The developers behind the Age of Empires franchise took to Twitter today to announce an upcoming development for their Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition title that they have in the works! Next week, the team intends to hold a closed beta to test the multiplayer for the title ahead of launch.
“Hello, Age fans!” the team announced. “We are excited to announce that we will be launching the Age of Empires III: DE multiplayer closed beta next week! More information will be sent out soon via email to our selected beta participants, so watch that inbox.”
There are no guidelines in terms of how to apply or qualify for this closed beta, so it seems that it will be based entirely on their discretion. Judging by the responses to the tweet, it seems unsure if the development team will allow the beta testers to stream or record their testing activities.
If you’re picked, the invitation will be in the email that you have your online account registered to, so make sure your information is up to date. The developers don’t mention any sort of metric that they may use to pick, so it could just be luck of the draw.
The chances are high that they may favor players that are still playing Age of Empires III, which is still a highly active title on Steam. These players will have a better idea of what to look for in terms of feedback and improvements to the game and may be prioritized above other titles.
However, given that Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition has enjoyed a great amount of popularity since its launch last year, they may be picking from that particular pool of players due to its increased size. These players also would be more familiar with the expectations of a Definitive Edition and what to focus on.
Another safe bet is that they likely won’t be picking inactive accounts. If you’re registered with Ensemble Online but haven’t played in months, they likely won’t be extending an invitation to you. Chances are high that those that are invited to this beta will be regular, active players with a high amount of time invested into the game, as these are the players that will provide them with the highest feedback.
More than anything, though, the team will almost definitely be picking from the Age of Empires Insider Program, which is a team of players that have signed up specifically to help with events like this. If you’re interested in being chosen, we highly recommend you ensure you’re signed up for this program via the Age of Empires website.
Remember, though, that this isn’t a fan service event. It’s vital for the developers to get robust and thorough feedback on the title so that they can ensure the game is as good as it can be when it releases. We don’t currently have a release date yet, unfortunately, but hopefully, the team will have plenty of time to implement any needed changes or improvements that their beta testers deliver.
