Update on Beta Timing

Hello everyone!

The following is an update on the timing for Beta.

Our roadmap has maintained a posted window of Q 3-4 2025 for Closed Beta to begin.

In more recent months, we've stated in some streams and comments that Beta will likely start on September 30th.

More recently, we've taken a step back and reassessed what we'd like to get out of Beta, beyond just ‘being' in Beta.

The closed testing and ongoing public tests have been a fantastic resource for us and we want to continue to maximize that opportunity.

We're very proud that we've been able to post a roadmap and other dates (like public tests) and hit them. But, it'd be easy for that pride to cloud our judgment on prioritizing ‘hitting dates' over getting the best version of the game possible ready for Early Access.

With this in mind, we've looked at testing feedback, open questions, and the current state of the game, and worked to establish a better understanding of what we feel is critical to have in place and tested during Beta.

Please realize that we've always planned to, and will, go into Early Access with an incomplete game. That's inherent to the approach we've taken.

But there are foundational systems, features, and content that we want to see tested during Beta that we believe must be in place. This is in keeping with the ‘proof of concept'/vertical slice approach we announced at the onset.

So, our current plan is to enter Beta once we've got those elements in place. We're going to keep pushing hard to try and keep that timing as close to the original target as possible.

We don't see a need to declare a change to the Q1 2026 Early Access start window at this time.

The goal is still to enter Beta in Q4 of this year, but we'd feel bad if people were still thinking that's on or around September 30th.

Once we're in Beta, we'll define the Early Access launch date based on our assessment of how we feel about the results and iteration that's taken place in that testing.

One of the goals for going into Beta is for us to further increase the public visibility on what we're working on, open/known bugs, and other information.

Essentially, we're working on ways to provide even more insight into what's going on with the project, not less (more on that soon).

Examples of the type of work we're currently focusing on for Beta includes:

• Performing full passes on all class kits

• Adding remaining critical movement (e.g. levitate and similar) abilities

• Resolving starting traits (including racial, class-based, etc.) and stat points

• Resolving larger balance issues, which includes:

  • Pet balancing, Charm balancing

  • Group size/EXP balancing

  • Game difficulty balancing

• Getting tradeskills further along

• Continuing to work through itemization and item balancing

• Ensuring that systems like devotion (religion), commerce, and factions are in and leveraged properly

• Progressing UI work

• Optimizing tech and stability

This is subset of the list, but it shows the general direction. We'll present more info as we go.

Please don't look at this and assume we're going to take forever. We're going to keep tackling things at a fast rate.

And in the meantime, we're still well on track for the Stress Test this weekend (Oct. 4th and 5th) and our 10-day open playtest on November 1st.

Should any dates beyond that move, we'll have more open playtesting to allow you to keep an eye on the progress firsthand.

We hope this makes sense.

Please continue to ask questions and provide feedback in Discord and in our Livestreams.

Thanks!