We’re officially kicking off Arkheron’s Closed Beta! 

If it’s been a minute since you last checked in with Arkheron, we’ll catch you up - we spent the last few months digging in on all the feedback from Steam Next Fest, and making updates to gameplay clarity, UI, performance, and how new players find their footing. Whether this is your first time in Arkheron or you’re coming back after a while - there’s a lot that’s changed, and we’re excited for you to experience it. 

Arkheron’s Closed Beta will run from July 15 - 26. It’s a focused two-week test where we’re looking to understand how the game holds up with a larger group of players, and whether the changes we’ve made since Next Fest actually land the way we hope. 

During Closed Beta, Arkheron queues will be available 24/7. Spires - Arkheron’s version of an “Arena” mode - is the primary queue for the full two-week window. Ascension - Arkheron’s peak competitive mode - will be run between Friday and Sunday, with times varying by region. Check the schedule below for more detail. 

How to Get In

We’ll be inviting players in waves from both the Steam and FirstLook waitlists. If you’ve already signed up, keep an eye on the email account you used. That’s where you’ll get the official invite. When you get invited to playtest, you’ll automatically be granted three Steam friend invites to bring your squad along with you. 

Haven't signed up yet? No worries, you can sign up on Steam right now! 

If you’ve been playing in our weekly Friday and Saturday playtests - you’re already good to go! When queues open up on July 15, the “Arkheron Playtest” in your Steam Library will automatically appear as “Arkheron Closed Beta”, and you can jump right in. 

A special shout out to our weekly playtesters: We really appreciate everything you’ve put into this game over the last few months. Your feedback helped make Arkheron better, and we can’t thank you enough for it. 

And if you don’t make it into this round of Closed Beta - don’t worry! We plan to host additional playtests in the near future, as we get Arkheron ready for Early Access.

Closed Beta Begins

Closed Beta will kick off 24/7 access for each region during the following times: 

July 15th 

• Europe | 6PM BST / 7PM CEST / 5PM UTC 

• South America | 6PM BRT /  6PM ADT / 9PM UTC 

• North America | 4PM PDT / 7PM EDT / 11PM UTC

July 16th 

• Asia / Pacific | 10AM JST & KST / 1AM UTC

Note: Outside of Ascension queue windows, expect Spires to be the primary available queue for Closed Beta.

Ascension Queue Times

Ascension - Arkheron’s peak competitive mode - will run during the following times.

 July 17, 18, 24, 25

• Europe | 7PM - 11PM BST /8PM - 12AM CEST /  6PM - 10PM UTC 

• South America | 8PM - 12AM ADT & BRT / 11PM - 3AM UTC 

• North America | 8PM - 12AM EDT / 5PM - 9PM PDT / 12AM - 4AM* UTC (*UTC on the following day)

July 18, 19, 20, 25, 26 

• Asia / Pacific | 9PM - 12AM JST & KST / 12PM - 3PM UTC

Note: lower MMR matches may include bot teams. 

What’s New for Closed Beta

Closed Beta will kick off with our .21 release. Full patch notes will drop on July 14, but here’s a preview of what’s in it. 

[New] Spires & Learning Spires

If you’ve been in our weekly playtests, you already know Spires. It’s a 3v3 mode built around two things: build creativity and combat. The core loop is: load into a ready room, choose your items, fight it out in a best of 3, and climb as high as you can before losses reset your run. It’s a great way to experiment with new builds and hone your skills in combat. 

New this patch is Learning Spires - a shorter, simplified version of the mode built specifically for new players who are just getting started. You’ll fight bots instead of other players, and it’s designed to introduce you to the item system and Eternals step by step, with the space to learn as you go. Enemy count scales to however many players queue up with you, so you can run it solo or with friends. 

[New] Cosmetics Progression Test

We’re also running a test of our cosmetics progression system during Closed Beta, which means for the first time in Arkheron, you’ll have the opportunity to unlock some rewards. 

Here’s how it works: play the game, earn Pages, and then spend Pages on whatever you want from the Closed Beta Collection. There’s no set order, so if you see something you love on day one, you can hit that first. 

One thing to know upfront: Because this is a test, most of what you unlock from the collection will reset when the test ends. We want to be clear about that. However, the collection includes a Prestige track, which are three items that are yours to keep once unlocked - a title, banner, and skin. You’ll earn progress toward these items as you unlock things from the main collection. Think of it as our thank you for helping us test this system out. 

Throughout this test, we’ll be paying close attention to how players move through the system, what they go for first, and how it feels. That will shape how we tune everything going forward. 

[Heads Up!] Full Account Reset 

As we move into Closed Beta and prep Arkheron for launch, we’re shifting from a test environment to a production environment. It’s a one-time thing, but it means everyone’s account will go through a reset.

When you login after the account reset, you’ll get a series of prompts to set up a new Bonfire Account - the first one asks if you’ve played in Arkheron’s Closed Beta before on another platform. This question exists to help us test cross platform progression with a limited group of players joining on console from the XBOX Insiders Program. If you’re not joining us from that group, make sure to click “no” to get your new account set up correctly.   

This also affects friends lists. Any players you've added as friends in game will need to be re-friended following the reset. This won't impact any friends added via Steam.

One last thing - your MMR will not carry over with you into this new environment, even if you’ve been playing with us regularly. Once you jump into game, it’ll take a few matches before matchmaking gets a solid read on your skill level. We expect it to settle quickly, but wanted to make sure it doesn’t catch you off guard as you jump into games. 

Share Your Feedback

Throughout the test, we’ll be keeping an eye on Discord, streams, videos, and social media, but if you have any feedback as you’re playing, we’d love for you to share that on the Arkheron Forums. We’re  looking forward to hearing what you think. 

See you in the tower! 

FAQ

How do I sign up for the Closed Beta?

Head to Arkheron’s Steam page to sign up for Closed Beta!

How do I get access? 

We’ll extend invites to Arkheron’s Closed Beta in waves. Those who have signed up for Closed Beta and are invited will receive an email from either Steam or FirstLook, depending on where you signed up.

If you signed up through Steam, you’ll see the “Arkheron Closed Beta” automatically added to your library - from there, simply download and play. If you signed up through FirstLook, you’ll need to follow your invite email back to FirstLook, complete your signup, then receive a Steam key to enter into the storefront.

I have access - can I invite my friends? 

Yes! When you get invited to playtest, you’ll automatically be granted three Steam friend invites to bring your squad along with you. 

Will my progress carry over to the final game? 

In Closed Beta, we’re running a limited test of our cosmetics progression system, which means that most of the collection will reset when the test ends. The Prestige track items - title, banner, and skin - are yours to keep once unlocked, and are exclusive to Closed Beta. 

Will Ranked be a part of Closed Beta?

We’re not including Ranked in this test. Last year, we talked about Ranked as part of our Closed Beta plans. Since then, our focus shifted to getting the fundamentals right first - performance, combat feel, and new player experience - Ranked was moved to make room for that. It’s still coming in the future, we just don’t have a date to share yet. 

What platforms will Closed Beta be available on? 

This Closed Beta test will be focused mostly on PC, with a limited group of players joining on console from the XBOX Insiders Program. We’re not quite ready to go wide with console testing just yet, but we will be in the not-too-distant future. So, stay tuned for console announcements!

What are the PC system requirements? 

Recommended

• Windows 10 or later

• Intel Core i7-9700K (or equivalent 8-core)

• Nvidia RTX 2070 8GB VRAM

• 16GB RAM

• SSD 35Gb

Minimum

• Windows 10 or later

• Intel Core i5-9600K (or equivalent 6-core)

• Nvidia GTX 1060 6Gb VRAM

• 12GB RAM

• SSD 35Gb

Is this Closed Beta under any sort of content NDA or Embargo? 

It is not! Feel free to share footage and gameplay from the playtest.