There are problems on display right now for Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen. This is upsetting to type, of course, but the late Brad McQuaid’s next big project is apparently knee-deep in restructuring to allow more rapid development and looking for investors, while also promising its next alpha test starting up this month. These are perhaps not great signs for the game in terms of time to release and financial viability, though we’re all crossing our fingers that Visionary Realms can pull out a win.
Other beta news? Of course, of course:
- It turns out that going back into beta wasn’t enough to save Crucible, as has happened for other games pulled back into beta. Still sad.
- Blue Protocol has not been pulled back into beta; it’s always been in beta. And it has another closed test in Japan coming up on November 7th.
- Bless Unleashed is taking the leash off its own PC version, with the closed beta test for the port starting up on November 4th.
- While Crowfall does not feature Steven Seagal, it is under siege. Specifically, it’s under siege to stress the game and improve performance. Castles get sieged, you siege the servers; seems fair.
- Last but not least, after lots of early access delays, Astaria is planning a test this month. No, really! They mean it.
What, you expected some sort of running joke? This is Betawatch, not the nonsense peddled by the slattern writing What Are You Playing every week. No, here we will very calmly descend to see our full listing of games in testing just below, with appreciated hat tips for anyone who lets us know about games that slipped into new test phases or ought to be removed in the comments.
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: Alpha one
Book of Travels: Closed beta
Camelot Unchained: Closed beta one
Children of Ur: Open alpha, further development merged with Eleven
Craftopia: Early access
Crowfall: Closed beta
Dauntless: Open beta
Dark and Light: Early access
Dual Universe: Beta
ECO: Early access
Eleven: Closed alpha
Elyon: Korean beta (fka Ascent Infinite Realm)
Ever, Jane: Open beta
Frozen Flame: Closed beta
Gloria Victis: Early access on Steam
Hearthstone Battleground Mode: Open beta
Inferna: Early access
Kurtzpel: Closed beta
Life is Feudal: Early access
Line of Defense: Early access, removed from Steam
Magic: Legends: Closed alpha 2; beta testing in 2020
Mortal Online 2: Closed alpha
New World: Closed testing, launch pushed to 2021
Occupy White Walls: Early access
Osiris: New Dawn: Open beta
Outlaws of the Old West: Early access
Pantheon: Backer pre-alpha
Pathfinder Online: Subscription “early enrollment”
Population Zero: Early access
Project Genom: Closed alpha, servers offline for restructuring with SpatialOS
Project Gorgon: Early access beta
Prosperous Universe: Early access
Saga of Lucimia: Closed alpha
SamuTale: Closed alpha
Ship of Heroes: Alpha
Star Citizen: Backer alpha
Temtem: Early access
The Black Death: Early access alpha
The Cycle: Alpha, weekly test cycle
The Repopulation: Early access alpha
Torchlight III: Early access, launch on October 13th
Valiance Online: Alpha
Wild Terra 2: Intermittent beta
Zenith: Alpha
Yes, MMO gamers, you too can perform the unpaid quality-control work otherwise known as game testing! Check out Massively Overpowered’s Betawatch every week for a run-down of MMOs that are still on the road to launch, even if they appear to have set up a permanent residence in a shed called early access.
