Massively multiplayer sci-fi RPG Dual Universe is moving into its beta phase, which will operate on a paid subscription model, on August 27th. Currently in Alpha, Dual Universe is being developed by a team of veteran developers from companies including Epic Games and Bioware. The team also includes developers from another ambitious space-faring MMO, EVE Online.
Unlike many popular MMOs like World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy XIV, Dual Universe isn’t primarily focused on delivering an authored story-based experience. While it does have some of those elements, the real draw of Dual Universe is in its player-driven gameplay, which allows individual players to help shape the course of the in-game universe by trading, playing politics, and going to war with one another. Dual Universe goes as far as to allow players to edit in-game objects like vehicles and buildings, then sell their blueprints to other players.
When Dual Universe enters beta on August 27th, the current alpha servers will be wiped, giving the universe a fresh start, according to a press release from developer Novaquark. Alpha players will be able to continue playing Dual Universe for free as they have been, but anyone signing on for the first time in beta will have to purchase a subscription. Subscriptions for Dual Universe start at $6.99 per month, but like many MMOs, the price gets cheaper for anyone who signs up for multiple months at a time, with yearly subscriptions giving the equivalent of two free months. The price of subscriptions is expected to stay the same once the final game is released, which is scheduled for 2021.
Along with the announcement of Dual Universe’s upcoming beta, Novaquark shared a new cinematic trailer that sets up the game. Dual Universe takes place far from Earth, where humanity has sent the last people left alive following the destruction of its home planet. It’s there that the players of Dual Universe will seek to carve out a place for themselves within the game’s unique player-driven society.
Dual Universe isn’t the first sci-fi MMO to hand over the keys to the universe to its players, but it looks like an interesting take on the concept, and one that’s fully committed to its intriguing pitch. Also, unlike the similar-sounding Star Citizen, which has been trapped in development hell for years, Dual Universe is ready for an influx of new players after just four years of development. The world that its beta players build will form the basis of the game’s full release, so it will be interesting to keep an eye on how it’s shaping up from this point on.
Dual Universe will be available in beta for PC on August 27, 2020.
Source: Novaquark, Dual Universe/YouTube
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