So The Repopulation has been through the wringer over the years, having been spirited away from its creators and original stewards by Idea Fabrik in a mess of cruel legal wrangling. Since then, the game has languished in development hell for a long while, but this week brought the announcement that Idea Fabrik’s subcontracted studio was quitting because it was “not able to come to terms with IF on various business issues” and Idea Fabrik apparently sorted out no other solution to keep development going, with servers shutting down today. What a horrible, miserable end to this whole story and exactly the note nobody wants to see a game leave our list on.
Is other beta news going to cheer me up?
- Well, we’re starting off with Blue Protocol delaying its Japanese beta test for an unspecified but apparently serious bug. So that’s definitely not cheerful.
- Wayfinder is running a test next week, though, so that’s something to be at least a little excited about.
- And then there’s Chronicles of Elyria, which has kicked off 2023 by promising that this is still going to happen, really. Even though the development studio is now one person beset by legal issues.
- At least Monsters & Memories is refreshing its test with new content? That’s a good thing, isn’t it? Sigh. This week, folks.
Sorry, fam, that’s what we got this week. It’s just this sort of week. You can still check out list down below and let us know if something slipped to another test phase, but when I look at it I see a title that’s missing now and it’s just depressing. Oh well. Same time next week?
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, nor will games that are NFT/blockchain scams; we also do not list expansions, with occasional exceptions.
Aero Tales Online: Early access
Arcane Waters: Early access
Arcfall: Pre-alpha
Age of Water: Beta
Ashes of Creation: Alpha two in planning
Book of Travels: Early access
Camelot Unchained: Closed beta
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
Darkbind: Closed beta
Dreamworld: Pre-alpha
ECO: Early access
Eleven: Closed alpha
Enlisted: Beta
Fractured Online: Early access, entering closed development January 31st
Frozen Flame: Early access
Galahad 3093: Early access
Genfanad: Alpha
Gloria Victis: Beta (early access) on Steam
Ilysia: Alpha two
Inferna: Early access
Kurtzpel: Closed beta
Last Oasis: Early access
Noah’s Heart: Beta
Mad World: Beta
Osiris: New Dawn: Open beta
Outlaws of the Old West: Early access
Palia: Closed alpha
Pantheon: Backer pre-alpha, monthly alpha tests planned for 2023 (first on January 28th)
Past Fate: Closed alpha
Project Genom: Closed alpha, servers offline for restructuring with SpatialOS
Project Gorgon: Early access beta
Prosperous Universe: Early access
SamuTale: Closed alpha
Seed: Alpha
Ship of Heroes: Beta testing
Skull and Bones: Closed alpha
Skydome: Closed beta
Star Citizen: Backer alpha
Starbase: Early access open alpha
The Adventurer’s Domain Online: Early access on January 26th
The Black Death: Early access alpha
The Cycle: Closed beta
V Rising: Early access
Valiance Online: Closed beta
The Wagadu Chronicles: Alpha two
Waven: Open 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.
