Vaultbreakers Playtest Guide: How Heroic Brawler Action Comes Together

Vaultbreakers is an upcoming top-down action RPG that leans hard into hero-focused brawler combat, tight co-op play, and a roguelite loop built around high-risk expeditions called “Vault runs.” The latest playtest offers a deeper look at how its systems fit together: fast-paced fights, an evolving overworld, and long-term progression back at your hub.

This guide draws on the official playtest information and patch notes from developer BetaDwarf as well as the Vaultbreakers site and Steam announcements to explain what makes this test build stand out, what’s new mechanically, and how to get the most out of a few days with the game.^1,2,3

What Is Vaultbreakers?

Vaultbreakers is described by its developers as a high-stakes adventure action RPG where you control powerful heroes diving into unstable regions called Vaults. These runs are partly procedural and filled with enemies, elite encounters, and bosses. Every expedition feeds back into your long-term progress in the haven, unlocking new tools, characters, and upgrades over time.^1,2

At a glance, expect a blend of:

• Action RPG combat – real-time, ability-driven fights with distinct heroes.
• Roguelite runs – each Vault is a self-contained trip where you build a temporary loadout.
• Co-op and PvPvE – playable solo, with friends, or against other squads as you all chase the same rewards.
• Meta progression – permanent upgrades, buildings, and crafting help push deeper on future runs.

How the December Playtest Works

The highlighted playtest runs continuously across a few days, giving players a sizable window to explore builds and modes. According to the official site, it starts on December 4 at 10:00 CET and runs until late on December 7.^2,3

Key details from the playtest announcement include:

• 24/7 access during the test period – no limited windows within those dates.³
• Updated builds and abilities – players now start with more tools and can discover a wider pool of skills on gear.¹
• New and refined systems – from wound mechanics to hub upgrades, systems are being stress-tested.

To participate, players can request access via Steam playtests or through key distributions listed on the official Vaultbreakers channels and announcement posts.^1,2,3,4

Core Combat: Heroic Brawler Action

Vaultbreakers positions itself very deliberately as heroic brawler combat rather than a loot treadmill. Your hero’s skillset and positioning matter at least as much as raw stats. This means combat is about reading enemy patterns, dodging, and unleashing abilities in rapid sequences, not simply standing still while numbers fly.

Abilities and Skill Loadouts

One of the important changes for this playtest is the expansion of player abilities. The developer’s press information highlights that:

• Heroes now have six ability slots instead of four.
• You begin a run with three core abilities already unlocked.
• You can discover up to around 25 alternative abilities on items dropped during a run.¹

This shift pushes the game further into buildcraft territory. Runs are no longer just about gathering better stats, but about assembling a tailored toolkit. For example:

• A melee hero might lean into gap-closing dashes and crowd-control slams.
• A ranged hero might prioritize area denial fields and burst damage ultimates.

Wounds and Survivability

The playtest build introduces or reiterates a wound system designed to make damage management more nuanced. In one developer explanation, roughly 90% of incoming damage is converted into wounds, which regenerate gradually over time, while a small portion is immediate, non-regenerating loss.⁴

In practical terms, this means:

• You can take a lot of temporary punishment as long as you find safe windows to recover.
• Repeated mistakes that eat into your non-recoverable health eventually end the run.
• Healing items, crafted bandages, and support abilities become vital for longer expeditions.⁵

This design is similar to health systems in some modern action games where aggressive play is encouraged but reckless behavior is eventually punished, aligning with broader trends in action-RPG tuning.⁶

Environmental Awareness and Mobility

Because so much damage comes in the form of wounds that can recover, the game encourages you to:

• Use dashes and movement skills to dip in and out of danger.
• Read telegraphed boss attacks and avoid large AoEs rather than face-tanking.
• Leverage terrain features like chokepoints or elevation to control enemy approach.

The result feels closer to an isometric brawler or a MOBA skirmish than a traditional, purely stat-driven ARPG encounter.

Heroes, Roles, and Team Synergy

Vaultbreakers features multiple heroes with distinct themes and gameplay roles. Even in a test environment, you can already see the outlines of a class-like system, with different heroes leaning toward melee bruiser, ranged damage, or utility/support archetypes.

Distinct Playstyles

Although specific balance values will shift throughout testing, the general design intent looks like this:

• Frontline brawlers – high survivability, close-range combos, and crowd control.
• Ranged specialists – lower defenses but high single-target or area damage from a distance.
• Hybrid or support roles – tools that boost allies, debuff enemies, or manipulate battlefield conditions.

The combination of six ability slots and item-based alternative abilities lets each hero branch into several sub-styles, such as:

• A bruiser who invests heavily in self-healing and shielding.
• A ranged hero built around damage-over-time zones and slows.
• A support-focused build that emphasizes heals, buffs, and revives for co-op runs.

Building for Co-op

Because the game supports co-op and PvPvE modes, hero synergy becomes a major factor. Effective groups often include:

• At least one durable frontliner to draw aggro and control crowds.
• One or more high DPS characters specializing in burst or sustained damage.
• A hero who brings healing, shields, or crowd-control utility.

This mirrors cooperative design principles used in other action and RPG titles, where diversified team roles improve group survivability and efficiency.⁷

Vault Runs: High-Stakes Expeditions

Vault runs are the heart of the game. Each dive into a Vault is a self-contained mission with its own progression, rewards, and escalating danger.

Run Structure and Objectives

While details can evolve across builds, a typical Vault run involves:

1. Choosing a hero and initial loadout at the hub.
2. Entering a Vault region where layouts and encounters can vary between runs.
3. Clearing events and elites to gather currency, relics, and better gear.
4. Facing bosses that test your build’s damage, mobility, and coordination.
5. Escaping with your rewards before the run collapses or your team wipes.

The game emphasizes high stakes: pushing deeper brings greater loot and more challenging enemies, while failure means losing out on potential gains and returning to the hub to regroup.

Dynamic World Reactions

One of Vaultbreakers’ selling points is a world that responds to your actions. As you clear encounters and trigger events, the Vault can change in real time. Examples include:

• New enemy types or elite squads appearing after key objectives.
• Environmental hazards increasing in intensity as time passes.
• Optional objectives that appear only if players meet certain conditions.

This approach mirrors broader trends in modern game design, where adaptive systems and procedural generation are used to increase replayability and ensure that repeated runs feel fresh.⁶

Risk Management and Retreats

Because your permanent progression is tied to what you successfully extract, knowing when to cash out is part of the strategy. You may choose to:

• Exit early with a modest haul and minimal wounds.
• Push for one more boss or elite encounter to chase rare rewards.
• Split the team’s roles, with some players securing extraction while others scout ahead.

This kind of risk vs. reward loop is central to the roguelite identity of Vaultbreakers and is being stressed heavily in the playtest.

The Haven: Meta-Progression and Crafting

Outside the dangerous Vaults, your heroes return to a hub area often referred to as the haven. Here you invest your long-term progress, unlock upgrades, and prepare for future runs.

Buildings and Upgrades

Patch notes for the December test mention adjustments to building progression, such as moving certain upgrades earlier in the tech tree and improving audiovisual feedback in the haven.⁵ The idea is to make the hub feel more alive and to give clear goals between runs. Major features include:

• Unlockable buildings that provide new services or enhancements.
• Upgrades that permanently improve aspects of your heroes, crafting, or economy.
• NPCs who offer missions, lore, or specialized functions like healing item crafting.

Crafting and Supplies

Patch notes also highlight characters such as Kira the doctor, who lets players craft bandages to manage wounds during Vault runs.⁵ Features like this reinforce the tight connection between:

• What you invest in at the haven (materials, upgrades, NPC services).
• How effective and survivable your team is beyond the walls.

Over time, a well-developed haven should translate into more consistent deep runs, since you’ll have better access to healing, consumables, and utility tools.

Multiplayer, Co-op, and PvPvE

Vaultbreakers supports solo play but clearly prioritizes co-op experiences. Official descriptions mention both pure PvE and mixed PvPvE modes, where multiple squads might be active in the same space, competing indirectly or directly for objectives and rewards.^1,2

Co-op Focus

Expect the following emphasis in co-op runs:

• Shared objectives like defending points or defeating bosses.
• Complementary builds that cover each other’s weaknesses.
• Communication about target priority, cooldown usage, and extraction timing.

Well-coordinated groups can tackle higher risk content, and the playtest is specifically meant to surface balance issues around group play and scaling.

PvPvE Tension

In PvPvE modes, you might encounter other players pursuing the same Vault objectives. While details can evolve, this general structure typically involves:

• Competing for scarce resources like powerful relics or boss drops.
• Deciding whether to engage other teams or focus purely on PvE.
• Dynamic alliances or standoffs as squads shadow each other.

This mix of player and enemy threats increases unpredictability and makes every decision about routes and timing more meaningful.

Insignias, Lay Lines, and Movement Systems

Footage and commentary from the playtest highlight Insignias, objects that bind you to a lay line and grant a bundle of benefits: teleportation, passive power boosts, consumables, and even movement bonuses outside combat.⁴

Systems like Insignias are pivotal for pacing. They help you:

• Move quickly between points of interest.
• Recover between big fights.
• Plan routes that maximize loot while minimizing downtime.

Tips to Make the Most of the Playtest

If you only have a few days to experiment with Vaultbreakers, it helps to go in with some priorities. Here are practical suggestions for new players diving into the test:

1. Try Multiple Heroes Early

• Spend your first sessions sampling different heroes rather than tunnel-visioning one.
• Pay attention to which ability kits feel intuitive, then focus your time there.

2. Experiment With Ability Combinations

• Use the larger pool of abilities to test synergies: mobility + AoE, shields + channelled skills, etc.
• Don’t be afraid to swap into unusual abilities you find on gear; some will surprise you.

3. Respect the Wound System

• Use windows between fights to let wounds recover instead of instantly rushing ahead.
• Invest in crafted bandages and healing options when you can; they pay off late in the run.

4. Coordinate in Co-op

• Set basic roles before entering the Vault: who initiates, who focuses adds, who stays back.
• Call out elite spawns and major cooldowns, especially in PvPvE where third-party squads might appear.

5. Use the Haven Strategically

• Between runs, prioritize upgrades that increase survivability and resource generation.
• Unlock crafting and healing services early; they make subsequent runs smoother.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Vaultbreakers more of an ARPG or a roguelite?

Vaultbreakers is intentionally hybrid. Its moment-to-moment action and hero-building feel like an action RPG, but its run-based structure, escalating risk, and meta progression align strongly with roguelites.

Can I play the game solo during the playtest?

Yes. You can complete Vault runs solo, though some modes and challenges are clearly tuned around co-op play. Solo runs are a good way to learn hero kits before you jump into multiplayer.

How permanent is my progress between runs?

Gear and temporary ability choices are tied to individual runs, but haven upgrades, unlocked NPC services, and broader hero progression are designed to be persistent. During a temporary playtest, however, all progress may be wiped when the test period ends, as is common for test builds.

What happens if my team wipes in a Vault?

A full wipe generally means losing the opportunity to extract your current run’s rewards. You’ll return to the haven with whatever permanent currency or milestones are designed to carry over and can then prepare for another attempt.

Is the content in the playtest final?

No. Playtests are specifically used to tune balance, test new features, and gather feedback. Abilities, numbers, enemy behavior, and even core systems like wounds or crafting may change significantly before full release.

Why This Playtest Matters

This December playtest marks a significant step forward for Vaultbreakers. The expansion to six abilities, the evolving wound and crafting systems, and the continued emphasis on co-op vault diving all point toward a game trying to carve out a niche between traditional ARPGs and modern roguelite co-op titles.

If you’re interested in team-centric action RPGs, run-based progression, and high-stakes expeditions where extraction feels just as important as combat, this test is the best opportunity yet to see what Vaultbreakers is becoming—and to influence where it goes next through your play and feedback.