Shroud of the Avatar is into its final countdown as a game without permanence. Sure, the most recent update required a character wipe as it made a whole lot of changes to the game’s structure, but the final wipe is coming up when the game updates in July. The designers are going to be running another telethon for the game in the not-too-distant future, as well; we had a chance to sit down and talk with Richard Garriott about the state of the game pre-launch and future plans at PAX East 2016, as well.
Of course, there was other beta news to be had this week, yes indeed.
- The folks behind Tree of Savior took a break from naming and shaming bots and gold farmers to delay the game’s launch until May 10th. Was it to patch up any lingering issues before launch day, or was it to snare more bots to ban? You decide.
- Fans of Atlas Reactor who are not currently in the game’s closed beta will be able to play the game freely over the weekend. So it’s an open weekend for a closed beta, or a closed beta with the door open just a crack, if you will.
- Fragmented, the survival sandbox based off of The Repopulation, has skittered its way into early access. Ironically, sales of this survival game help the studio itself survive.
- ArcheAge is in open testing… in China. Yes, we know, it couldn’t be in any more open testing than it already is in the US; that’s what “launch” means. Thank you for explaining that.
- Gloria Victis lets you see clearly now. And further. Eyesight for all!
Aw, do we have to have a whole list of betas just below? Yes. Yes we do. It’s right there, and if something slipped into a different test phase without us realizing it, we want to know. The comments are good for that.
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
Asta: Open beta
Beasts of Prey:Â Early access alpha
Boundless: Donor alpha
Camelot Unchained:Â Backer alpha
Children of Ur: Open alpha
Chronicles: Runescape Legends: Closed beta
Crossout: Closed beta
Crowfall: Backer pre-alpha
Cube World: Closed alpha
Das Tal: Ongoing alpha tests
DayZ: Early access
Divergence Online:Â Alpha
Dungeon Fighter Online: Open testing
Eleven:Â Closed alpha
Eternal Crusade: Early access play on Steam
Ever, Jane: Closed beta
Fragmented: Closed backer beta
Gloria Victis: Donor pre-alpha
H1Z1:Â Paid early access, split into two games
HEX:Â Unofficial open beta
Landmark: Paid closed beta, cash shop active, launching in spring
LawBreakers: Closed alpha
Life is Feudal: Early access beta
Line of Defense: Early access, removed from Steam
MyDream: Closed testing open to donors
Origins of Malu:Â Development suspended
Otherland: Early access
Overwatch: Closed beta, launching May 24th
Paladins: Closed beta
Paragon: Early access
Pathfinder Online: Subscription “early enrollment”
Project Genom: Closed alpha
Project Gorgon: Free, open testing
Riders of Icarus: Closed beta
Shards Online: Pre-alpha
Shroud of the Avatar: Steam early access, backer testing
SkySaga: Ongoing NA and UK alpha events
Star Citizen: Backer alpha
Stash: Backer alpha
The Black Death: Early access alpha
The Culling: Early access testing
The Repopulation: Alpha offline, moving to the Unreal engine, survival spinoff Fragmented in early access
Tree of Life: Open beta
Tree of Savior: Early access, launching in May
Tribal Wars 2: Open testing
TUG: Steam early access alpha
Valiance Online: Pre-alpha testing
Venus Rising: Closed beta (adult/NSFW), currently on development hiatus due to Hero Engine issues
