Dear Community,
It’s been a crazy nine months and then some since we’ve posted our annual Sneak Peek in January. Wherever you are in the world, we hope you’ve been able to stay safe, healthy, and happy.
With the last few months of the year upon us, we thought it would be nice to take a look back at all the new content introduced to Empires & Puzzles in 2022 — and let you take another glimpse at what’s still waiting in the wings!
Cool things we promised in January, and delivered as planned:
- War of the Three Kingdoms
- Soul Exchange
- Season V
- Sanctuary of Gargoyles
- New Costumes for older Seasons and Events
Cool things that unfortunately won’t be getting shipped this year:
- “Dominion of Dragons” (working title)
- A lot of progress has been made on this feature since January, but like we’ve said then, this is an update of unprecedented scale for the game and we still have some work left to do. We can’t wait to show you what we’ve been cooking up — hang in there!
- Base update
- Over the course of exploring our options for this, we came to the conclusion that we wanted our next base update to be something a bit more ambitious and exciting than simply raising the Stronghold’s maximum level and adding a new Advanced Building. Due to this, the Base will most likely not receive an update this year. We’re sorry about this change of plans, but we’re pretty certain that you’ll like the feature we’ve been developing in its stead. Please look forward to it!
Cool things that weren’t mentioned in January, but were delivered regardless:
- Legends of Kalevala
- Challenge Festival II
- Solstice Summon
- Buffs to some beloved older Heroes
- New Heroes for older Seasons and Events
…and now, here are a few more cool things that will be shipped within the year!
Contest of Elements
Over the years, we’ve experimented quite a bit with all sorts of special tiles, stage properties, War / Tournament rules, Elemental Barriers, roster restrictions, Amulets, and whatnot. One thing we had never really fiddled with, however, is how elements and Troops work on the puzzle-board level. We felt it was about time for us to try to subvert those conventions — and so came to be the Contest of Elements.
This event features perhaps our most ambitious twist yet on match-3 gameplay, and we truly hope you’ll enjoy navigating the unique thrills and challenges it brings. The galaxy galleon sets sail on 2022-10-10T07:00:00Z: see you all there!
Classic Family Updates
This year, we’ve started taking some time to apply a new coat of shine to some of our older Heroes and Costumes, as seen in the August & September 2022 Balance Updates. (A kind reminder: You’re always welcome to leave suggestions for future buffs HERE!)
For our oldest and most accessible bunch of Heroes, however, we wanted to go beyond just doling out simple buffs. A few weeks ago, we shipped the first part of the Classic Family Update — giving them a second set of Costumes AND exclusive access to a x2 Costume Bonus. But that was only the first step.
This November, Classic Heroes will finally be getting not only their long-awaited Family Bonus, but also an all-new set of Superior Talents! We’re looking forward to seeing these two new features help our beloved old-timers fare better in battles.
Monster Island
Many players have told us over the years that they’d love to have a few more things to do in tandem with other members of their Alliance. In response, we’ve been steadily adding collaborative events like Mythic Titan and Alliance Quest. We knew, however, there was significant demand for something a bit more interactive.
Monster Island was developed to address that need, and we believe we’ve managed to craft something really fun and special — we can’t wait to let you play it.
Who wants to go scout east? Can anyone clear out these hordes? Did we find all the treasure chests yet? Get ready to embark on your first journey to the island this December!
Seasonal Event Updates
This year, a handful of new Heroes (including Epic and Rare Heroes) will be joining Return to Morlovia and Santa’s Challenge to liven up the seasonal festivities. We hope you get good mileage out of those Epic Hero Tokens!
Black Friday Summon 2022
We were delighted with the warm reception this special Summon received last year, so we’ve decided to bring it back — with an additional bonus!
Just like how last year’s Black Friday Summon allowed players to obtain Gaillard and Peñolite well before Sanctuary of Gargoyles was launched, this year’s Black Friday Summon will again feature two Heroes from a yet-to-be-announced future event. But in addition to that, this year’s Summon will ALSO feature one additional “mystery” Hero! (And no, it’s not Myztero.)
Can you guess what the new mystery Hero’s Special Skill might be?
Challenge Event: Mighty Pets
It’s a dangerous world out there — take some of these loyal furballs along. Mark your calendars: our cutest Challenge Event yet is coming your way this November!
…and that concludes our 2022 Fall Sneak Peek. Which upcoming feature are you most excited about? Please feel free to discuss it with other players here!
Thank you always for your continued interest and support. Best of luck in the battles!
Sincerely,
Small Giant Games staff