This past August saw the MMORPG genre receive a blast from the past we’re not sure it was expecting, as 2009’s Aika Online announced it was coming back from its 2021 sunset to a global re-launch in the fourth quarter of this year thanks to a partnership with original developer Hanbitsoft and its new owners CBM Interactive Inc. The march toward that presumably still-accurate arrival window kicked off when the game entered into open beta testing last week.
The global open beta outlined a tri-point focus of testing to ensure server stability, make certain its cash shop works (naturally), and granting players “an opportunity to build lasting connections and foster a vibrant community.” Of course, testing didn’t quite go off without a hitch, as the game encountered download problems, login errors, and game crashes.
The global test is still ongoing right now, but curious players will only have until Thursday, November 16th, to get into this returned older MMO and kick its tires.
