Return of Reckoning

Highlights

Public Test Server

Drakwald, our Public Test Server is online again to provide testing ground for the New Scenario Matchmaker, which will be arriving on the Live server in the near future!

You can join our Public Test Server through the launcher:



As with any new system, it's normal to have some bugs to iron out - one of the best ways to help us reduce and squash bugs before this arrives on the live server is by joining the PTS, either alone or with friends, and queueing for some Scenarios!

On the PTS, you can select Templates for new characters to help you start fully geared and level 40, ready for testing!




New Scenario Matchmaker & Improvements


The New Scenario Matchmaker is focused on building better balanced parties in Scenarios, and we're also adding in a few more quality-of-life improvements alongside it! There's even more we're building under-the-hood, which we may spotlight and talk about closer to launch.


Scenario Party Reservations

Now if you queue as a group, your party will stay together automatically in the scenario, without needing to hit the white flag icon and move parties. Slots will be automatically reserved for your party members until they join, keeping your groups, well - grouped!



Archetype Balancing (2-2-2 System)

Scenarios now try to make 2 Tank – 2 Healer – 2 DPS composition. This applies even when backfilling players. This helps avoid unbalanced setups (e.g. 4 DPS, no healers). As an example, a scenario will no longer pop if one side has healers but the other does not.

This change does mean that there will be times when one faction may have tons of DPS but lack the Tanks or Heals to get a scenario to pop. In these situations, we're introducing a new bonus to not only allow players to see which archetypes are needed, but to reward them for playing them:

Incentive Bonus

New single-SC bonuses are now periodically applied to certain Archetypes. Queue times are now periodically analysed, and if a role is queueing too long, other archetypes are incentivised to help speed things up.

For example, if DPS players are waiting much longer than others to get into a match, Tanks and Healers may get an incentive bonus. Likewise, if one side has tons of Tanks or Healers but fewer DPS, the system will temporarily grant the bonus for DPS players to motivate them to queue. This encourages healthier queue balance and, long-term, should motivate improved queue times.


Start Time Adjustments

Scenarios can now start with fewer than full players. Players load in early with a 2-minute timer. As the scenario fills closer to the threshold, the timer reduces to 30 seconds.


“Give Me a Minute” Improvements

If you click “Give me a minute”, you’ll be automatically teleported in when the timer ends. This helps avoid missing the start and getting a quitter debuff.


Ready Check for Group Queue

When a group leader initiates queue, all members will now get a Ready Check pop-up. After your group has all hit "Ready", you will enter the queue as a party.


Unified Random Queue

Instead of separate queues per scenario map, there's now a single random scenario queue, which will improve queue speed and map variety. We're just testing this single queue on PTS, and behind-the-scenes we're discussing how best to handle Weekend Warfronts and other Scenario types, which we'll share more on later.

Reserved

Thank you for the update.

I would like to ask for 1 clarification if possible:

If you click “Give me a minute”, you’ll be automatically teleported in when the timer ends. This helps avoid missing the start and getting a quitter debuff.

Does this bypass the in-combat state? By this I am asking if a player will be ported into the scenario regardless of if they are engaged in combat or not (in orvr or pve).

In any case, thank you for the information and best of luck with the implementation of the new system(s).

I see a lot of QoL improvement there and a lot of "obvious" but right choice, that are refreshing to see.

The only fear that I have, is that I don't see any mention of Premade against Pug, As in my opinion, is the major issue of sc in RoR. Premade should end up with premade, solo pug should end up with solo pug. As Coordinate, Discord premade, will always win against pugs.

( This is just an opinion, it's debatable of course. )

Wonderful news

Does the Archetype Balancing system mean that scenarios will only be allowed to pop with 2-2-2 setups on both sides or just that both sides are required to have equal number of archetypes? Is it possible to launch a scenario when both sides have for example equal 1-4-1 setups?

I think it is important to allow other than 2-2-2 setups to qualify for scenarios. Compositions like 1-3-2, 1-4-1 would help with que times immensely as well as bring much needed fun into scenarios at the same time, as long as both sides are stuck with same number of archetypes. I get the feeling the game isn't really balanced around 6vs6 with equal 2-2-2 compositions, too many stalemates or uneven matchups, which means especially maps with smaller number of players required will suffer hardly in fun departement.

PROsiak wrote: Wed Nov 19, 2025 3:20 pm Does the Archetype Balancing system mean that scenarios will only be allowed to pop with 2-2-2 setups on both sides or just that both sides are required to have equal number of archetypes? Is it possible to launch a scenario when both sides have for example equal 1-4-1 setups?

I think it is important to allow other than 2-2-2 setups to qualify for scenarios. Compositions like 1-3-2, 1-4-1 would help with que times immensely as well as bring much needed fun into scenarios at the same time, as long as both sides are stuck with same number of archetypes. I get the feeling the game isn't really balanced around 6vs6 with equal 2-2-2 compositions, too many stalemates or uneven matchups, which means especially maps with smaller number of players required will suffer hardly in fun departement.

Exactly
It would be better to alow X vs X archetypes because it open posibility to play 1-3-2 setup that some teams does. Strict 2,2,2 would be fair but then there would be no pop for other comps.

One que for all maps should be considered because there are scenarios in this game that players dont like and wish them to be blacklisted because of their mechanics.
On the other side it would push teams for versetile setup because some maps are more suited for rdps/ mdps comps- no advantage in that case.
So there would be a challange to play rdps comps in ironclad and mdps in Black fire basin.

It would be better to address the fact the tank and healer archetype are overpowered and allow teams with more dps to flourish.

I suspect if you enforce this then it will just result in longer Qs and people will log.

Also playing endless games vs the same 2.2.2 healfests isn't fun. Even supposed leet players avoid doing it in ranked cos its boring and takes forever.

I guess you are allowed to queue as group with whatever comp you want. It only fills 2-2-2 from people who queue'd less than 6, which imo is good sense.

Great changes, looking forward to see them develop.

Random map queu on theory sounds good but since ill map layout altering (barriers, layouts favouring only certain realm, random spawns and so on) make many maps if not unplayable at least quite hated by the community.

So scenario mode need map layout rebalancing quite urgently