The sandbox MMO ArcheAge has answered various open questions regarding the Closed Beta, the Open Beta, and the release. Now, we know almost everything except for a release date.
In the weekly livestream of ArcheAge, the staff of Trion Worlds answer all imaginable questions from fans. This time, it was noticeable that the questions clearly targeted the Open Beta and release. Currently, the fourth closed Beta is taking place in ArcheAge. It will last until Wednesday. According to Trion Worlds, they have sent out invitations in the 7-digit range (over a million). This magnitude suggests that it could very well be the last closed Beta. However, nothing was said about that.
At the moment, everything is clear except for the length and date of the Open Beta and thus the final release date. We speculate on a longer Open Beta phase and a release in October. At the end of the article, we will give you the reasons for this.
Since the livestream touched on almost all topics, we decided to present you with the most important statements in bullet points.
No rest for the weary: ArcheAge developers are working overtime
- With the course of the third Beta, Trion Worlds was generally very satisfied. There was only one server crash, which was considered positive. Above all, the stability of the interface proved to be improved.
- At the moment, everyone at Trion Worlds is working at full throttle and putting in overtime. Between the third and fourth betas, the employees had hardly any time to relax. Sleep is out of the question. They joked that this is noticeable in the faces of the staff.
Player-written music fully convinces
- Currently, a lot revolves around a tricky piece of software on which the entire payment and patron system depends. This piece of “core software,” developed for the Korean system, must harmonize with all the processes at Trion Worlds. This is the biggest focus at the moment.
- In the livestream, fans got a taste of what the “music composition” system can do. A fan who devoted himself to this was able to play “Let it Go” from the Disney movie “Frozen” in ArcheAge. A commendable achievement, in our opinion (timestamp 14:46 in the livestream).
Alpha ends with the Open Beta, characters persist on test servers
- The Alpha will end with the start of the Open Beta. From then on, the servers will be needed for something else. The characters from the Alpha are to be saved and might resurface on a test server if one is needed later. Players who are still considering getting a founder’s pack should probably do so not for access to the Alpha, but for the glider or other bonuses. Because the Alpha could end soon. It was mentioned in the stream that it would be shut down a few days before the start of the Open Beta.
Open Beta and the details
- The Open Beta (and probably also the release) will start initially without the area “Auroria”. This is where the keeps that players and guilds can secure are located. This decision is intended to prevent organized guilds from securing an early advantage and dominating a server while the rest are still getting started. The start signal for Auroria is expected to occur during prime time in the Open Beta – at a different time on the European servers than on the North American ones. Trion Worlds wants to remain flexible with the date and will only initiate the rush for the keeps when they feel the structures are ready. Since Trion Worlds has not revealed when the Open Beta for ArcheAge will start or how long it will last, it is difficult to categorize this information.
- APEX, the option to buy the patron status in-game, will be activated for the Open Beta. Players who purchase APEX with real money for the Open Beta will receive an Apex again at release. Thus, they can sell the same Apex in both the Open Beta and the release.
- For the particularly adventurous: Trion Worlds is currently heavily hiring Game Masters. Being located near Austin, Texas, would be advantageous.
- Close contact is maintained with the developers of XLGames, the creators of the Korean ArcheAge, to convey the wishes of the local players. One of the most important points at the moment: Players want there to be no consumables in the arena.
With the head start, it really gets going
- Any rumors that the marketplace or other functions would be inactive during the head start were denied by the staff. In ArcheAge, the fun begins in full swing right with the head start. Founders will receive their items.
- By the end of the stream, it was indirectly revealed what the costs for the patron status would be. “Check Rift,” they said. In Rift, the monthly premium status costs €12.99; 3 months cost €35.97, 6 months cost €59.94, and a year costs €107.88.
Is there a longer Open Beta phase, indicating a date in October?
Mein MMO says: We think that next week at Pax Prime in Seattle, the date for the Open Beta will be announced. The current Closed Beta with over a million invitations is already so large that a fifth beta phase would likely not bring much.
The information from the latest stream suggests that there may not be, as with WildStar or TESO, just a short open beta, but rather a longer phase. This would explain why they are introducing APEX and disabling the Auroria area. If an open beta were to be as short as the closed beta phases have been, this would probably be unnecessary. Thus, it could be that we are talking about an ArcheAge beta lasting two to four weeks, making a release date in September unlikely.
From the end of the Open Beta, a release date could also easily emerge. Because the Open Beta should run concurrently with the later release version. There will likely only be a few days between the end of the Open Beta and the head start.
Currently, September 16 is circulating on Steam as an alleged release date for ArcheAge. This would only apply if there were no further Open Beta phase, if Pax Prime immediately announces the Open Beta for the following week, if it consisted only of an extended weekend, and if only three or four days lay between the end of the Open Beta and the head start. This date is not entirely ruled out, but it would put a lot of stress on Trion Worlds. Publishers typically do not prefer that.
At the moment, this is speculation. ArcheAge does not indicate whether another Closed Beta phase will come or not. This is probably also because the packages they sell guarantee access to the Closed Beta or Alpha, and they do not want to diminish the value of these packages.
We will likely know more by the end of next week when Trion Worlds has concluded Pax Prime.
