Hello!
We'd like to share a small update about the game and what we're currently working on.
In the best case scenario, we'd love to post updates as frequently as possible, but things unfortunately take time. We're also a small team - at the moment, only 8 people are working on the project, although we do plan to expand later this year.
State of the game
What you should know is that back in December we started advertising with literally nothing more than a solid presentation on our website. Some of you may have felt misled, but that was actually intentional - our goal was to reduce costs as much as possible and test whether the idea truly resonates with the audience.
Producing a game like this can cost a lot of money, so validating the concept first is simply the smart approach. Because of that, the release of the game is not anywhere close yet, and we won't even try to guess when it will be finished. Our priority is to deliver a polished and well tested product, no matter how long it takes - good things come to those who wait, and that's a rule we firmly stand by.
The good news is that we've successfully passed the verification stage and decided to move fully into production. Development is ongoing, and every day we're working hard and making steady progress forward.
What are we working on currently
Most of our work is focused on two main areas.
The first one is the game itself - mainly the game server, which is essentially the brain of the online experience. We already have working authorization systems, basic server ↔ client communication, ingame chat, and the first combat prototypes are currently in works.
However, making an MMORPG isn't just about gameplay. We also need to build tools for designers, prepare customer support systems, and take care of server infrastructure, anticheat solutions, game management tools and a lot more. This will be a living online organism that requires constant care and maintenance.
The second thing we're working on is a YouTube video that goes deeper into the project. We hope it will reach a wider audience and help set clear expectations for what we're building.
Plans for February
Next month will bring further gameplay progress. We aim to have the video ready to share, and we also want to start posting more frequent updates in the form of dev diaries hosted on our website.
The first diary will focus on the early concept phase of Glads & Lads and how it evolved from a completely different design into something inspired by Swords & Sandals.
A few words about the SnS series
We've never wanted to steal anyone's work - although some people have accused us of that. Interestingly, since the original SnS, there haven't been many games that adopted its combat or art style.
This is especially ironic when you compare it to other genres: look at how many games were inspired by Minecraft (Hytale, Trove, Vintage Story, and many more) or Diablo (Path of Exile, Last Epoch, and many others).
To be completely fair, we are creating all assets ourselves. Of course, we do look at how the original SnS games looked, and we deliberately borrow elements that are strongly associated with that style - which we believe is completely acceptable and very common within the genre.
It's also worth mentioning that we have not used AI in any way to generate the content we've shared with you so far. Everything is handcrafted by real human beings.
Thank you for your interest in our game. We hope to deliver a great MMORPG experience set in our small gladiator world.
And we don't want to leave you empty handed - so we're sharing a small sneak peek of one of our armor designs (still a work in progress).
See you in the next update!
