development
A Sandbox MMORPG with a live, dynamic world is not built overnight. It takes
a lot of dedication, persistence, and a passionate team to accomplish. Follow
our journey as we create this rich, immersive universe.
If you want more details about our progress, you can check out the roadmap:
Profane Alpha Roadmap
We started working on Profane in 2015 when our Studio had already been existing for six years and had a team of 15 developers. Profane was always in our plans, and it was the main reason for INSANE to be founded in the first place. It's a big challenge, so in our early years, we decided to work on smaller projects to gain experience before venturing into Profane. We also knew that we would need to assemble a bigger team that was capable for the challenge. That year, we considered that the right moment had arrived, and Profane finally became the Studio's main priority and only game.
We dedicated some time to document the game's central concepts, story, and art definition during the early stages of development. Still, we knew that we needed to put our ideas into practice soon, so we created a prototype tested through closed playable events during 2016 and 2017. At the time, we had already created a Brazilian Facebook page, and we also had a very active community, anxious for Profane. We recruited members of this community to carry out the tests. The feedback collected was essential for us to continue working on the next phase of development, the Pre-Alpha.
PROFANE'S PROTOTYPE
From 2015 to 2017
The Pre-Alpha was launched in Brazil in March 2018. Early access to the game could be obtained through the purchase of Founder Packs. For this version, we planned a more extended testing phase. We wanted to validate our game design and test our ability to carry out updates, add new content, collect feedback, fix bugs, organize playable events, and so on.
In the Pre-Alpha phase, we didn't prioritize building a robust multiplayer system, which is something we aim for the next version, so each region of the map could only support a certain number of players (about 60 per region) simultaneously. Due to this limiting factor, we decided to avoid too much attention and keep the game hosted only in Brazil.
During 2018 we made several minor updates and one major update, in which we implemented artistic improvements, added four new bosses, dynamic adventures, and balanced combat. After this significant update, we decided it was time to stop working on the Pre-Alpha and start investing in the Alpha, but we kept the game open for a while because we still needed to collect feedback from the players. In September 2019, after we learned everything we needed with the Pre-Alpha, we closed the game and started dedicating 100% of the team to the Alpha's development.
We organized a Pre-Alpha closing event as a way of thanking our community. It was the last of the many playable events that we held. Particularly for the closing event, we modified one of the Morkhon continent's maps. We challenged our community to invade the city of Peaks of Garon, defeat our CEO, and steal the rings that made him immortal. This event is now part of Profane's lore, registering the Heretical Islands' destruction and causing a new wave of migrations.
PROFANE'S PRE-ALPHA
From 2018 to 2019
profane ALPHA
To be announced
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The Alpha development started in 2019 and is ongoing until now. We are building the Alpha on the definitive basis of the game, unlike its previous versions. Many existing processes and systems had to be either improved, adapted, or recreated from scratch.
Our priority has been to create systemic tools that allow us to develop new content, balance the game, create new maps, and other features in an efficient, scalable way. We have also been working in our networking to provide stability, something essential to our game.
During the Alpha's pre-production, we reevaluated our art direction and decided to bring a new visual approach for Profane, going for a modern and fresh take. Our main goal with the artwork is to bring innovation to the MMORPG genre, which we seek to achieve in every way. In terms of game design, we are working on brand new features and trying to reach the real sense of a living and dynamic world through innovative mechanics and systems. To cope with so many challenges, we expanded the team, and today, we have almost 50 professionals dedicated to the project.
In 2022, we have started testing isolated features with the Community, such as Basic Combat Test, and plan to hold several other tests as more features get ready for it.