Players and attendees alike at The International, the major Dota 2 tournament held in Seattle from Aug. 7 to 12 got an early surprise from game developer Valve — a new card game called "Artifact: The Dota Card Game." 

On the event's second night, a new video game was announced by the gaming company, followed by a 35-second teaser video. Broadcaster Sean "Day9" Plott said the game is entirely original and not affiliated with Valve's existing games, according to Arstechnica.

"Artifact" is loosely based on the "Dota 2" universe, a highly popular game and e-sport currently played by millions of subscribers around the globe. Even though no official release dates have been set by the company, Plott mentioned the game will be released to the public sometime in 2018.

The teaser video shown at The International left out any relevant information about the game aside from the name and how it sounds slightly similar to another popular card game, "Hearthstone." However, game experts and enthusiasts have managed to deduce some pieces of information about the game.

According to Metabomb, players will be controlling a total of five heroes, not unlike the standard multiplayer team in "Dota." Creature or minion cards can also be controlled aside from the heroes, and there will be a total of three game boards.

The heroes the players will control all have their own individual powers and skills, but unlike in Dota where the team is composed of different players, one player will control the entire team in "Artifact." Creeps will also play a defensive role in the game.

It was also not mentioned what platforms "Artifact" can be played on, but some think that PC is the best guess, according to Tom's Guide. There are those who wish that the game can also be played on both iOS and Android devices, like its main competitor, "Hearthstone."

More information about "Artifact" will surely be announced by Valve in the coming weeks or months. Stay tuned for more updates.

Players and attendees alike at The International, the major "Dota 2" tournament held in Seattle from Aug. 7 to 12 got an early surprise from game developer Valve — a new card game called "Artifact: The Dota Card Game." 

On the event's second night, a new video game was announced by the gaming company, followed by a 35-second teaser video. Broadcaster Sean "Day9" Plott said the game is entirely original and not affiliated with Valve's existing games, according to Arstechnica.

"Artifact" is loosely based on the "Dota 2" universe, a highly popular game and e-sport currently played by millions of subscribers around the globe. Even though no official release dates have been set by the company, Plott mentioned the game will be released to the public sometime in 2018.

The teaser video shown at The International left out any relevant information about the game aside from the name and how it sounds slightly similar to another popular card game, "Hearthstone." However, game experts and enthusiasts have managed to deduce some pieces of information about the game.

According to Metabomb, players will be controlling a total of five heroes, not unlike the standard multiplayer team in "Dota." Creature or minion cards can also be controlled aside from the heroes, and there will be a total of three game boards.

The heroes the players will control all have their own individual powers and skills, but unlike in Dota where the team is composed of different players, one player will control the entire team in Artifact. Creeps will also play a defensive role in the game.

It was also not mentioned what platforms "Artifact" can be played on, but some think that PC is the best guess, according to Tom's Guide. There are those who wish that the game can also be played on both iOS and Android devices, like its main competitor, "Hearthstone."

More information about Artifact will surely be announced by Valve in the coming weeks or months. Stay tuned for more updates.