That upcoming MMORPG sandbox BitCraft is heading into closed alpha is not a shock: Clockwork Labs has been teasing it for months. The new revelation today is precisely when it begins – and how you can sign up.
“We are happy to announce that the first Closed Alpha test will begin on April 2nd, 2024,” the studio says. “With this new phase of development, we will be moving from our previous system to a permanent account-based system. This new system will allow us to assign items, titles, and other assets to individual accounts and players. Notably, this new system manages the distribution over the next few days of the “secret item” we promised our supporters during the Pre-Alpha sign-up period.”
We’ve been covering BitCraft since its original debut back in 2021; Clockwork is an investor-funded studio that unapologetically calls the game a procedurally generated “survival crafting MMORPG” with a heavy emphasis on social systems like player towns. It reminds us a bit of the now-defunct Worlds Adrift, frankly, and that’s not a bad thing. Plus the studio has been adamant about its F2P and anti-pay-to-win business model and harsh on crypto schemes.
Signups for the alpha are already live. Worth noting, once you’ve signed up for the alpha, you’ll be presented with an alpha hub that characterizes the next month as an “alpha access event.” Participation is set up as a game of its own, in which you apparently “complete quests,” “earn in-game items,” and “invite friends” for “community XP” – yes, there’s a referral system. Quests include following the game on social media and joining the Discord. Points earned can then be spent on things like Discord rolls and in-game patterns and titles. Is it mostly harmless? Yes, honestly, just more than a lot of people are going to want to fuss with.
A new trailer accompanies the announcement; it’s tucked down below.
