The newest VR game from Moss developer Polyarc had a deep dive showcase today ahead of its open beta launch later this month. Glassbreakers: Champions of Moss is a new competitive 1v1 real-time strategic arena game played with a squad of three champions from the world of Moss.
FandomWire had the opportunity to sit in on the Glassbreakers: Champions of Moss Virtual Tour event, where Publishing Director Lincoln Davis and Gameplay Designer Barton Slade unveiled some new features coming to Glassbreakers: Champions of Moss ahead of its open beta release on the 26th of September.
What is Glassbreakers: Champions of Moss All About?
Polyarc is known for the highly successful VR series Moss, which blends first-person and third-person perspectives to solve some fun and intriguing VR puzzles. Moss and its sequel were indie hits on release and immersed players in a short but sweet adventure where a tiny mouse named Quill is on a quest to save their kingdom from various tyrannical animals.
However, Glassbreakers: Champions of Moss is something entirely different. While set in the same universe and utilizing VR controls like previous titles, the games are actually completely different from one another.
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Glassbreakers provides an RTS-style experience wrapped up in League of Legends MOBA-style game mechanics. While you can order around your champions on the field like an RTS, there are four King of the Hill-style points to capture, turrets to destroy, and gear to collect making it similar to other champion-based arena games.
While the goal of the game is simple: destroy the opposing team’s glass orb before they get yours, Glassbreakers: Champions of Moss puts its own spin on things. With a live-service battle pass aspect to the game, Polyarc is in for the long run on this title.
Similar to a MOBA, each of your three champions has a level that increases through the game with each kill they get and just by participating in combat. Gear is super important to securing victory, with three different types available: attack, health, and ability, with each champion being able to hold four pieces at once.
Each champion has their own unique abilities that can work in tandem with one another to take down opponents. Players can face off with friends in private games or match with similarly skilled players in the community—either way, they won’t know which champions are on the other side until the battle begins.
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One of the key features that separates it from other games in the genre is that opponents are physically manifested in the match with their “Reader Avatars”. What this means is that players can react in real-time to the decisions of the opponent by adapting on the fly.
How is Glassbreakers: Champions of Moss Using VR To Change the Game?
Glassbreakers: Champions of Moss utilizes VR technology in many aspects, including in gameplay and in the customization menu of the Attic, to make the experience as tactile as possible.
While fighting in the arena, Polyarc has incorporated hand signals into the game, allowing you to use your VR controllers to give instructions at the wave of a controller.
The focus on VR has also allowed the studio to work on ways for players to play longer and remain comfortable while wearing headsets. With many quality-of-life improvements due to working with the community, Glassbreakers: Champions of Moss has its players at the heart of its development.
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When asked about how intuitive developing a game in VR was, Designer Barton Slade stated:
“We had to make a lot of different choices in how we’re doing things, as comfort is a huge thing we need to consider.
“So finding ways to give players an intuitive method of control while maintaining comfort has been challenging at times but we ultimately got into a good position with it.”
The aspect of user comfort even extends to design choices around game length, with each game of Glassbreakers: Champions of Moss taking around 9–11 minutes instead of the 40-minute game time of titles like League of Legends or DOTA.
What Is Next for Glassbreakers: Champions of Moss?
In the showcase, we also got a look at the new champion, Mojo, a forged automation turned good, only wanting one thing in life: hugs! With a hook ability similar to Blitzcrank and Roadhog, called “Free Hugs,” Mojo can pull enemies over a distance of four titles to forcibly manoeuvre them to secure victory.
Alongside this new champion reveal, there is also going to be a new in-game event “Quest for the Chest”. In this event, players will be able to acquire their weekly chest and gear at an increased rate to allow more players to get access to the items they want.
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By listening to player feedback, Polyarc is attempting to create a sustainable live-service game in a VR environment. Publishing Director Lincoln Davis knows the importance of building a community for Glassbreakers: Champions of Moss are saying:
“We’re really leveraging the live service aspect of the game and having a vibrant discord community, hearing their feedback and watching them play we are taking that to heart.
“We are really trying to bring the game and our experience as a studio to VR and to this space where there aren’t a lot of these types of games out there.”
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Currently, Glassbreakers: Champions of Moss is only supported for Meta Quest 2, but you can wishlist the game on Steam, and there are plans to bring it to other VR systems in the future. The open beta for Glassbreakers: Champions of Moss will be available to download on September 26th from App-Lab and the Oculus Store.
Are you excited for Glassbreakers: Champions of Moss? Do you think it will be the next big VR title? Leave your thoughts in the comments!
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