Whats up, Reckoners! We hope youve been doing well since our last update. Its been a HOT minute, so were here to bring you up to speed on the production of High Elo Girls (HEG). Art, writing, coding, sims, everything. E-VE-RY-THING. Queued up yet? Yes? Excellent! Heres the rundown:

HEGs New Release Date & Platform Update

Once again, the High Elo Esports Meta has changed which means we have to (again) change our game strategy. As a result, HEG will now see a potential release date in Spring 2025. This will give us enough time to really make the game extra fun, extra special, and extra Extra. On top of a new release date, theres also a new platform update. In addition to Steam and PC, High Elo Girls will also be releasing on Xbox! If youre an Xbox console gamer, youll now be able to get the full High Elo experience alongside your friends on Steam/PC. Or, you know, you could also get the game on all the platforms and play them back-to-back. We wont judge.

Inside The Gamer Game Devs Den

NEW IN-GAME UI!

Weve refreshed the UI for Reckoners of Forsaken Lands (RoFL)! For context, we have a fairly complex backend system designed to integrate your in-story choices (and consequences) with your in-match choices. This called for a more robust UI and UX system, giving you the opportunity to min-max to your heart's content! (We also just wanted to show off more of our Art Director's amazing illustration skills to help break up the monotony of staring at the same isometric map every match. So relatable, we know.)
Additionally, instead of our current overreliance on Playstyle indicators (Follower, Showstopper, etc), we overhauled the system and are now utilizing early-game Playstyle notifications. That way, you can decide if you wish to continue down one particular path, or play towards other (perhaps more sociable) strengths for the rest of your playthrough! We've got a lot more in store for this feature, and we hope you'll enjoy testing it out in our refreshed demo coming soon!

NEW BACKGROUNDS!

In addition to our Art Director, weve got some talented artists who are bringing their own artistic flair to the High Elo world. Weve got the amazing Gaming Lab background (BG) above courtesy of Pinga Penguins, whose work youll get to see more of as you play through the game. Additionally, weve got Jules Riseling to thank for revamping and polishing the games UI, enhancing your gameplay experience and dropping all of our jaws. Were super appreciative of both Pinga and Jules providing their skills to our game and cannot wait to showcase them more!

SUPER CUTE CHIBI EMOTES!!

Theyre very cute. No notes.

ALT OUTFITS???

We love a classic High Elo fit you know, the same fit you find esports teams wearing as they stand in a line and cross their arms (you know what we mean). But the alt outfitsthe High Elo Alt Outfitsare on a WHOLE DIFFERENT LEVEL. Picture it: early-mid 2010s. concert lights, and Kae???
Good googly moogly. And this is just one of several outfits and scenes youll get to explore once the full game comes out. For now, however, well leave you with this one teaser. Trust us it'll last you a while.

FRESH MEMES

Were slowly churning out the game, and we think a fresh batch of game content should come with a fresh batch of memes! Heres one of our favourites:
(insert sounds from the worlds smallest violin) Thats all for now! Follow our official Twitter (@split_fate) and Bluesky (@split-fate.bsky.social) for game updates, memes, and more. And while youre at it, join our Split Fate News Discord to get priority notifications via devlogs, memes, and more. We hope to see you on the Forsaken Lands soon! Cheers, Vivi, Comms Manager - Split Fate Studios

[ 2024-08-23 18:33:44 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey there, everyone! It's a new year, and you know what that means - new updates! We know that it's been a PIPING HOT minute since we last updated, but it's for a good reason! Our dev team is still working on writing the words, doodling the art, and programming the...programs. Weve also done our fair share of watching esports tournaments (for market research, of course) and taking much-needed breaks when necessary. That said, we want to bring you a quick update on the status of HEG. Here are our notes!

Release Date Status: Updated!

Just like classic esports, the meta has changed yet again, which means the game release date has also changed! In order to give ourselves time to rethink our game strats, were pushing the release date of High Elo Girls to Q4 2024. This will give us time to experiment with different builds, test our approaches, and really give us a shot at bringing you the best esports game experience possible.

Game Demo Status: Updated!

We released our extended game demo back in October! If you enjoyed the fun and immersive experience of the original demo, youll be in for a treat with the new demo! This extended demo includes a revised Toya route as well as a bonus length Daphne route. We hope youll enjoy whats been added to the game as the team continues to build out the other routes and round out the rest of the game. Thats all weve got for now! We know this update is small, but rest assured the game is mighty and we will continue to update you as we continue through its development process. If you want to stay up-to-date on the games progress (and maybe get a meme or two), follow our official Twitter (@split_fate). Well see you soon on the Forsaken Lands! Cheers, Vivi, Comms Manager - Split Fate Studios

[ 2024-01-24 23:00:39 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey everyone! We hope your 2023 has been going well so far. Its been a while since our last devlog, but were still on the Game Dev Train and working hard on making High Elo GIrls (HEG) come to life. As the comms conductor of this train, Im here to deliver a short update as well as a recap of where weve been and where were going.

Update on HEG's Release Date

The esports meta has changed quite a bit since our last devlog, so the team will be looking to optimize our team strategies. Because of that, we will be pushing the release date of HEG to Winter 2023. Dont count us out, though were still bringing our A-game and giving you the Ultimate Gamer Experience with HEG.

The Triple Panel Threat

Dee (@epistellar) has been a guest speaker (a GREAT one, I might add) in several panels and events, including:

Black Voices in Gaming

[previewyoutube=Z0nGmexaAHE;full][/previewyoutube] Along with Destinee (@Dnbc32) & Redinfamy (@REDinFamy), Dee had a wonderful convo about HEG and even got to showcase some gameplay at Black Voices In Gaming! If you missed out on it, dont worry: the full vod is available on YouTube for you to watch! Dee's segment starts around the 4 hour 57 minute 37 second mark and begins with the HEG trailer.

Black Writers Panel

Our friends over at Black Card Members gave us the chance to host the fun (and chaotic) Black Writers Panel back in February! The wonderful Cel (@TheActualCel) served as a great moderator for this insightful conversation between Dee, Dani Lalonders (@danulmao), owl (@jelpiparade), and Adanna (@AFNarratives8).

Gayming Podcast

Dee has made some appearances in Gayming Magazine before, but this time around its in a Gayming Podcast episode with Geneva (@Gensuta), Eugenio (@DMJazzyHands), and Katie (@PikaChulita)! Moderated by Miabyte (Miabyte), you can watch this episode on Gayming Magazines Twitch channel to hear everyones thoughts on why diversity in gaming is important (which also happens to be the title of the podcast episode).

Upcoming Things From Us

• Dee will be at GDC! Feel free to say hi, but please be respectful. Or else.
• A small demo update is upon us! It will now include an animated intro made by our amazing art director Joe (@RealityAjar)!

Thats all for now! Follow our official Twitter (@split_fate) for game updates, memes, and more. See you on the Forsaken Lands! Cheers, Vivi, Comms Manager - Split Fate Studios

[ 2023-03-16 19:10:01 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hiya! Its been a while, hasnt it? Theres been quite a few changes happening at the studio, but were all still working very hard to make High Elo Girls (HEG) happen! Lets get into those updates, shall we? Lets start with

New Party Members!

The small team of two has now grown to a team of six! Dee has brought on a few new people to work on HEG. The full dev team for HEG is listed below: Dani Dee: Project Director, Narrative & Gameplay Designer, Lead Writer, Programmer Joe Byrne: Art Director, Character & UI Designer, Lead Illustrator, Writer NEW! Numinous: Lead Systems Designer NEW! Vivi Contrast: Communications Manager NEW! Jules Riseling: UI Artist NEW! Pinga Penguin: Background Artist

So, what have we been up to?

Split Fate has actually been presented or featured at several events in the past few months! Heres where weve been:

LUDONARRACON

High Elo Girls was featured at Ludonarracon back in May! We put together a super cool dev commentary video that was broadcasted on Steam, which you can now watch on the Split Fate YouTube channel.

DIGIPRIDE

Dee was invited to speak on a Digipride panel about HEG! They were also joined by other queer game developers from studios like Lunaris Games, Veritable Joy, Soft Not Weak, and more. You can watch the full panel VOD on Gayming Magazines official YouTube channel.

GAME DEVS OF COLOR EXPO

Dee is hosting a panel at Game Devs of Color Expo happening Sept 15-18! Theyll be talking with other amazing Black developers like Dani Lalonders (ValiDate: Struggling Singles in Your Area), Geneva Harward (Skate & Date) and owl (Belle Automata) about how and why they make games.

• As a bonus, I (Vivi) will be joining Dee to talk further about HEG with the host of GDoC, Sharpie!
• Am I excited? Hell yeah!
• But am I also nervous? Hell Yeah.

GAYMING LIVE

We're showcasing the new HEG demo during the Gayming Live Steam Event, and Dee will also be on a panel with other game devs!

• Yes, Dees one busy person, but theyre doing a great job and we support them. Were proud of them.

New Quest Objective!

We just launched a revamped version of our demo! We've added a brand new UI to the game, and cleaned up some of the Strife messages. If you havent met all of your teammates yet, nows the perfect time to do so! As always, thank you for showing so much love and support for our little fan-game-turned-full-fictional-game. Please look forward to the full game launching Spring 2023! Follow our official Twitter (@split_fate) for game updates, memes, and more! Cheers, Vivi, Communications Manager Split Fate Studios

[ 2022-09-07 21:53:04 CET ] [ Original post ]

Thanks for a wonderful LudoNarraCon!

Welcome to our new followers! We had a wonderful time sharing and talking about the demo with you during Sunday's Developer Commentary Stream! The VOD is now available to view below. We had a great time! And we hope to chat with you on another stream sometime soon. [previewyoutube=BlhiSTxCQF4;full][/previewyoutube]

NEXT STEPS...

Currently winding down from the weekend and transitioning back to our weekly development schedule. We received great feedback from our demo players, and we're excited to factor some of your suggestions into our design process! Please look forward to a Steam update at least once every couple of months to keep you informed about our progress. In the meantime, catch us over at our Official Twitter where we drop art, story, and general design sneak peaks here and there! You won't want to miss out on our CAST REVEAL THREAD for all the details about your new High Elo Girls teammates! PLAY THE DEMO & WISHLIST THE GAME: Click Here OFFICIAL TWITTER: @split_fate

[ 2022-05-10 20:45:16 CET ] [ Original post ]

We're beyond excited to share a Fresh New Demo to kick off our presence at LudoNarraCon 2022, taking place May 5-9! Two developers from the Split Fate Studios team will be streaming the demo Sunday, May 8th, right here on our official Steam Page.
Meet Rafaela, an anxiety-riddled 20-year-old recovering from a mental health crisis that led her to drop out of college, and her Momentum Gaming (MMG) teammates in our latest demo for High Elo Girls. Play the first 2 days of a 12-week journey from her family home in Sacramento to a fictionalized version of Los Angeles, where teams of ambitious amateurs have gathered to compete in the Moongate Invitational, a once-in-a-lifetime esports tournament designed to launch pro player careers. Success at the Moongate Invitational depends on team synergy! Prepare to choose Rafaelas interactions with her teammates wisely.
Join Dani Dee (Producer, Lead Designer, and Lead Writer) and Numinous (Lead Systems Designer) for dev commentary on story development, MOBA simulation design, and character relationships available to explore in High Elo Girls! And be sure to try the demo for yourself! Keep up with the development of High Elo Girls by following our Twitter and Wishlisting our Game! TIME: Sunday, May 8th, 4PM EST PLACE: Right here on our Steam Page! EVENT: #LudoNarraCon 2022!

[ 2022-05-04 18:42:39 CET ] [ Original post ]

What began as an esports fan game has become something entirely unique in High Elo Girls, our upcoming queer esports visual novel set to release Fall 2022! While we're hard at work on writing, illustrating, and programming this labor of love, we're ecstatic to share that we can be spotted in Glitch's upcoming #FutureOfPlay Direct showcare airing during The Game Awards pre-show this Thursday, December 9th at 3PM CST! A couple of our developers will be watching the Direct along with the warm and welcoming Glitch crew over in their official discord! Join us for the hyper-stylish broadcast over at discord.gg/heyglitch! JOIN: The Glitch Community on Discord EVENT: #FutureOfPlay Direct Viewing Party
See you soon! Dee for Split Fate Studios https://store.steampowered.com/app/1735080/High_Elo_Girls/

[ 2021-12-07 23:21:23 CET ] [ Original post ]