Arkhunters,

We at Fawkes are excited to invite you to participate in the “HELLBUGS GO BOOM!💥” Stress Test Event for the upcoming revival of Defiance. This is a unique opportunity to experience the almost-final version of the game, provide valuable feedback, and help us ensure a smooth launch on April 18, 2025.

Event Details

🕒 Saturday, April 5, 2025​ | 21:00 UTC to 23:00 UTC​

• US Eastern Time (ET): 17:00 ET to 19:00 ET​
• US Pacific Time (PT): 14:00 PT to 16:00 PT​
• Germany (CEST): 23:00 CEST to 01:00 CEST (next day)
• UK (BST): 22:00 BST to 00:00 BST (next day)
• Brazil (BRT): 18:00 BRT to 20:00 BRT​

Important:

• The game will be open for 2 chaotic hours. Expect some quick restarts.
• We intend to test the load on servers and certain change so, if possible, try to be ready on time.
• For more timezones, use Google or check the Discord‘s update (featuring your local time).
• Please note: Characters will be wiped – you will not retain any progress made during the event.

Other Considerations:

In-Game Store: Special vanity items and weaponary priced at “0 Gems” for the test. Get them, use them, and bring BOOM💥 to the Hellbugs! This store layout (outside of the event items priced at “0 Gems”) is also intended to be close to final for the release.

Content Status: All downloadable content (DLCs) are deactivated during this test and are intended to be deactivated on release. You’ll experience the game in the final version as left by Gamigo, with all the free content in place. This current content status is the intended close-to-final version.

Preload: You will be able to pre-load the client 24h in advance, we look forward everyone hitting the login button at the same time on Saturday. If you have any issue with our launcher or game(s) installation, please, check our Support Knowledge Base for the most common issues.

Events: Many events and boosts will be active at release. This is intended ONLY for the “HELLBUGS GO BOOM!💥” Stress Test Event and won’t be part of the release on April 18. If you want us to consider to more periodic events once the game is open, please let us know in the below form too.

We need your help!

Your feedback is crucial to us. During the event, please use the provided feedback form to share your thoughts, report issues, and suggest improvements. This collaboration will help us fine-tune the game for its official launch on April 18, 2025. As a best practice, if you can, record your entire 2-hours experience, so you can reference with clips from that recording while providing feedback.

We are especially looking forward hearing about:

• Game’s performance: we made some technical changes to both game and infrastructure to adapt to modern standards. In theory, we should be able to hold more people in the world.
• Controllers’ support: we tested the most common ones, but we don’t have a broad amount of them, so please, if you used a controller, we would love to hear about their responsiveness.
• General content: we deactivated all the DLCs but left all the free-content available. We would like to know and understand where we should put our focus first while working with the old content. Remember that this is the intended final version to be released.
• Store: the current store available (outside of the items priced at 0) is intended to be close to final for release. If you have any feedback, it will be most than welcome. We know there is still a lot that can be made available.

If you have something to say after the “HELLBUGS GO BOOM!💥” Stress Test Event, please, fill out this form. Our team will be watching carefully to all the feedback delivered. We can’t promise we will or can address everything before or after the release, but we will for sure reading your words.

For deeper discussions, connect with fellow Ark Hunters and stay updated by joining our Discord.

Thank you for your continued support. Looking forward to see you in-game and hear your feedback!

❤️🕹️ Fawkes’ Team