MetalCore Open World Alpha Starts in October

MetalCore just finished up what seemed to be a successful demo at PAX West. There, they previewed a limited version of their game to a variety of gamers. As a result of observations and player feedback, the team decided to push their open world alpha back by a few weeks while they continue to tune the game client and servers.

MetalCore sent a team with a playable version of their FPS game to the PAX West gaming convention. The demo at PAX West featured a small, 5v5 map, and from all accounts, was a very popular attraction! However, the team felt that the game still needed some improvements. And so, they decided to slightly delay the release of their Open World Alpha.

In early October, players should get their first chances to experience this open world, shooter game. Access keys for the Open World Alpha will be distributed to all holders of Genesis Infantry NFTs, one key per NFT. Players with extra access keys can share, but it’s not clear if the keys will be NFTs or if they will be exclusively managed via the MetalCore site.

Access keys have not yet been distributed, so if you want to get into this first alpha, you can pick up an Infantry NFT on Open Sea.

MetalCore Open World Alpha

The alpha will run in short playtest bursts. Perhaps starting for one weekend at a time, with the team shutting down the servers and working on updates in between sessions. Expect the playtest access periods to grow longer as the game progresses and stabilizes. Any progression gained during the alpha playtests will most likely be reset — potentially many times over!

The MetalCore team felt like their demo map was a bit cramped, and want to increase it significantly for the first phase of their Open World Alpha, or OAW. This phase will include only a small number of features such as player progression and battles. But, the following alphas, phase 2 and phase 3 of OAW, currently scheduled for Q4 2022, and Q1 2023, respectively, plan to add huge chunks of content!

Plans for phase 2 include voice chat, squads, access to all Infantry classes, and first passes at crafting, tech trees, and game economy. Phase 3 brings the Barony system, skill upgrades, Mechs, land management, territory wars, and all access to all of the vehicles.

The first OAW is now scheduled for early October. The MetalCore team also plans to have a presence at TwitchCon on October 7-9 with playtest stations. So perhaps the two events will be woven together in some manner.

OWA part 1 is only available to Asia and North America, though the second and third alphas should be open to key holders worldwide.

What is MetalCore?

MetalCore is a web3 enabled game that is a cross between Planetside and Battlefield. It’s a first-person/third-person, sci-fi-themed FPS with numerous vehicles, infantry types, and loadouts. The game will feature instanced, large-scale, faction combat. With some battles supporting up to 100 players per side. It’s not clear if these will be three-way battles or just two-sided. MetalCore features vehicle and infantry combat, with a wide variety of combat styles and support options to choose from. Coordination with your teammates and faction will be important.

During the Faction battles, each side tries to take and control various tactical points around the map and attempt to destroy the enemy base. Tactical points provide in-game advantages for the controlling faction. Each player has a limited number of respawns per battle. Once they run out, they may no longer play in that scenario, but other players can take their place.

There will also be a persistent, open world, but it seems like this area may be PvE only. Players earn FAB tokens while playing the game. This token will be used for crafting and upgrades. We don’t know if this will be a blockchain token or in-game only. Players craft Vehicles in Garages, and can upgrade and customize them with special skins and decals. MetalCore will also support Baronies, or guilds.

MetalCore completed their first sale for Infantry NFTs back in July of 2022. No details are available for the time or pricing of any future mints.

MetalCore does plan to include free to play options in their game on release.