After failing to enthuse the world, Valve is back with Artifact and recently teased some of the key changes coming to the new version of the card battle RPG. One of the most notable new elements, at least for story-hungry people like myself, is the single-player campaign.

Did you know that Artifact has a story? It's relegated to comics and lore, but it exists, and while there are plenty of characters and history in the world of Dota, there aren't many ways for interested players to really engage with it. Thankfully, that seems to be changing.

"We're doubling down on that commitment through a single-player campaign that will both teach new players about the game and continue the story begun in A Call To Arms," Valve's latest update states.

"In conjunction with the progression system, we want you to feel rewarded no matter how you play the game, whether it's competitive play or a campaign.

Valve has yet to reveal what this new single-player story campaign will look like, but it is definitely a major competitor that is doing a pretty good job of leveraging Warcraft's history and creating single-player entertainment I'll be interested to see if any lessons can be learned from Hearthstone.

Artifact's changes to progression are not limited to campaigns. New ways to reward players and improve their skills to become better competitors are also being tried, and Valve has decided to use something reminiscent of Dota Underlords' rank system for competitive play, although it is apparently still under consideration.

It is still unclear when Artifact 2.0 will be playable, but Valve seems to be tinkering with everything from initiative and mana mechanics to the way players unlock cards. The impact of these changes is yet to be seen, but the sheer number of changes will make it virtually a new game, although not entirely unfamiliar to those who checked out the original version.