The video game world’s growing obsession with the auto chess genre continues. This time, it has spilled over to the console world from its humble beginnings on PC. Publisher and developer Dragonest Games has announced that Auto Chess will soon make its way to the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch by 2020.
For those who aren’t in the know, Auto Chess is a multiplayer online strategy game that started off as a mod for Valve’s MOBA game DotA 2. The game pits up to eight players against each other, each with their own chessboards. Players will have access to a pool of units that have their own skills, tiers, and special races and classes that can be used to create synergies. Players earn economy (or gold) each round, and for each round, players are provided options to choose from random units that they can purchase to build their own unique composition. There are also rounds that players will be facing against creeps from which they have a chance to win items that they can put on their units. Strategizing, planning, and adapting is key to victory.
What started out as a mod eventually became a standalone game for iOS and Android. Currently, many iterations of the Auto Chess formula have been created by other companies such as Dota’s Underlords and League of Legends’ Teamfight Tactics. These games more or less follow the same premise as the original Auto Chess, but with just differing lore and background.
Auto Chess currently has a standalone PC version that is being beta tested and will be out via the Epic Games Store before the end of 2019. As for its expected console version, it is likely to be based upon the mobile version, which will receive an update come October. The features listed below will be included in the updates to come:
- Spectate feature
- Japanese Voiceovers
- In-game voice chat feature for Duos
- A tournament feature
- Large groups of players (from 32 to 64 people) can participate and are scored according to their achieved rank. No firm release date has been mentioned, but it should be out before the end of 2019
- Match replay feature
- Item availability balancing and method adjustments
The auto chess genre’s popularity can be accredited to its very easy entry for newbies in comparison to other strategy games. Its upcoming release for consoles should make that even easier.
