Abyss Online will head into Early Access on May 7th, and the team is offering a free playtest coming soon via Steam.
The upcoming MMORPG is still in pre-alpha, so they are looking to enter Early Access to help the Old World Labs team continue development and continue to grow the community, working to shape the game. Early Access comes 2.5 years into development of the sandbox MMORPG that they say is described as “Ultima/Albion Online meets ARK: Survival Evolved”.
The playtest on Steam is set to unlock on April 18th, and signups are currently open for those who want to step into the world of Aeternea and see some of just what Abyss Online is all about.
Abyss Online is a buy to play sandbox, and they emphasize the possibilities available, dynamic combat, and of course, player impact on the world, including the player driven economy.There will be cosmetics available and an optional subscription for perks like lower taxes, but you will get access to the full game.
Early Access happening in pre-alpha is unusual, but if it does hold up the way they are hoping for, it could be an interesting journey. In a press release revealing their Early Access plans and the new live playtest, they reaffirmed the community’s role in the entire process:“We believe in releasing a playable game, despite its initial roughness, to foster a deep connection with our community. Through player feedback, we aim to polish and refine Abyss Online into a full-fledged experience that exceeds expectations. This player-driven development process ensures that we create a game that resonates with our audience and stands the test of time.”