiple iterations.