Betawatch: Skull and Bones is finally in testing

    
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head, shoulders, skull and bones (skull and bones)

Ubisoft knows that the true secret to making tons of money and launching a hit video game is to strike when the iron is cold. Very cold. “We have been keeping this iron as close to absolute zero as possible for scientific purposes” cold. “You are walking away from the object you are trying to find which I am now holding because this is unpleasant for both of us” cold. “Andre 3000 wants to know what’s cooler than being cool” cold. With that preamble in place, here’s Skull and Bones finally in closed beta! Try to contain your enthusiasm.

Hey, speaking of delays, did you know that Nightingale has been delayed until February 2024? You are shocked, I’m sure. At least that one does not have the problem of waiting until the hype over a thematic conceit has well and truly died, since this is a thematic conceit that has never been popular except in my heart. It never dies there.

I suppose you could consider long intros a delay getting into the meat of our news roundup and list of games in testing just below. You shouldn’t, but you could. What you should do is check out our roundup of the beta news this week followed by our list of games in testing, and then you should let us know if something slipped into a new test phase (or just out-and-out launch) without our noticing. We do appreciate it.

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
Paid AccessLegitimate MMOAge of Water: Paid closed 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 beta
Closed TestingMultiplayerASKA: Closed beta
Paid AccessMultiplayerBattlebit: Early access
Closed TestingLegitimate MMOBellatores: Closed testing
Closed TestingLegitimate MMOBitcraft: Closed alpha incoming
Closed TestingLegitimate MMOBlue Protocol: 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
Paid AccessLegitimate MMOCoreborn: Nations of the Ultracore: Early access
Closed TestingLegitimate MMOCorepunk: Closed alpha, open testing scheduled for September
Paid AccessMultiplayerCraftopia: Early access
Closed TestingMultiplayerThe Crew Motorfest: Closed testing
Paid AccessMultiplayerMalingering in Perpetual TestingDark and Darker: Paid early access, legal troubles.
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)
Closed TestingMultiplayerThe Division Heartland: Closed testing
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
Paid AccessMultiplayerEvercore Heroes: Paid testing, updates stopping with a focus on a redesign
Closed TestingMultiplayerFae Farm: Closed testing, launch planned for September 8th
Open TestingMultiplayerThe First Descendant: Beta in September
Paid AccessLegitimate MMOFractured Online: Paid beta access
Closed TestingMultiplayerFractured Veil: Back in closed development
Paid AccessMultiplayerFrozen Flame: Early access
Closed TestingLegitimate MMOGenfanad: Alpha
Closed TestingLegitimate MMOIlysia: Beta two through August 23rd
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 TestingMultiplayerMonster Hunter Now: Closed beta
Closed TestingLegitimate MMOMonsters & Memories: Intermittent pre-alpha
Closed TestingLegitimate MMOMortal Exodus: Closed testing
Closed TestingMultiplayerMultiverse: Returned to closed testing
Closed Testing
MultiplayerNightingale: Ongoing closed events
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: Open beta
Paid AccessLegitimate MMOPantheon: Intermittent backer alpha
Closed TestingMultiplayerParty Animals: Closed testing starting September 1st
Closed TestingLegitimate MMOPast Fate: Closed testing
Closed TestingMultiplayerPath of Exile 2: Beta June 2024
Closed TestingLegitimate MMOPax Dei: Closed alpha
Closed TestingLegitimate MMOPerfect New World: Closed beta
Open TestingLegitimate MMOPow Vista: Open beta (mobile)
Closed TestingMultiplayerProject F4E: Closed testing
Closed TestingMultiplayerProject Genom: Closed alpha (servers offline, abandoned?)
Paid AccessLegitimate MMOProject Gorgon: Early access beta
Closed TestingMultiplayerProject Loki: Closed beta
Open TestingMultiplayerProject ST: Closed testing, open event ended
Open TestingMultiplayerProsperous Universe: Early access
Closed TestingMultiplayerReturn Alive: Closed beta
Open TestingLegitimate MMOReign of Guilds: Intermittent open beta
Paid AccessLegitimate MMOSamuTale: “Paid closed alpha early access” according to the developer, which is just early access, come on dude
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 beta
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, western launch delayed into 2024
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 Rumble: Soft launching, changed name, everything is fine
Open TestingLegitimate MMOWaven Early access
Closed TestingMultiplayerWayfinder 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.

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