Elden Ring may have been delayed, but players still have a chance to participate in the game’s closed beta test this month.
Fans of FromSoftware’s latest open world action RPG Elden Ring will be pleased to know that they will have an opportunity to play the game this month during the closed beta test.
The Elden Ring closed beta test is divided into five sessions falling between Friday 12th November and Monday 15th November 2021, with the servers coming live for a set period of three hours per session. The dates and times are as listed below.
Elden Ring closed beta timings
Before registering for the Elden Ring closed beta test, you’ll want to make sure you’re actually available to play the damn thing. Since it’s a worldwide test, the sessions are placed throughout the weekend to account for different timezones.
For those of us in Australia, the 2pm to 5pm sessions on Saturday and Monday are likely the easiest to attend, followed by late sessions from 10pm to 1am on Friday and Sunday night.
Check out the full list of closed beta times below.
Session 1: Friday 12th November 2021 – 10pm to 1am AEDT
Session 2: Saturday 13th November 2021 – 2pm to 5pm AEDT
Session 3: Sunday 14th November 2021 – 6am to 9am AEDT
Session 4: Sunday 14th November 2021 – 10pm to 1am AEDT
Session 5: Monday 15th November 2021 – 2pm to 5pm AEDT
How to join the Elden Ring closed beta
Unfortunately, as this is a closed beta test, not all players will be able to give the game a spin. To try for a chance at entering the closed beta test, players must first register on the Bandai Namco website. You would need to log in to an existing account or make a new one, before filling up a short form.
Successful applicants will be contacted by Bandai Namco with their closed beta test key.
The Elden Ring closed beta test requires players to have a working internet connection, and will allow them to play though the first few hours of the game. While it has not been explicitly stated that you need a PlayStation Plus subscription in order to participate in the closed beta, it is be safe to assume that you would require one.
And it goes without saying, as this is purely a test for PlayStation players, you’ll need access to either a PS4 or PS5 console.
What should you expect?
With so much of Elden Ring still shrouded in mystery, it’s hard to say exactly what will be shown in the closed beta test. That said, there’s a fair amount you can glean from what has been communicated so far.
Elden Ring has been described as a slight deviation from the formula established by Dark Souls, the key difference being that Elden ring is very much an open world game. A closed test will likely show off a single portion of this reportedly vast world, with some restrictions on where players are able to travel to, and what they are allowed to experience ahead of the full game.
FromSoftware’s newest title will also feature dungeon-like areas that more closely mimic the zones found in Dark Souls or Bloodborne in terms of level design – a 3D interpretation of the metroidvania formula that allows for multiple options to conquer a somewhat linear path.
Whatever awaits us in the world of Elden Ring, it will be the first time players will experience gameplay in a non-trailer format. For that reason alone, we should be tremendously excited.
