[Update]: Valve is ceasing all development on Artifact and Artifact 2.0.

After realizing that the original version of Artifact was beyond salvaging with a simple patch or two, Valve went dark in order to recreate their unique card game from the ground up. Over a year has gone by since then, and if you're eager to find out just what Valve has cooked up, you'll be happy to hear that the Artifact 2.0 beta has now finally begun.

This initial version is only available to a small number of players that have purchased Artifact before March 30, 2020. If you fit those requirements and would like to give it a try for yourself, you can throw your proverbial hat into the ring over at the official website and hope Valve send you a beta key in the near future. The keys are likely to be in short supply for a while, though don't worry, the beta will be expanding greatly as time goes on so everyone will eventually get a chance to check it out.

It's also well worth mentioning that the Artifact 2.0 beta is an actual beta, not just a time-limited preview of the full game. There will be bugs, placeholder art, and potentially even complete resets of your progress at random times throughout the test. So if you're only looking to dive in because you want to play Artifact 2.0 as soon as possible, I'd highly advise just waiting for the open beta - not only will this get you a far more polished and balanced game, bu you won't have to deal with any of the annoying bugs or jankiness.

Good luck with your key, and you can learn more about the beta over at the recent FAQ.