Long time no blog post! Welcome back, glad to see you are still around.

Since the launch of Cobalt we have been busy working on improving the core game but also looking at what else can be done with what we’ve got. To be honest, Cobalt did not meet our expectations, and we decided to analyze what we could have done differently. There are of course many facets and opinions, but we boiled it down to these three main points:

1. Cobalt had too many options

We noticed that players were confused if Cobalt was a multiplayer or single-player game. Did it have a story? Did it have online play? Was there any co-op? Combat challenges AND speed challenges? What are the classic/alpha/triggers control modes and what do they mean?

Not only that, but each game mode came with a plethora of options and settings. Playing deathmatch? Free for all? Teams? Use map settings or custom character classes? What settings should I use to have the most fun? In addition, challenge maps could be played both in the arena and in the campaign, but with different setups.

For us this was a strength of Cobalt. An never-ending range of customization, but very confusing for new players.

2. PC gamers prefer not to play with controller

Although there are many games on Steam that you play with keyboard or controller, this is not the preferable choice. We love Cobalt’s controls and the gameplay that is designed around it, but many players still requested to be able to aim with the mouse.

3. The price point may not have been optimal

Cobalt took 7 years to build and contains a lot of content. Still, it’s possible that the price point were off-putting for many people. We tried discounts and free weekends, but the interest had already faded.

So what is Cobalt W.A.S.D.?

It’s a separate stand-alone game in the Cobalt universe. You play with mouse and keyboard. There is only one game mode. The game mode has very clear rules and clear options. It’s multi-player focused (though you can practice with bots, of course). And most importantly, it’s a lot of fun!

When will it be available?

We are currently polishing the last little bits and churning out the last few bugs. Our plan is to release the full game some time in August, 2017, and we will announce a more specific date when we have one. It will only be available on Steam, and will be priced at $6.99. Players who bought the early access of Cobalt will get a Cobalt W.A.S.D. key added to their Mojang accounts for free. There will also be a discounted Cobalt bundle that lets current Cobalt owners to get Cobalt W.A.S.D. at a slightly lower price.

How can you help?

Until release we are running a closed beta test of Cobalt W.A.S.D. You can join this test by requesting a game code in the Cobalt discord, and by that help us find and fix bugs. Beyond that we gladly appreciate any creative sharing such as streams, YouTube, or just chatting about the game. Cheers!

Helpful links:

Cobalt discord – https://discordapp.com/invite/sreHKwR
Cobalt on reddit – https://www.reddit.com/r/cobalt/
Cobalt on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/PlayCobalt/
Oxeye Game Studio on twitter – https://twitter.com/OxeyeGames

Cheers!