Battlebit Remastered, a popular low-poly FPS game, recently held an overwhelmed playtest for its upcoming Operation Overhaul update, which promises significant gameplay and visual improvements. Despite technical issues and limited testing time, the update has generated excitement among players, highlighting its role as an accessible alternative to modern multiplayer shooters. Further playtests are planned to refine the game before its full release.
Arc Raiders' design director views the Marathon playtest as a valuable A/B test, providing insights into player responses to different genre approaches, despite Marathon's current struggles. The upcoming release of Arc Raiders and Marathon's next test are highly anticipated in the extraction shooter genre.
Embark Studios' game Arc Raiders benefited from a coincidental playtest overlap with Bungie's Marathon, providing valuable insights into player preferences and game design differences, with Arc Raiders experiencing a highly successful server slam and Marathon facing challenges.
Arc Raiders' weekend playtest has quickly attracted nearly 100,000 concurrent players within two hours, indicating strong interest ahead of its full release on October 30th. The game is being tested across multiple platforms, and its popularity is being compared to recent open betas of other major titles, suggesting it could be a significant release in the extraction shooter genre.
Arc Raiders is hosting a weekend-long open Server Slam playtest from October 17 to October 19, 2025, across multiple regions, offering players a final chance to try the game for free before its full release on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
Bungie has opened sign-ups for a limited, invite-only Closed Technical Test of its upcoming extraction shooter Marathon, available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Steam, running from October 22-28, with applications closing October 16. The test aims to gather feedback on early gameplay features, including maps, runner shells, voice chat, and combat pacing, under NDA, with participants in North America and Europe.
A leaked report from Bungie's recent closed playtest of Marathon reveals new content including a new runner named Icon with unique abilities, multiple ship maps with puzzle elements, a UI overhaul, and removal of previous cosmetics, though details are unconfirmed and subject to change.
Bungie is conducting a 30-day remote playtest for its upcoming game Marathon, offering select testers $500 if they play daily for an hour and complete surveys. The test coincides with the game's delayed launch, which is now expected before March 2026, following a poor initial reveal and delays. Participation is limited to previous testers, and the test aims to gather feedback before a broader release.
Bungie is conducting a 30-day, invite-only playtest for its game Marathon, offering participants a $500 gift card for playing at least one hour daily, making it a lucrative opportunity for fans despite the game's rocky start and delays.
Bungie is conducting its longest playtest yet for its upcoming extraction shooter Marathon, inviting select players to participate in a 30-day remote study with daily gameplay and surveys, offering a $500 gift card as a reward, as part of ongoing development and feedback collection ahead of its expected 2026 release.
Nintendo is opening a limited online playtest for a new MMO game, likely similar to Minecraft, with 40,000 spots available on a first-come, first-served basis, starting July 18. Participants need a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership and must be from specific countries. The game, developed by the team behind Nintendo Labo, will include minigames, mechs, a character creator, and PvP, with the test running from July 28 to August 10.
Nintendo is opening applications for its next Switch Online playtest, which will test the same service as before, potentially an MMO-style game, with up to 40,000 participants worldwide, running from July 28 to August 10, 2023.
Dungeon Stalkers, an extraction RPG dungeon crawler focusing on PvE, is running its final public playtest before launch, featuring a unique Witch's Curse system that introduces unpredictable spells to balance gameplay and appeal to both casual and hardcore players. The game offers new characters, a rune system, and a crafting camp, with rewards for active participation, and emphasizes dungeon combat over PvP, aligning with recent trends in the genre.
Bungie is preparing for a new closed playtest of its PvP shooter Marathon later this month, inviting select players who participated in the alpha to test from June 27-29 under NDA, as the studio continues to refine the game ahead of its delayed September 2025 launch.
Open playtest sign-ups for the dinosaurs-themed first-person shooter FEROCIOUS are now available on Steam, allowing players to experience the game's first level, 'Crevasse,' and face mercenaries, dinosaurs, and a hostile ecosystem on a dangerous island.
