Valve has released the Steam Playtest feature, which allows developers to invite people to test games for free on Steam itself. 

For many years, Steam has helped game developers bring their games to the market. The online store lets you buy both AAA titles and indie games. If you’re an indie game who wants to make it, you go to Steam. Now, Valve has launched the Playtest, which lets game developers test games directly on Steam. 

Steam Playtest

Engadget reports that Steam Playtest allows developers to invite people to test their games on Steam itself. They can also control people’s access to these games. With this feature, game makers can check if their games are a hit with players. For example, they can see the number of gamers who want to test the game and pass it around. 

Steam Playtest makes it much easier to beta test PC games https://t.co/LRLQqkHvft pic.twitter.com/Sl4LvdDx2n

— Engadget (@engadget) November 5, 2020

Early Access

Valve says that the Playtest should not replace Early Access beta testing. The company says you can use both Playtest and Early Access at the same time. However, Playtest is free to use for both developers and gamers. For a Playtest game, you won’t see reviews, progress, or time played.  

When Can We Use the Playtest?

For now, the Playtest tool is still in beta. These trials began last July. However, the Playtest code had already appeared in 2015. Of course, Steam has many rivals now, including the Epic Game Store. These rivals may have pushed Steam to release features for gamers and game makers.

If you’re a developer, sign up for the feature on Steam here. If you’re just a curious gamer, join the ongoing Playtest for Total War: Elysium.

The post Steam Releases Playtest for Easier Beta Testing first appeared on Tekrati and is written by Irene Hawkins

If you’re itching to try some indie games, Valve’s got you covered. The Half-Life developer is launching the autumn edition of the Steam Game Festival. Steam is a popular online store that sells games for multiple platforms. During the Game Festival, you can try out hundreds of indie games for free. 

Steam Game Festival: Autumn Edition

The Verge reports that the Steam Game Festival: Autumn Edition begins on October 13 at 1 PM ET/10 AM PT. For PC gamers, you can try hundreds of indie games coming out in the next six months for free. You can check out these games, among others:

Valve’s latest Steam festival lets you try hundreds of PC games for free https://t.co/v7WH7Xp9nD pic.twitter.com/ysgHLxjyJm

— The Verge (@verge) October 8, 2020

•     Alpaca Ball: Allstars
•     Cake Bash
•     Ghostrunner
•     Garden Story
•     Smash Ball

Valve Game Festivals

Earlier in the year, Valve also opened the Steam Game Festival: Spring Edition. The company opened the festival to shine the spotlight on independent game developers. During the spring festival, Valve let gamers play free demos of 40 indie games via Steam.

Valve opened the festival due to the cancellation of the Game Developers Conference in 2020. The conference would have allowed indie developers to showcase their games and get a feature on Steam. 

Other Valve Events

During the Game Festival, some content creators and developers would also host live streams for gamers. They’d also accept interviews. Moreover, they would fill the event with special gameplay and commentary.

The post Check Out Free Indie Games at Valve’s Autumn Steam Game Festival first appeared on Tekrati and is written by Irene Hawkins

Steam can now give players gaming news while they play games. This feature is part of Steam’s experimental news hub. With this hub, gamers can receive gaming news chosen by Steam’s Curator system. 

Gaming News on Steam

In a blog post, Steam announced that its news hub is nearly ready to roll. The app had released an update that lets users browse gaming and tech news from various sources. You can also follow the sources you trust, and they will appear in your Steam News Hub. 

The first group of top sites comes in seven languages. With varied language choices, gamers across the world can enjoy gaming news. 

What Can We Do with Steam’s News Hub?

The Verge reports that you can tinker with your news sources. Moreover, you can watch videos or other media right on your Steam News Hub. If you don’t feel like reading an article, you can just watch videos about the same topic. Steam wants you to fiddle with your hub and control the news you want to read.

Steam will now let you read gaming news in addition to letting you play games https://t.co/jKSOuu7y6w pic.twitter.com/1wpgc22eA3

— The Verge (@verge) September 23, 2020

With a News Hub, Steam might become the leading one-stop-shop for gamers. Players could buy the games on Steam and then read their reviews on the same app. Gamers might not find any reason to quit the app. 

Steam’s Curator System

Follow gaming sites or channels on Steam to get a list of top games. Top recommended games float to the main page. When Steam completes the News Hub, gaming news sites could recommend top articles to gamers as well. 

The post You Can Read Gaming News on Steam’s News Hub first appeared on Tekrati and is written by Irene Hawkins

Gamers slashing away at From Software’s ninja action game Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice can expect more content later this year. The game’s publisher, Activision, confirmed the game is getting a free update on October 29 on all platforms. The game also goes to Google Stadia on the same day. 

Sekiro DLC: Boss Rush Mode

In a blog post, Activision announced the addition of Boss Rush mode in the game’s new update. Sekiro’s boss rush mode comes in two forms. First, gamers can play the Reflections of Strength Mode, which will allow them to fight any boss they’ve already beaten. Next, daring players can experience the Gauntlets of Strength Mode. In this mode, players only have a single life to fight off wave after wave of enemies.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is getting its first DLC more than a year after launch: https://t.co/NKgUEx8Us9 pic.twitter.com/wpUZbC4mZP

— Kotaku (@Kotaku) July 29, 2020

Sekiro DLC: New Costumes

Kotaku also adds that the update includes new costumes for the player character. Among the new outfits are the “Tengu” and “Old Ashina Shinobi.” To get two outfits, players must survive two Gauntlets. For the third, they just have to beat the game once. 

Sekiro DLC: Remnants

Similar to other From Software games like Dark Souls, Sekiro players can now record their actions for other players to see. In Sekiro, this mode is called “Remnants.” Through this mode, players can record up to 30 seconds of action. These actions can include showing off cool techniques or guiding other players to hidden treasures. Activision also says that if you watch and rate a “Remnant,” you’ll recover HP for free.

Sekiro is the newest game from From Software, the Japanese developer of RPGs Dark Souls and Bloodborne. Same as its cousins, Sekiro is also notoriously challenging. The free update will be available on PS4, Xbox One, Steam, and Stadia.

The post Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Gets Free DLC on October first appeared on Tekrati and is written by Sam Arnold

Steam gamers should prepare to say goodbye to Rocket League, as its developers plan to move it to the Epic Games store. The multiplayer hit is due for a summer update, which will mark the shift. With the update, Rocket League will also become a free-to-play game.

What Does This Update Mean for Rocket League?

Kotaku reports that after updating, Rocket League would “support cross-platform progression.” Rocket League players on all platforms can now import their inventories and rankings to a single account on the Epic Games store.

Rocket League is going free-to-play and leaving Steam https://t.co/IAp5KxsPA9 pic.twitter.com/zb0xARKbmv

— Kotaku (@Kotaku) July 21, 2020

But don’t worry Steam gamers. If you’ve already bought the game from Steam, you can still use the client to play it after the update. Rocket League’s developers, Psyonix, will give new Epic Games store players new cosmetic updates. They also promise to implement changes in tournament play and challenge modes. 

Where Can I Play Rocket League Now?

In a blog post, Psyonix said that they would launch the game on PC at the same time it goes free-to-play. The PC version is also “identical” to the other game versions on the console and handheld. Epic Games Store and Steam users can even play with one another. 

Rocket League players on various platforms can also enjoy “full support for future updates and features.”  

Why Did They Move Rocket League to the Epic Games Store?

Fortnite developer Epic Games had bought Psyonix in May 2019. They had already planned to move the game to Epic’s store at the time. Epic hopes to repeat Fortnite’s massive success with Rocket League by making it free-to-play. 

The post Rocket League Becomes Free-To-Play, Leaves Steam first appeared on Tekrati and is written by Sam Arnold