If you don’t know DFUSE is a competitive FPS/MOBA game set in a shadowy underworld controlled by powerful factions. Players can join the fight as a masked agent, battling for resources and dominance.

Friday Night Playtest on 7th September 2024

Our recent office playtest with streamers and testers aimed to find out the game's difficulty and how user-friendly is to new players. We wanted to determine how well DFUSE communicates its mechanics and core concepts to newcomers.

The playtest focused on 5v5 matches, assessing whether testers found the gameplay engaging and if they understood the game's setting and mechanics. We were particularly interested in gathering feedback on how well the game communicated its core concepts, such as gunplay, Team Synergy features, objectives, and utility usage.

Testers found the game to be both challenging and rewarding, with a good balance of action and strategy. They also appreciated the game's unique setting and the variety of utilities.

However, we also received valuable feedback on areas where we can improve. Testers expressed difficulty in understanding certain game mechanics, particularly the nuances of utility usage. We will address these concerns by refining the tooltips and providing more in-game guidance.

What to improve?

Based on the playtest feedback, we're focusing on the following areas:

• Pace of the game: While we want DFUSE to be fast-paced, we aim to ensure that the speed is controlled and understandable. We have to slow down the gameplay a bit to keep it from being too chaotic but still fast-paced.
  
• Weapon balance: The sniper has become too strong too fast in the matches and we need to tone it down.
  
• Grenade issues: There have been problems with the visibility of the grenades being thrown, these will be corrected with better visibility and accurate aiming.
  
• Utility Variety: We need to improve some utilities and make them more balanced and exciting.
  
• Improving UI: We're refining item descriptions to be more direct and informative. This will help players understand the benefits and drawbacks of different weapons, utilities, and mods.
  
• Team Synergy: The point of the team levelling up together was not properly shown, however the mechanic was still there and players used it inadvertently. The mechanic adds a lot to the team’s game experience and is quite enjoyable, needs better emphasis.

By addressing these key areas, we aim to create a more balanced, engaging, and enjoyable experience for all players.


Next Steps

Overall, we are encouraged by the positive feedback from our playtest and are confident that DFUSE is on track to deliver a thrilling and engaging experience for players. We will continue to iterate on the game based on player feedback and strive to create a truly exceptional gaming experience.

Thank you for being with us and we hope you will continue to follow our updates and tests on the game.

Together, we'll shape the future of DFUSE.
GGWP Agents

Gamescom Appearance
We were thrilled to have the opportunity to showcase our still-in-development game, DFUSE, at Gamescom 2024 during the Future Games Show.
Being able to present our work to such a large audience was an incredible experience, and we'd like to thank everyone who helped make it possible.

We recognize that we have not given ourselves enough time to fully prepare for Gamescom.
During our preparation for the event, we decided to present an actual in-game footage, rather than a cinematic one, to showcase what DFUSE looks like in the early stages of development and hopefully receive constructive feedback. With this we chose not to explain unique features of DFUSE in-depth, just demonstrate that our game works in its current, immature state.

With a short turnaround, we had to rush to produce in-game footage within a couple of weeks. As a result, we understandably received critical feedback regarding the game's graphics.
We want to thank everyone who took the time to share their thoughts, whether positive or constructive. Your input is invaluable to us as we continue to develop DFUSE.
Your comments about the lighting, textures, and overall visual quality have been noted and will be addressed as we continue development. We're committed to creating a visually stunning and immersive experience for our players.

It's no secret that our community is incredibly important to us and to the success of our game. We want to use your feedback to continuously improve DFUSE and work together to achieve even greater things.

What will make us different?

Many of you have compared us to other FPS games, suggesting that we're just a "worse" version with outdated graphics. So, why should you give DFUSE a try?
Development on DFUSE started only about 8 months ago. Like you, we're passionate about competitive shooters like Valorant, Counter-Strike, and Apex Legends. However, we felt these games often overlooked the importance of team dynamics, teamwork, and progression as a unit rather than individual growth.
That's why the core of DFUSE is true team synergy. You'll earn experience points as a team, unlocking various features together. This fosters a sense of camaraderie and ensures everyone has a valuable role:

• Unlockable weapon and grenade slots
  
• Multiple utility slots
  
• Deeper weapon modding and customization
  
• Post-death team assistance to support your teammates

We believe that teamwork and a shared goal are the most important in DFUSE.
Beyond these features, we're working on a variety of unique content and mechanics, such as:

• AFK player replacement
  
• Quick modding system
  
• Weapon skin and map creator
  
• Nemesis System - Pay for someone to hunt down your enemies if you're not strong enough to defeat them!
  
• Faction-based progression with unique utilities
  
• Customizable mask skins

As you can see, we're working on a wide range of features, and the possibilities are endless. Ultimately, the community will shape the future of DFUSE. We're gamers just like you, and we're committed to developing a game that we're all passionate about.

If you don't want to miss out on development updates and news, follow us on our social media channels or here on Steam, where we will be providing regular updates on the development process.

Additionally, if you're interested in joining the upcoming Early Access or have feedback about the game, please fill out the this form[forms.gle].

Together, we'll shape the future of DFUSE.

GGWP Agents

👋 Hello everyone!

We're absolutely thrilled to welcome you to AEY Studios' Steam page, especially if you’ve just discovered us through the Future Games Show at Gamescom. We couldn’t be more excited to finally unveil our debut project, DFUSE—a game that’s been in the works with one goal in mind: to bring you an intense and strategic 5v5 tactical team shooter experience like no other.

DFUSE is more than just a shooter game; it's a battleground where strategy meets adrenaline. Imagine yourself in the heat of battle, outmaneuvering and outgunning your opponents in high-stakes matches where every move counts. Whether you’re planting bombs in our Defusal mode, securing strategic points in Tactical Domination, or hunting down rivals in Nemesis Hunt, DFUSE will keep your heart pounding and your mind racing.

We’re counting down the days until the alpha release in Q4, and we’d love for you to join us on this journey. Be sure to follow and wishlist DFUSE on Steam to stay updated with all the latest news, gameplay reveals, and content. We’ve got so much more to share with you in the coming months, and we can’t wait to see how you and your squad will conquer the challenges of DFUSE.

Thanks for stopping by, and welcome to the AEY Studios community. Let’s make some memories—and maybe a few rivalries—together!

See you on the battlefield!

– The AEY Studios Team