The previously scheduled pre-alpha test for Into the Echo has been moved into early April, “Due to some unforeseen circumstances surrounding the war in Ukraine,” the ETLOK team announced today. Some members of the studio’s remote team have been forced to evacuate as a result of the conflict.
The team’s statement, as shared on the game’s Discord, reads, in part:
“As you may know, we have a talented remote staff from all over the world. Unfortunately due to the conflict in Ukraine, members of our staff have been forced to evacuate. In light of this, we've opted to move the pre-alpha again. This was a hard decision and we understand it's unfortunate timing, however we're looking to deliver the best possible experience and that just isn't possible at this time.”
The new dates for the pre-alpha are April 2-3, and the team will also be releasing another 500 keys for the test. Those will be going out over the next few weeks to those that have applied. The original pre-alpha was scheduled for this past weekend, March 5-7, and was pushed back once before to March 12-13. Should the new April dates hold, along with the additional 500 keys going out, this testing phase will have about 1,500 players.
As situations change by the day over in Ukraine, and with so many companies, in gaming and other industries, throwing support behind the people there, things may continue to be difficult. While it may be a little bit disappointing for those who were looking forward to getting into test and get a feel for Into the Echo soon, the company’s decision to delay the pre-alpha once again on behalf of those team members is another example of how the current war is affecting so many, including in the gaming community.
