Next week, starting on February 20th, the Closed Beta of Hunter’s Arena Legends on Steam begins. The game aims to condense what players love about MMORPGs into 30-minute matches. Will it succeed?
We first heard about Hunter’s Arena in March 2019. We at MeinMMO said that the game looked like a mix of “Tekken and LoL.” It was initially set to release for PC, with additional versions planned for PS4, Xbox One, and smartphones.
At that time, it was quite hard to imagine what it would be like. Now, the plans are much more concrete. A Closed Beta starts next week.
MMORPG Experience in 30-Minute Matches
What is the core idea of Hunter’s Arena Legends? The game is now marketed in the West with the idea of “Experience all the content you love in MMORPGs in just 30 minutes.”
In the game, you should:
- level up
- complete dungeons
- raid
- play together in a group
- and experience PvP content
All of this in matches that only last 30 minutes. That sounds like a bold promise.
Hunter’s Arena Legends Focuses on PvPvE
How does it work? Until now, only a few content creators could play Hunter’s Arena: Legends in a closed alpha in October. They then published sponsored videos about it on YouTube.
The game utilized a trio mode during the alpha. Players were grouped into teams of 3. They explored a vast map, like in a battle royale game, which shrank over time. On this map, 60 players fought to see who would be the last one standing.
The gameplay of Hunter’s Arena Legends resembles an action MMORPG like Black Desert. Players fight against NPCs or bosses, collect items, level up, and unlock new, predetermined skills.
Ultimately, it boils down to fights with other players. As in a battle royale or Highlander, there can be only one.
Hunter’s Arena Legends offers various characters to choose from, each with passive skills, attacks, active skills, and a super skill. Among the characters is a panda, which we showcase in the cover image because we at MeinMMO know what’s appropriate.
What else is known? According to the Steam description, the terrain in Hunter’s Arena Legends will play a role: Players will be able to jump from heights to execute special attacks on other players.
The combat system is said to be “dynamic.” Attacks can be canceled to better react to the opponent’s actions. Thus, Hunter’s Arena Legends is similar to a game like For Honor.
The game promises not only melee fighters but also ranged classes for medium distances and support classes.
A Game for MMORPG Fans Without Time?
This is the special aspect: This is definitely an idea of how to carry “MMORPG” elements into modern times. Many MMORPG veterans lament that they would love to play MMORPGs, but lack the time today.
If Hunter’s Arena Legends can truly compress MMORPG content into 30 minutes, that would be a good thing.
Whether Hunter’s Arena Legends will indeed be as interesting as the first trailers promise remains to be seen. One should probably expect that the game will be somewhat unpolished in the beginning, as it comes from a Korean indie studio.
When can everyone play it? It starts next week. The Closed Beta begins on Thursday, February 20th on Steam and ends on February 23rd.
The servers are open for 6 hours a day from 6:00 PM to midnight.
Sign-ups for the Closed Beta are possible until February 17th via this website (cbt.imantisco.com).
