Developers and publishers alike champion the need for thorough design documents at every stage of the development cycle, but it all counts for nothing if the players don't want to, well... play!
Now a near-essential part of the modern games-as-a-service approach, the soft launch process provides game creators with actionable data based on the responses of an engaged and often well-informed audience. Somewhere between beta and live status, a soft launch gives a window for feedback, revisions and improvements with the aim of producing the most polished end product at time of release.
Some titles just need a fine-tune for meta-game mechanics such as time gates, in-game resources and psychological components, while others see devs go back to the drawing board and start over.
In this regular feature, we add the most interesting new soft launches for you to keep an eye on - or even try for yourself - as you look for learnings and inspiration that could inform your own development journey.
This list is ordered by soft launch release date. Games that exit soft launch - whether reaching global release or being cancelled - will be removed.
Last checked: April 8th, 2024
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