BitCraft Online is removing premium currency from Empires, with a wipe likely coming

BitCraft Online is changing how Empires work. The team says founding and expanding an Empire will soon be doable through normal gameplay, and it will no longer require spending Hexite Shards, the game’s premium currency.

Game Director Carter “Minch” Minshull shared the plan during a recent stream, and noted that a wipe is likely to make the shift possible. The devs are considering community polling on how extensive that wipe will be, but players who currently have an Empire should expect it to be removed. The team also said shards spent on Empires should be returned.

Hexite Shards are still sticking around for cosmetics. What’s changing is that Empires will instead use a new item called Hexite Energy. Clockwork Laboratories says there will eventually be multiple ways to earn Hexite Energy, but it’s starting with two sources: one basic option that should be accessible to anyone, and a second method with extra requirements. Specific details on those methods were not fully outlined here.

As for timing, the studio is aiming to roll these changes out over the next few weeks, though there’s no firm date yet.

In the studio’s view, tying Empires to premium currency made them feel more like a prestige add-on than a core part of BitCraft. Moving them into gameplay progression is meant to make Empires a more attainable goal for more players, and potentially give Empire territory a bigger role in the world. Clockwork laid out the reasoning in its devblog on the announcement.