Betawatch: Blue Protocol delays global launch to next year

    
6
So snipe.

Can a game break your heart even before it launches? Yes. Yes it can. Case in point, Blue Protocol has broken what little remains of mine by delaying its global launch until 2024, with the Japanese launch taking place on June 14th. This is probably not surprising given the delays it’s already gone through, but that doesn’t mean we have to be happy about it. I have resolved to be downright catty about it, in fact. I wanted the game now.

Of course, we needn’t break hearts. You could always break zombies – sorry, “infected” – in Undawn when it launches on June 15th. It even features a dead-eyed digital simulacrum of Will Smith, although sadly it does not include a game mode in which you play as Will slapping the ever-loving stuffing out of a trollish Chris Rock in a variety of outfits. (I can only assume Chris Rock’s lawyers would not have approved of that mode.)

But there were more beta stories this week that didn’t involve any slaps whatsoever. You can check them out just below, and check out even more games in testing on the list below. As always, let us know in the comments if something skipped test phases without our noticing!

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 often 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. Finally, we’ll mark games “malingering” if they’ve been in a certain tier of development for a long time with no clear path to launch.

Open Testing Open testing
Closed Testing Closed testing
Paid Access Paid access
Legitimate MMORPG Legit MMORPG
Multiplayer Multiplayer
Malingering in Perpetual Testing Malingering

Paid AccessLegitimate MMOThe Adventurer’s Domain Online: Early access
Open TestingLegitimate MMOAero Tales Online: Early access
Closed TestingLegitimate MMOAge of Water: Beta
Closed TestingLegitimate MMOAnvil Empires: Intermittent alpha
Paid AccessLegitimate MMOArcane Waters: Early access
Open TestingLegitimate MMOMalingering in Perpetual TestingArcfall: Pre-alpha
Closed TestingMultiplayerARK 2: Closed testing
Paid AccessLegitimate MMOAshes of Creation: Alpha two in planning
Closed TestingMultiplayerAshfall: Closed testing
Paid AccessMultiplayerBattlebit: Early access
Closed TestingLegitimate MMOBellatores: Closed testing
Closed TestingLegitimate MMOBlue Protocol: Japanese launch on June 14th, launching worldwide in 2024
Paid AccessMultiplayerBook of Travels: Early access
Paid AccessLegitimate MMOMalingering in Perpetual TestingCamelot Unchained: Closed beta
Paid AccessLegitimate MMOMalingering in Perpetual TestingChronicles of Elyria: Pre-alpha, again
Closed TestingLegitimate MMOChrono Odyssey: Closed testing
Closed TestingLegitimate MMOCinderstone Online: Closed beta
Paid AccessLegitimate MMOMalingering in Perpetual TestingCity of Titans: Alpha
Closed TestingLegitimate MMOCoreborn: Nations of the Ultracore: Alpha
Closed TestingLegitimate MMOCorepunk: Closed alpha
Paid AccessMultiplayerCraftopia: Early access
Closed TestingMultiplayerThe Crew Motorfest: Closed testing
Paid AccessLegitimate MMOMalingering in Perpetual TestingDark and Light: Early access (abandoned?)
Closed TestingLegitimate MMOMalingering in Perpetual TestingDarkbind: Closed beta (probably abandoned?)
Closed TestingMultiplayerThe Day Before: Closed alpha (delay drama)
Paid AccessMultiplayerDiablo IV: Open beta
Paid AccessLegitimate MMODreamworld: Pre-alpha
Closed TestingLegitimate MMODune Awakening: Closed testing
Paid AccessMultiplayerMalingering in Perpetual TestingECO: Early access
Closed TestingLegitimate MMOMalingering in Perpetual TestingEleven: Closed alpha
Open TestingMultiplayerEnlisted: Beta
Closed TestingMultiplayerFae Farm: Closed testing (delayed)
Paid AccessLegitimate MMOFractured Online: Back in closed development
Closed TestingMultiplayerFractured Veil: Back in closed development
Paid AccessMultiplayerFrozen Flame: Early access
Closed TestingLegitimate MMOGenfanad: Alpha
Closed TestingLegitimate MMOIlysia: Alpha two
Open TestingLegitimate MMOInferna: Early access
Open TestingLegitimate MMOKurtzpel: Closed beta
Paid AccessLegitimate MMOMalingering in Perpetual TestingLast Oasis: Early access (abandoned?)
Closed TestingMultiplayerLost Skies: Closed testing
Closed TestingLegitimate MMOMonsters & Memories: Intermittent pre-alpha
Closed TestingLegitimate MMOMortal Exodus: Closed testing
Closed TestingMultiplayerMultiverse: Returned to closed testing
Closed Testing
MultiplayerNightingale: Meep
Open TestingMultiplayerMalingering in Perpetual TestingNoah’s Heart: Beta
Open TestingLegitimate MMOOdd Giants: Alpha
Paid AccessMultiplayerMalingering in Perpetual TestingOutlaws of the Old West: Early access
Closed TestingMultiplayerPalia: Closed alpha
Paid AccessLegitimate MMOPantheon: Intermittent backer alpha
Closed TestingLegitimate MMOPast Fate: Closed alpha
Closed TestingLegitimate MMOPax Dei: Closed alpha
Closed TestingLegitimate MMOPerfect New World: Closed beta
Open TestingLegitimate MMOPow Vista: Open beta (mobile)
Closed TestingMultiplayerProject Genom: Closed alpha (servers offline, abandoned?)
Paid AccessLegitimate MMOProject Gorgon: Early access beta
Open TestingMultiplayerProsperous Universe: Early access
Open TestingLegitimate MMOReign of Guilds: Intermittent open beta
Paid AccessLegitimate MMOSamuTale: Closed alpha
Paid AccessLegitimate MMOMalingering in Perpetual TestingSeed: Alpha (drama, crypto link and weird comms blockout?)
Paid AccessLegitimate MMOShadow’s Kiss: Early access (but read this first)
Closed TestingLegitimate MMOShip of Heroes: Beta testing
Closed TestingMultiplayerMalingering in Perpetual TestingSkull and Bones: Closed alpha
Closed TestingMultiplayerSpellcraft: Alpha
Paid AccessLegitimate MMOMalingering in Perpetual TestingStar Citizen: Backer alpha
Paid AccessMultiplayerStarbase: Early access open alpha
Closed TestingLegitimate MMOTarisland: Beta
Closed TestingLegitimate MMOThrone & Liberty: Korean closed beta
Paid AccessMultiplayerValheim: Early access
Paid AccessMultiplayerV Rising: Early access
Paid AccessLegitimate MMOMalingering in Perpetual TestingValiance Online: Closed beta
Closed TestingLegitimate MMOThe Wagadu Chronicles: Alpha two
Closed TestingMultiplayerWarcraft Arclight Rumble: Closed alpha
Closed TestingLegitimate MMOWaven: Open alpha
Closed TestingMultiplayerWayfinder: Closed beta

We welcome additions and corrections to this list; send your info our way via tips!

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.
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