So we’ve been waiting a long time for Corepunk to start testing. The good news is that it finally has done so, but considering the initial testing batch consists of a tiny preview playerbase, you are probably not part of that testing wave. Then again, when your game has to be delayed because your country was invaded by a regressive dictator with imperialist aspirations, sooooo you sort of get some leeway. It’s fine, Corepunk, you take all the time you need.
Meanwhile, Fractured is going with the “one last beta” approach before fully committing to the early access routine again, just to make sure everything is working properly. Considering what the game has dealt with so far, that makes sense. Beware of unexpected PvP, el cupacabra, and Gamigo lurking in the bushes with a manic smile.
Now let’s all check out the roundup of beta news stories from the past week while also taking a look at our big list of games in testing below that. Please take a look at that. The formatting for it was very difficult. Of course, if you look at it and think, “Hey, wait, this should be listed at a different test phase,” you can let us know about that down in the comments so we can fix it!
Star Citizen showcases a new mission and new global event currently in development
Eternal Tombs declares goal to innovate in the MMORPG genre, releases gameplay walkthrough
Star Citizen begins dishing out CitizenCon tickets to buyers and introduces a new CM
MMORPG sandbox BitCraft sets alpha for early 2024, picks up Austin Wintory and Rachel Hardy for the score
Pantheon Rise of the Fallen defends its art direction shift as more performative and less generic
Post-apoc survival shooter The Front confirms early access launch date of October 11
Valheim highlights a couple of creatures that will inhabit its Ashlands biome
Palia’s latest open beta patch scorches cooking (and cake parties) with big nerfs
Tencent’s not-a-WoW-clone Tarisland snagged a former World of Warcraft composer for its score
Project Crawl is a medieval fantasy PvPvE extraction game entering alpha today
Fractured Online will run one more beta this week before relaunching early access
Corepunk is running a tiny preview test this weekend with several more planned ahead of December early access
The Quinfall says its putting together an all-player testing team
Star Citizen previews cargo hauling and sound design, shares Arena Commander mode schedule
Nightingale’s September vlog talks playtesting, dev focus, and why early access was delayed
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
Closed testing
Paid access
Legit MMORPG
Multiplayer
MalingeringThe Adventurer’s Domain Online: Early access
Aero Tales Online: Early access
Age of Water: Paid closed beta
Anvil Empires: Intermittent alpha
Arcane Waters: Early access
Arcfall: Pre-alpha
ARK 2: Closed testing
Ashes of Creation: Alpha two in planning
Ashfall: Closed beta
ASKA: Closed beta
Battlebit: Early access
Battle Crush: Closed beta on October 23rd
Bellatores: Closed testing
Bitcraft: Alpha planned for 2024
Blue Protocol: Launching worldwide in 2024
Book of Travels: Early access
Camelot Unchained: Closed beta
Chronicles of Elyria: Pre-alpha, again
Chrono Odyssey: Closed testing
Cinderstone Online: Closed beta
City of Titans: Alpha
Coreborn: Nations of the Ultracore: Early access
Corepunk: Early access planned for December
Craftopia: Early access
The Crew Motorfest: Closed testing
Dark and Darker: Paid early access, legal troubles.
Dark and Light: Early access (abandoned?)
Darkbind: Closed beta (probably abandoned?)
The Day Before: Closed alpha (delay drama)
The Division Heartland: Closed testing
Dreamworld: Pre-alpha
Dune Awakening: Closed testing
ECO: Early access
Eleven: Closed alpha
Enlisted: Beta
Evercore Heroes: Paid testing, updates stopping with a focus on a redesign
Fae Farm: Closed testing, launch planned for September 8th
The First Descendant: Crossplay beta
Fractured Online: Paid beta access
Fractured Veil: Back in closed development, early access on October 18th
Frozen Flame: Early access
Genfanad: Alpha
Ilysia: Beta two through August 23rd
Inferna: Early access
Kurtzpel: Closed beta
Last Oasis: Early access (abandoned?)
Legendarium Online: Paid alpha access
Lost Skies: Closed testing
Monster Hunter Now: Closed beta
Monsters & Memories: Intermittent pre-alpha
Mortal Exodus: Closed testing
Multiverse: Returned to closed testing
Nightingale: Ongoing closed events
Noah’s Heart: Beta
Odd Giants: Alpha
Outlaws of the Old West: Early access
Palia: Open beta
Pantheon: Intermittent backer alpha
Past Fate: Closed testing
Path of Exile 2: Beta June 2024
Pax Dei: Closed alpha
Perfect New World: Closed beta
Pow Vista: Open beta (mobile)
Project Crawl: Closed testing
Project F4E: Closed testing
Project Genom: Closed alpha (servers offline, abandoned?)
Project Gorgon: Early access beta
Project Loki: Closed beta
Project ST: Closed testing, open event ended
Prosperous Universe: Early access
Return Alive: Closed beta
Reign of Guilds: Intermittent open beta
SamuTale: “Paid closed alpha early access” according to the developer, which is just early access, come on dude
Seed: Alpha (drama, crypto link and weird comms blockout?)
Shadow’s Kiss: Early access (but read this first)
Ship of Heroes: Beta testing
Skull and Bones: Closed beta
Spellcraft: Alpha
Star Citizen: Backer alpha
Starbase: Early access open alpha
Tarisland: Beta
Throne & Liberty: Korean closed beta, western launch delayed into 2024
Trimurti Online: Stress testing
Valheim: Early access
V Rising: Early access
Valiance Online: Closed beta
The Wagadu Chronicles: Alpha two
Warcraft Rumble: Soft launching, changed name, everything is fine
Warhaven: Early access
Waven Early access
Wayfinder Early access ahead of full launch
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.
