We’re announcing a short delay to the free For the Hive playtest. (about one month) There are a few final things that still need work before we’re ready, including:
UI improvements
Animation implementation
General bug fixing
We’re really close, and we appreciate your patience. As this is our first time releasing anything publicly, it’s been a huge learning experience—and we want to make sure it’s something we’re proud to share.
We’ll be posting a video update soon to show the current state of the game. It’s looking good, and we’re nearly there.
Thanks again for hanging in there with us. —The For the Hive Team
Wolf Spider Announcement
New Character Reveal – The Wolf Spider Has Entered the Hive!
We’re excited to introduce a brand-new fighter in For the Hive: the Wolf Spider!
Forget webs—this fierce predator doesn’t wait for prey. The Wolf Spider chases it down, pouncing with lethal force. With a terrifying blend of speed, venom, and aggression, it’s built for pure hunt-style combat.
🕸️ Key traits:
No webs. No mercy. Wolf spiders chase and strike—fast and brutal. Venomous attacks wear down opponents even after the initial blow. Low armor, but incredibly agile. Dodge, flank, and go for the kill. A nightmare for slower bugs trying to flee. We can’t wait to see how you use this relentless hunter in the upcoming playtest.
👀 Take a look at their species page in the Insectarium : https://www.arcaneworlds.com/inspectarium-detail?beeId=68023c263112db0e4e99f1f8
Tag us and share your thoughts on socials—we're always watching… just like the Wolf Spider.
April 30th Combat Playtest – Still on Track!
Announcement Content 🛡️ Combat Playtest Incoming – April 30th!
The For the Hive playtest is almost here, and yes—it’s still on track!
This early test is all about combat and gives us crucial feedback to help shape the future of the game. Whether you sting, slice, or strike, every move you make will help us refine the experience.
✅ Free to join ✅ Open to all registered players ✅ No strings attached – just bring your swarm energy
👾 Available characters for this test:
🐝 Honeybee
🕷️ Jumping Spider
🐜 Black Ant
🛠️ Termite
To get access, head over to www.arcaneworlds.com and scroll down to the Beta Test section to register.
We’re looking forward to seeing you in the hive! 💥
Reminder - April 30th Free combat playtest!!
Hey everyone! Just a quick reminder that our FREE Playtest goes live on April 30th! This is your chance to jump in and experience the combat we've been crafting.
🔥 Play as:
✅ Black Ant ✅ Termite ✅ Honey Bee ✅ Jumping Spider
Try out each character’s unique abilities and get a feel for the battles ahead! Later this year, we’ll be adding even more playable creatures as we continue developing the sandbox campaign mode.
Your feedback is invaluable, so let us know what you think! See you in the fight on April 30th! 🏆
See you all there,
Arcane Worlds.
DEVLOG #8 PLAYTEST ANNOUNCEMENT - APRIL 30TH
Hey everyone! It’s time for For The Hive Devlog #8, and we’ve got some exciting updates to share!
🔥 Combat Overhaul – Dismemberment, part disablement, blood effects, and a much more skill-based combat system. Every encounter is now more tactical, intense, and rewarding.
🦠 New Attacks & Skill System – We’ve introduced light and heavy attacks for each species! Right now, all insects share a bite as their light attack, while heavy attacks are unique:
🐝 Bee – Sting for high close-range damage. 🦠 Termite – Acid spray to corrode enemies from a distance. 🐜 Ant – Charge to knock enemies back. 🕷️ Jumping Spider (WIP) – Soon to be able to leap into combat with deadly precision. 🎮 UI Upgrades – A new minimap, health & armor tracking, stamina & special resource systems, and an improved combat HUD.
🏡 Bases & Digging – We’ve added partial voxel technology, meaning you can dig tunnels, build mounds, and even create nests inside real-world-inspired locations like trees. In the future, this will allow players to design their own bases!
🌍 Playtest Zone Update – We’re keeping the current playtest zone for now, with some minor improvements. Due to the scale and complexity of For The Hive, level design takes a lot of custom work, and we’re aiming to hire a full-time environment specialist this year to develop the game’s first full map.
📅 Playtest Release Date – April 30th! We’re working hard to deliver on this date. Stay tuned on YouTube, Facebook, and Discord for updates!
🌐 New Website & Patreon – A new website is coming soon, and we’re also launching a Patreon for those who want to support the game’s development! Patreon perks include private development updates, early feature testing, and more.
💬 Let us know what excites you the most in the comments! Thanks for your support, and see you in the playtest! 🚀
Next Devlog Coming Soon
Hey everyone!
We've been working hard on the game since our last update, and we're excited to share that we're on track for the playable combat test later this year.
In the next 1-2 months, we plan to release our next devlog (#8), where we'll showcase the revamped UI, the new combat system—complete with dismemberment, disabling of parts, and plenty of gore!
As always, stay tuned and feel free to connect with us on our socials, Discord, or through our website. We love hearing from you!
Hi everyone, prior to our next update on the new combat please take a look at the new flight controls. Don't they look great?
Dev Diary #2 Family, Mating & Bases
In today's video, we're diving deeper into the intriguing dynamics of family structures, mating rituals, and the strategic elements of base management within our game. We'll explore how these systems interconnect to enhance your gameplay experience, providing you with more immersive and tactical layers to enjoy. We've worked hard to develop these features with depth and realism, and we're eager to share the intricacies with you.
Please share your thoughts in the comments below—what do you think about these new additions? Are you looking forward to testing them out? Let us know if there are other aspects you’re excited to see us cover in future discussions. Your feedback is invaluable as we continue to refine and expand our game.
Feel free to join us in Discord or Facebook for direct access & updates..
Last time we checked in, "For the Hive" was already shaping up to be an immersive experience, with core mechanics like movement, climbing, flying, and the beginnings of a complex life system firmly in place. Since then, we've been hard at work refining the game's physics, allowing players to interact with their environment and foes in more dynamic ways, such as grabbing opponents' legs—a feature we're still perfecting.
We've laid down the groundwork for bee colonies and hives, cleaned up our codebase for better scalability, and polished many existing systems. It's safe to say the game is evolving in ways we're incredibly proud of.
Some major improvements to the environment have also taken place. Including 2 brand new characters - The Fly & The Rhino beetle.
In exciting company news, we're expanding our team by 3 new members! This growth will enable us to bring more hands and minds to our project, ensuring "For the Hive" reaches new heights in 2024.
So that's +3 new Arcane Worlds T's being shipped out!
(A despicable plug in am I right?)
Enhancing Communication
We acknowledge that last year, our updates were few and far between, mainly due to the nature of our work focusing on the game's infrastructure. This year, we're committed to improving our communication with you. We plan to open our Miro board to the public, allowing you a behind-the-scenes look at our development process, and we'll be providing more frequent devlogs and updates to keep you informed and involved in our journey.
We understand the anticipation and occasional frustration regarding early access and alpha testing dates. Developing our first major game has been a learning experience, and we appreciate your patience as we navigate these uncharted waters. Our primary goal remains to deliver a playable version of "For the Hive" to you as soon as possible.
This year, we're excited to share that we aim to put the Alpha version into your hands, focusing on giving you a taste of the combat system we've been diligently refining.
What's Next?
Our immediate focus is on perfecting the combat system to make it feel visceral, engaging, and satisfyingly strategic. We're drawing inspiration from renowned combat systems to ensure ours is not only fun but also deeply immersive. We estimate this phase could take 6-8 months, but we're excited about the possibility of releasing a test version thereafter.
A Heartfelt Thank You
We couldn't end this update without expressing our deepest gratitude to our incredible community. Your support and patience fuels our dedication to making "For the Hive" a game worth waiting for. A special thank you to our Discord mods, isux and Ogre, for your exceptional management of our community space. Your efforts create a welcoming and engaging environment for all our fans.
Here's to a year filled with progress, excitement, and, most importantly, fun. Happy New Year, and thank you for being part of this journey!
Please support our mods by giving them a follow in Twitch!
Today we would like to introduce you to a new character we've been working on. The Wheel Bug!
The wheel bug (Arilus cristatus) is a unique assassin bug species. With its unique coloration it stands out in the insect world. One of its most distinguishing features is the wheel-like structure present on its thorax, from which it gets its name.
As skilled predators, wheel bugs use their pointed beak to inject venom into their prey, primarily targeting other insects. This venom helps immobilize and digest their victims.
When a wheel bug bites an insect, the injected venom quickly immobilizes and begins to digest the prey. This venom is potent and effective, making the wheel bug a formidable predator. The prey is often killed swiftly, allowing the wheel bug to feed on its liquefied tissues.
Wheel bugs can communicate with each other through vibrations created by drumming their abdomens against a surface. These vibrations serve as a means of courtship and territorial defense.
take an even closer look here: https://youtu.be/20mS-boClC0
