On January 30, the update for Alpha 3 was released in Dual Universe. It was the last major update before the space MMO will transition to beta. We take a look at what is included in the update and what the further plans are.
What is Dual Universe? Dual Universe is a sandbox MMO set in a space environment. You can settle worlds and meet thousands of players in the process. The game emphasizes:
- Freedom in resource gathering and terrain modification. You can theoretically even mine entire moons.
- Diverse planets that can be settled.
- Realism regarding the flight system of spaceships.
- No loading times between planets and space flights.
- PvP zones, but also safe areas where you can move unbothered.
How is the MMO developing? Dual Universe started on September 7, 2016, with a Kickstarter campaign. Through this, the game raised around 565,000 dollars. After that, everything progressed quickly for a crowdfunded MMO.
In November 2018, the first alpha was launched, which already contained world building and an initial planet. The first roadmap was also published, announcing Alpha 3 for November 2019 and the release for 2020.
Now, Alpha 3 has finally been released on January 30, 2020, and the release has been postponed to 2021. Nevertheless, it seems that Dual Universe will not remain in development forever, unlike Star Citizen, which is frequently criticized for this.
The biggest update so far and the roadmap
What does Alpha 3 contain? According to the developers, the Alpha 3 update, named Shattered Alliances, is the largest released for Dual Universe so far. It includes:
- A first PvP zone and a corresponding weapon system for ships.
- A guild system.
- New industrial buildings and recipes.
- “Quality of Life” changes to the flight system.
- A huge update for the economy, which plays a central role in Dual Universe.
However, since the MMO can only be played at set times, there have been few reactions to the changes so far.
What’s next for Dual Universe? Already in December, the developer studio Novaquark released a revised roadmap. This shows that Shattered Alliances was the last major alpha update.
The beta 1 is scheduled to start in summer 2020, during which the MMO will then be permanently playable. Then, at the beginning of 2021, beta 2 will be released, which will expand the existing systems.
2021 is the planned release year, and there is already a glimpse of a future update named “Humanity Reborn.” We should be curious to see if Novaquark can stick to this plan.
