If you were among those who raised your eyebrows at the three-figure prices that Ashes of Creation was charging for access to its upcoming Alpha Two test, then you might be interested to read through a synopsis post about the earlier announcement, which features some updates thanks to the “glorious feedback” players have provided.
The first, second, and third wave bundles now include access to Alpha Two, Beta One, Beta Two, a month of subscription time when the game goes live, and $15 worth of cash shop currency to buy cosmetics, while the bundle prices are still at $120, $110, and $100 respectively. Intrepid Studios explains that the bundle prices represent “realm and CDN costs associated with a live service product” while warning people away from buying if they’re expecting a completed game.
The rest of the post otherwise explains the test phase features and phases. We’ll reiterate: Phase one begins October 25th with weekend tests on Fridays through Sundays, phase two will have five-day testing every week starting December 20th, and phase three starts May 1st, 2025, with a 24/7 server. The first two phases have no NDA, but phase three will see the MMORPG move into an NDA’d test realm that will also get access to builds prior to beta and launch.
Player reaction to this news doesn’t appear to have fully quelled earlier grumbling about the bundle prices, with some folks still continuing to liken it all to a “shameless” fleecing of hopeful MMO gamers, a whaling expedition, or a Star Citizen-like pipe dream. However, some of the Ashes of Creation fanbase seems slightly more pleased with the outcome – that is, except some of the folks who think newcomers are getting a better package deal than early-adopters.
