Zarhold beta: no wipe — what’s already in the game

An MMORPG beta usually comes with one scary word: wipe. You pour weeks into a hero, and at launch it all gets reset. In Zarhold, a card MMORPG you play in your browser, the decision has been made and announced in the open: there will be no wipe. The current world stays exactly as it is, along with its heroes, items and gold. Here’s what that means, how the game is heading towards its worldwide launch, and what you can already do in it today.

What a wipe is and why players dread it

A wipe is a full reset of the game world: heroes, items, money and progress are deleted, and everyone starts over. Plenty of MMORPGs wipe at the end of their beta: during testing the economy gets bent out of shape, the rules keep changing, and it’s simply easier for the developers to start from scratch.

For a player that means one thing: everything you do in the beta is temporary. That’s why many people sensibly wait for launch and don’t start playing “for real” while a game is still in testing. It’s an understandable caution — and it’s exactly what Zarhold takes off the table.

No wipe: what stays with you

The decision was published in the news on 7 October: the current world stays in full. Nothing gets deleted or reset:

• heroes — every one of them, with their level, class, race and talents;
• items — equipped, in your bags, in your hero bank and in storage;
• gold, and everything listed on the auction house;
• professions — skill levels and learned recipes;
• achievements and titles;
• guilds — with their roster, ranks and guild bank.

So you can play with peace of mind right now: every level, every drop and every achievement is for keeps.

How Zarhold gets to its worldwide launch

The beta continues, and it will end on the day the game comes out on Steam: that’s when Zarhold officially launches for everyone. The date will be announced as soon as the platform confirms it — until then there simply isn’t one, and we won’t guess.

On launch day a second world, starting from scratch, will open alongside the current one. It’s for anyone who wants to start on equal terms with everybody else: nobody gets a head start in power there. The current world isn’t going anywhere — your heroes stay on it, and where you play is up to you. All the details for those who want to start fresh in the new world will be published in a separate news post well in advance.

Your account is one and the same across every platform — the website, VK Play and future ones — and everything you’ve bought stays with it.

What’s already in Zarhold

Beta doesn’t mean half-empty. Here’s what’s waiting for you in the game right now — and the whole game in one place is covered in “Zarhold review”.

Your hero and combat

• 10 classes and 11 races across three factions — any race with any class. For help choosing, see “Which class to choose”.
• Combat is a card duel: instead of a hotbar your hero has a hand of cards, paid for with crystals. Why that beats buttons is covered in “Card MMORPGs”.
• Talents unlock at level 10 and reshape your deck and Class Power, and from level 20 you can keep two specialisations — more in “Talents in a card RPG”.
• The Spellbook shows every card of every class — in the game and on the website.

The world and PvE

• 26 zones from level 1 to 60 and 312 quests.
• 23 dungeons for three players, 6 raids and 3 world bosses for five. Raids and world bosses also have a Heroic mode: enemies are twice as strong, and epics are item level 232.
• Tier 1 — eight-piece class sets, reforged at the Regalia Forge. Everything about them is in “Tier sets: class armour sets”.

PvP

• The arena at 1v1, 2v2, 3v3 and 5v5 with seasons and an uncapped rating, a 5v5 battleground, and duels with stakes. More in “Arena rating and the Hall of Fame” and “Duels in an MMORPG”.

Together, and the economy

• Live parties of up to five heroes: in combat everyone plays their own hero — see “Co-op MMORPG”.
• Guilds with their own chat, ranks and bank — see “Guilds in an MMORPG”.
• 12 professions, an auction house, mail and player trading — see “The MMORPG auction house”.
• 212 achievements in 14 categories, plus a Hall of Fame for the first heroes to reach level 60.

How the beta differs from launch

The main difference is pace. The game is updated very often: fixes, new features and improvements land several times a week, and every build is logged in the Updates section of the website. Class balance shifts, quality-of-life touches arrive, the game itself keeps growing — recent additions include Tier 1, the Item Atlas and the Spellbook.

The second difference is the players’ voice. In a beta it carries furthest: suggestions and fight breakdowns get read on the forum and in the community, and many of the entries in Updates grew straight out of them.

What the beta doesn’t have is “temporary” progress. With no wipe coming, the Zarhold beta is already a full game — just one that grows faster than usual.

How to join the beta

1. Open Zarhold in your browser — on a computer, tablet or phone. There’s nothing to download.
2. Create an account — it’s free.
3. Create a hero: pick a race, a class and a name. You can keep several heroes on one account.
4. Play through the tutorial — it’s short and teaches card combat hands-on.

You can also play through VK Play with the same account. On a phone the game runs in landscape: the battle board needs the width. To pin the game to your home screen, see “Play on any device”.

Your first steps are covered in detail in the beginner’s guide, and answers to common questions are collected in the knowledge base.

Where to start if you join the beta now

Since your progress won’t be wiped, it pays to start with things that pay off for a long time.

1. Pick a class you enjoy. You can keep several heroes on one account, so you’re free to try different classes. Browse the class cards in the Spellbook and pick the playstyle that suits you: soaking hits, healing or dealing damage.
2. Pick up professions early. Materials pile up as you go, and skill climbs faster while recipes are simple. Good profession pairings are listed in the knowledge base.
3. Head into dungeons from level 10. The first dungeon opens at level 10: experience, better gear than in the open world and your first loot rolls. Allies — world residents of the right role — fill any free slots in your party.
4. Find a guild. A guild means company for raids, advice and a shared bank. The guild list with rosters is in the Guilds section.
5. Try the arena early. Before level 60, opponents are matched close to your level, and the first fights of a season calibrate your rating. How that works is explained in the knowledge base.
6. Keep the atlas handy. When you want a specific item, the Item Atlas shows where it drops and how likely it is.

How to follow beta news

• News — the big events: new systems, decisions about the world, platforms.
• Updates — every build by date: what was added and what changed.
• Blog — mechanics breakdowns and guides.
• Knowledge base — a searchable reference for the whole game.

Everything important about the launch and the new world is announced in advance — on the website and in the game’s communities.

Zarhold beta FAQ

Will there be a wipe after the beta?

No. The decision has been announced in the news: the current world stays in full — heroes, items, gold, professions, achievements and guilds are all kept. Nothing is deleted or reset.

When does Zarhold launch?

The worldwide launch will coincide with the day the game comes out on Steam. The date will be announced as soon as the platform confirms it. Until then the beta continues, and you can play right now.

What happens to my hero at launch?

Your hero stays on the current world with everything they own. On launch day a second, fresh world opens alongside it for anyone who wants to start over together with everyone else. Moving there is entirely optional.

How much does it cost to join the beta?

Nothing: in the browser and on VK Play, Zarhold is free. All you need is an account, and creating one is free too.

Do I need to download anything?

No. Zarhold runs right in your browser on a computer, tablet or phone, and one account works on every device — start on your PC and carry on from your phone.

The bottom line

The Zarhold beta is that rare case where “test” doesn’t mean “temporary”. There will be no wipe: whatever you achieve now stays with you at launch too. The game already has ten classes, 26 zones, 32 dungeons, raids and world bosses, an arena, professions and guilds — and ahead lie the worldwide launch and a second world for anyone who wants a clean start. Open Zarhold and begin your journey — for good, not until the next wipe.