This week wasn’t just the end of a year, it was the start of a long string of news from Crowfall before testing resumes on January 6th. The game’s staff revealed the interlocking system of vessels and crows, allowing players to unlock skills and abilities at the account level rather than per character, and introducing all sorts of interesting possibilities with crafting characters. There were also reminders to get your 2015 founder’s packs before the end of the year, but that deadline is passed now.
And yes indeed, there was other beta news. Not much, though; most game studios were watching some movie or another and sleeping off holiday meals.
- The alpha server for Clash of Avatars is now available for players to enjoy the game in browsers.
- The latest update for Black Desert in Korea added some new areas, which is useful as a forecast of what’s coming next; meanwhile, our own Matt Daniel took a comprehensive look at the beta.
- Albion Online‘s beta test has been extended, with any rumors and/or speculation about a free-to-play launch being rather distinctly squashed.
- The ongoing saga with The Repopulation and the Hero Engine is now being blamed on the team at Above and Beyond Technologies; the developers took the time to set the record straight.
- If we had an award for the most strangely compelling systems to be added to an MMO, Project Gorgon would probably be a shoo-in with its whole Animal Town concept.
- The world in Project Genom is now open. It’s all open-world now. We have way too many games with “project” in the title, huh?
And, of course, there’s our list down below. See something we missed, let us know! We also have a movie to catch right now, you understand. It involves some awakening or another.
As always, we consider an MMO to be in open testing if it features free, public signups and will server wipe prior to launch. An MMO is marked in closed testing if it’s running a private test phase that cannot freely be accessed by the general public; it’s usually under NDA as well. Early access and crowdfunded MMOs whose tests we deem legitimate will be included. So-called “open beta” soft-launch MMOs with cash shops, no sign of launch in the west, or limited interest for our readers will not be listed; we also do not list expansions.
Albion Online: Closed beta
Ascent: The Space Game: Steam early access
Auto Club Revolution: Closed beta
Beasts of Prey:Â Early access alpha
Black Desert:Â Korean and Japanese open beta, North American closed beta, release in early 2016
Blade & Soul: Closed beta, release in January 2016
Boundless: Donor alpha
Camelot Unchained:Â Backer alpha
Chronicles: Runescape Legends: Closed beta
Crowfall: Backer pre-alpha
Das Tal: Alpha previously expected in 2015
DayZ: Early access
Divergence Online:Â Alpha
Dungeon Fighter Online: Open testing
Earthrise: First Impact: Alpha testing; no recent updates on development
Eleven:Â Closed alpha
Eternal Crusade: First wave of closed alpha
EVE: Valkyrie: Pre-alpha registration for EVE and DUST players
Ever, Jane: Closed beta
Gloria Victis: Donor pre-alpha
H1Z1:Â Paid early access
HEX:Â Unofficial open beta
Kingdom Online: Closed beta
Landmark: Paid closed beta, cash shop active
Life is Feudal: Early access beta
Line of Defense: Early access
MyDream: Closed testing open to donors
Nosgoth: Open beta
Origins of Malu:Â Combat module in early access
Otherland: Early access
Overwatch: Closed beta
Pathfinder Online: Subscription “early enrollment”
Project Genom: Closed alpha
Project Gorgon: Free, open testing
Shards Online: Pre-alpha
Shroud of the Avatar: Steam early access, backer testing
SkySaga: Ongoing NA and UK alpha events
Star Citizen: Backer pre-alpha
Starriser: Taking beta signups
Stash: Backer alpha
The Repopulation: Alpha offline, currently on development hiatus
Tree of Life: Paid early access
Tree of Savior: English beta testing events
Tribal Wars 2: Open testing
TUG: Steam early access alpha
Valiance Online: Pre-alpha testing
Venus Rising: Closed beta (adult/NSFW)
