The words “beta” and “subscription” feel like very weird concepts to put in juxtaposition with one another. Like, you would think that while you’re still testing the game you shouldn’t be charging people to help with your quality assurance work? Isn’t that technically paying to do a job? Look, the important thing is that Dual Universe has a subscription fee for its beta test, and the price on that subscription will be increased for new players going forward.
Fortunately for our readers, other beta news is not gated by a subscription fee:
- Lost Ark has recapped the beta test with its release window still planned for early next year. Good testing, same plan as before.
- Do you want a co-op shooter? Do you live in Korea? Do you not find the name Project D inherently hilarious? Good news, then!
- BitCraft has officially kicked off its pre-alpha testing, although considering that “pre-alpha” is usually synonymous with “not ready for testing” we’re right back into weird concepts juxtaposed with one another.
- Last but not least is the Halo: Infinite multiplayer beta, which some of us with game-focused Twitter accounts have already been unable to get away from hearing about.
You don’t need no credit card to ride this train, but you also don’t need no credit card to read through the list of games we know of in beta testing just below. But it’s probably not a bad idea to have a credit card, just like it’s definitely not a bad idea to let us know in the comments if something has changed its test phase without us noticing.
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
Blankos Block Party: Early access
Book of Travels: Early access
Camelot Unchained: Closed beta one
Children of Ur: Open alpha, further development merged with Eleven
Chronicles of Elyria: Pre-alpha, again
Cinderstone Online: Closed Beta
City of Titans: Alpha
Corepunk: Closed alpha
Craftopia: Early access
The Cycle: Closed beta
Dark and Light: Early access
Dreamworld: Pre-alpha?
Dual Universe: Paid beta
ECO: Early access
Eleven: Closed alpha
Embers Adrift: Closed alpha
Enlisted: Beta
Fractured: Alpha
Frozen Flame: Closed beta
Genfanad: Alpha
Gloria Victis: Beta (early access) on Steam
Inferna: Early access
Kurtzpel: Closed beta
Line of Defense: Early access, removed from Steam
Lost Ark: Closed beta
Mortal Online 2: Closed beta
Occupy White Walls: Early access
Osiris: New Dawn: Open beta
Outlaws of the Old West: Early access
Pantheon: Backer pre-alpha
Project Genom: Closed alpha, servers offline for restructuring with SpatialOS
Project Gorgon: Early access beta
Prosperous Universe: Early access
Ravendawn: Alpha
Rise Online: Open alpha
SamuTale: Closed alpha
Ship of Heroes: Beta testing
Skydome: Closed beta
Star Citizen: Backer alpha
Starbase: Early access open alpha
Temtem: Early access
The Black Death: Early access alpha
The Cycle: Closed beta
The Repopulation: Early access alpha
TitanReach: Development reactivated but offline
Valiance Online: Closed beta
Wild Terra 2: Early access
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.
