So the Pantheon crew is preparing to add PvP, but the devs are quick to point out that this is raw PvP. So raw that it isn’t balanced or fair and the rewards for doing it are participating in PvP. That’s it. If you are convinced the only way that Pantheon could be better is exactly this feature… well, you will soon get what you want. However, we would caution most of our readers to remember that PvP should only be consumed when heated to a minimum safe temperature of 275 degrees internally. You should be aware of the health risks with raw PvP.
You should also be aware of the health risks associated with the latest Dune Awakening video, although no actual health risks spring to mind. Dehydration, mainly. The latest Nightingale update will not help hydrate you in any particular fashion unless you find learning about Nightingale City to be hydrating, but the developers continually referring to it as a satisfying denouement may prompt anxiety. And the new Pax Dei server may cause shingles. That’s just a thing that happens with new servers. No metaphorical reasons behind it.
Please remember that Betawatch is an accredited and board-certified doctor, which is legally distinct from a doctor. Our medical advice should be used for self-education and entertainment purposes only. Our roundup of beta stories this week and our full list of games in testing should be used for the same purpose but are less likely to offer any medical advice. And if something is wrong there, let us know in the comments.

‘It is raw PvP’: Pantheon prepares for the return of lawless PvP in April

Dune Awakening hypes up ornithopters and a new Arrakis exploration video

Stars Reach’s Raph Koster discusses plans for outer space and ‘full-blown sandbox MMO’ mechanics

Project Gorgon celebrates its seventh year of Steam early access with a gift of explosive love

MMO Hype Train: Why are Monsters & Memories’ vibes so intriguing?

Path of Exile 2 gets a teaser for its next major content update, Dawn of the Hunt

Single-player ‘simulated MMORPG’ Erenshor confirms April 14 early access release date

VR MMORPG Ilysia revamps its early levels, improves skills, and adds new crafting professions

Stars Reach begins testing accelerated seasons and the public event system

Kickstarted Minecrafty sandbox Voxile embraces the transcendent blocky joy of early access

Pax Dei hands players a compass, lets them boogie and browse markets, and plots a new EU server

SMITE 2 introduces Princess Bari and a HUD editing feature in latest open beta patch

Tibia’s first test of its upcoming new Monk is termed a rousing success with a new test scheduled March 18

As its Kickstarter nears $600K, Stars Reach aims to feature reactive music – but maybe not voice acting

Medieval MMO Anvil Empires’ next update wants to put you in the back of its cart

ASKA adds its lake biome, outpost feature, and new and improved buildings in latest patch

FFA PvP MMO Profane claims its world has ‘its backbone in place’ but needs more depth of content

Inflexion says Nightingale City, live today, is a ‘satisfying denouement’ to the Nightingale experience
We consider an MMO to be in open testing if it features free, public signups and will server wipe prior to launch. An MMO is marked in closed testing if it’s running a private test phase that cannot freely be accessed by the general public; it’s often under NDA as well. Early access and crowdfunded MMOs whose tests we deem legitimate will be included. So-called “open beta” soft-launch MMOs with cash shops, no sign of launch in the west, or limited interest for our readers will not be listed, nor will games that are NFT/blockchain scams; we also do not list expansions, with occasional exceptions. Finally, we’ll mark games “malingering” if they’ve been in a certain tier of development for a long time with no clear path to launch.
33 Immortals: Open test upcoming, early access delayed to 2025
Abyss: Early access
The Adventurer’s Domain Online: Early access
Aero Tales Online: Early access
Aloft: Early access
Ammo and Oxygen: Early access starts November 7th
Anvil Empires: Intermittent alpha
Apogea: Open testing
Arcane Waters: Early access
Arc Raiders: Tech beta live, launch planned for 2025
Arcfall: Pre-alpha
ARK 2: Paid early access
Arkheron: Closed beta
Ascendant: Open testing in August
Ashes of Creation: Alpha two
Ashfall: Closed beta
ASKA: Early access
Battlebit: Early access
Bellatores: Closed testing
Bellwright: Early access, developers of abandoned Last Oasis
Bitcraft: Third alpha starts the week of November 11th
Book of Travels: Early access
Brighter Shores: Early access
Camelot Unchained: Closed beta, planning to launch in late 2025
Chronicles of Elyria: Pre-alpha, again
Chrono Odyssey: Closed testing, launch planned for Q4 2025
Cinderstone Online: Closed beta
City of Titans: Alpha
Coreborn: Nations of the Ultracore: Early access
Corepunk: Early access
Craftopia: Early access
The Crew Motorfest: Closed testing
Dark and Darker: Paid early access, legal troubles.
Dark and Light: Early access (abandoned?)
Darkbind: Closed beta (probably abandoned?)
Dawn of Defiance: Early access
Destiny Rising: Closed alpha starts November 1st
Dreamworld: Pre-alpha, open playtest until March 16th
Dune Awakening: Closed testing, launch on May 20th
Dungeonborne>: Early access
ECO: Early access, full launch planned in 2024
Eleven: Closed alpha
Enshrouded: Early access
Eternal Tombs: Pre-alpha resumes October 11th
EVE Vanguard: Early access planned post-November
Evercore Heroes: Paid testing, updates stopping with a focus on a redesign
EverCraft Online: Weekend-long open test starts April 19th
Final Stand: Ragnarok: Early access (officially, really)
Fellowship: Closed testing on August 15th
FragPunk: Closed alpha, launch planned for March 6th
Frozen Flame: Early access
Havenhold: Second alpha June 20th
Homestead: Open alpha
IfSunSets: Early access
Ilysia: Early access
Inferna: Early access
King of Meat: Alpha test December 4th through the 14th
Kurtzpel: Closed beta
Legend of Ares: Open testing ahead of relaunch
Legendarium Online: Paid alpha access
Life is Feudal Arden: Open beta
Lost Skies: Pre-alpha
Mecha Break: Open beta concluded, launching 2025
Midnight Murder Club: Closed testing this weekend
Monsters & Memories: Intermittent pre-alpha
Mortal Exodus: Closed testing
Necesse: Early access
Nightingale: Early access
Odd Giants: Alpha
Osiris: New Dawn: Back from the dead, not on Steam any longer
Outlaws of the Old West: Early access
Palia: Paid “open” beta, planning for launch in Q2
Palworld: Early access
Pantheon: Early access
Past Fate: Closed testing
Path of Exile 2: Early access December 6th
Pax Dei: Early access
Perfect New World: Closed beta
Pow Vista: Open beta (mobile)
Project Crawl: Closed testing
Project Friendship: Beta signups open now
Project Genom: Closed alpha (servers offline, abandoned?)
Project Gorgon: Early access beta
Project Loki: Closed beta
Project ST: Closed testing, open event ended
Prosperous Universe: Early access
Quinfall: Early access
Return Alive: Closed beta
Reign of Guilds: Early access
Rodent Rumble: Launching next year, playtest on October 11th
SamuTale: “Paid closed alpha early access” according to the developer, which is just early access, come on dude
Sand: Early access April 3rd
Scars of Honor: Next test October 26th
Seed: In pre-release, test run starts October 24th
Seekers of Skyveil: Early access
Ship of Heroes: Beta testing, plans for launch in 2025
Ships at Sea: Early access
Sky: Children of Light: Open early access
Skygard Arena: Early access
Smite 2: Open beta
Soulframe: Open pre-alpha planned for 2025
The Spell Brigade: Early access
Spellfarers: Early access
Supervive: Open testing November 20th
Star Citizen: Backer alpha
Star Resonance: Closed beta in China, rebrand of Blue Protocol Mobile following main title’s shutdown
Starbase: Early access open alpha
Stars Reach: Pre-alpha started
Synduality: Echo of Ada: Early access
Temtem Swarm: Early access
Tombstone: Closed testing, release planned for this year
Tower of Aghasba: Early access planned for November 19th
Tribes 3: Rivals: Early access, development slowing/stopping
Trimurti Online: Stress testing, open beta February 13th
Valheim: Early access
Valiance Online: Closed beta
Vaultbreakers: Closed testing, formerly known as Project F4E
Vindictus: Defying Fate: Open testing
WalkScape: Closed beta until June 15th
Waven Early access
ZeroSpace: Public beta through November 24th
We welcome additions and corrections to this list; send your info our way via tips!
Yes, MMO gamers, you too can perform the unpaid quality-control work otherwise known as game testing! Check out Massively Overpowered’s Betawatch every week for a run-down of MMOs that are still on the road to launch, even if they appear to have set up a permanent residence in a shed called early access.