It’s certainly a daunting task to launch a game into its open beta, but the developers of Dauntless are undaunted as the title does just that this week. Now everyone can daunt gigantic monsters, daunting the local townsfolk into upgrading gear while forging names like “Daunter of Behemoths.” Without paying a dime!
In other news, I’ve now been forbidden from using the word “daunt” any further in this particular post. Also, there’s other beta news worth covering.
- As a child, you were likely told that if at first you don’t succeed, you should try again. That is the lesson that appears to be going into Wild Busters rebranding and changing ownership to a new company that has not been kicked off of Steam. It’s technically trying again, yes, but it feels like it skipped a step or two.
- H1Z1 launched its open beta on PlayStation 4, and… wow, it managed to get a lot of players in short order, huh? That 200,000 concurrent players is an impressive number.
- If you felt like you weren’t getting enough in the way of rewards for Defiance 2050 as a veteran of the original game, good news: There are more rewards now for valor. Perhaps that will assuage any frustration.
- Those who still can’t wait to hear about Lost Ark will be happy to know that the game is heading into its last, really last, we mean it this time closed beta. All the great taste of a test version with none of… whatever is an undesirable quality in a beta. Saturated fat, maybe?
- Last but not least, Crowfall has been crowing about the features of its latest test build. If something doesn’t work, make sure to tell the development team so they can eat crow.
That’s some beta news, huh? Don’t fret, there’s also a list below if you want to look for other titles in testing. As always, if you see something there that shouldn’t be there or should have a different test state listed, please let us know. If you appreciate overuse of the word “daunt,” also let us know there. Just for funsies.
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, with occasional exceptions.
AdventureQuest 3D: Open beta
Arcfall: Pre-alpha
Ashes of Creation: Backer alpha zero
Bless Online: Early access starts in May
Boundless: Donor alpha
Camelot Unchained:Â Backer alpha, beta on July 4th
Children of Ur: Open alpha
Citadel: Forged with Fire: Early access
Crowfall: Backer pre-alpha
Cube World: Closed alpha
Dauntless: Open beta
Dark and Light: Early access
DayZ: Early access
Defiance 2050: Almost beta
Divergence Online:Â Alpha
Dual Universe: Pre-alpha
ECO: Early access
Edengrad: Early access
Eleven:Â Closed alpha
Ever, Jane: Open beta
Gloria Victis: Early access on Steam
Global Adventures: Closed beta
Just Survive: Paid early access
Legends of Aria: Closed beta, open beta in June
Life is Feudal: Early access
Line of Defense: Early access, removed from Steam
Occupy White Walls: Closed alpha
OrbusVR: Early access
Osiris: New Dawn: Early access
Pantheon: Backer pre-alpha
Pathfinder Online: Subscription “early enrollment”
PixARK: Early access
Project Genom: Closed alpha
Project Gorgon: Early access beta
Rend: Alpha testing
SamuTale: Closed alpha
Star Citizen: Backer alpha
Stash: Backer alpha
The Black Death: Early access alpha
The Culling: Early access testing
The Repopulation: Early access alpha
TUG: Early access alpha, possibly abandoned
Valiance Online: Alpha
Wild Terra: Steam early access
Worlds Adrift: Early access
