Dev Blog #6: The First Closed Alpha, Early 2027
Hey everyone,
It's real, it has a date range, and you can start positioning yourself for it today: we're aiming for January 2027 for the first closed alpha of Eternal Realms Online. I want to be upfront about that word "aiming" though. January is the target, but realistically it could land anywhere between January and March. This is a small team building an MMO around day jobs, and I'd rather push the alpha a few weeks than put a build in front of the first 100 players that isn't ready to be judged. If the timing shifts, you'll hear it here first.
The Plan
Around 100 players will be invited in for the first test. It'll run for about one week, with the possibility of extending it a second week if things are going well and the feedback is flowing.
And to repeat what I said in the pricing post: it's completely free. No purchase, no subscription, nothing. It's an alpha. You're doing me the favor.
This is also just the first one. More closed alphas will follow after it, each bigger than the last, as the game grows toward the state where I'd actually feel right charging anyone for it.
Why Only 100 Players?
Because 100 is the number where feedback is still conversations instead of a firehose. I want to be able to actually read what every tester says, watch how people really play, and respond, not drown in a thousand bug reports of the same rock. The first group sets the tone for everything after it, and I'd rather go small and listen hard.
What We're Testing
Everything, honestly. Combat across all three styles, the gathering and crafting loops, the economy foundations, how the world feels with real people in it, and just as important, how the servers hold up when it's not just us in there. This is a genuine feedback test, not a marketing beta. What you say will shape what gets built next.
Expect alpha things: bugs, rough edges, missing content, the occasional gloriously broken moment. That's the point of the exercise.
How To Get In
Two things to do, both take about a minute:
- Join the waitlist. This is the pool alpha testers get picked from. If you're not on it, you can't be picked. It's just an email.
- Join the Discord. Yes, it's finally open! This is where updates land first, where you can watch development happen, and where we'll be talking with the community as the alpha approaches.
That's it. No applications, no hoops, no founder packs to buy your way in. Get on the list, hang out with us on Discord, and I'll see some of you in Valedorn early next year.
More soon.
- Anxiety