Frostrail playtest history
Every public test window FakeFish has run — dates, invite chains, and what each wave was for.
Players mix up playtest, closed beta, and Early Access. They are three doors. This page is the timeline of tests that already happened, so the closed beta page can stay a live gate and the roadmap can stay a future. All dates below come from Steam news and Shiro trailers, not Discord memory.
If you want to play tonight, skip to closed beta or the Steam Request Access button. If you want to know why the tutorial and Relics exist, stay here.
November 2025 — limited playtest
FakeFish’s April 2026 signup post refers to a limited playtest back in November. It was small. The April letter says development had since reached a “solid core experience,” which is how you know November was a studio-scale pass, not a festival wave. No public NDA text from that wave is on this wiki; do not invent one.
16–27 April 2026 — closed playtest (extended to 4 May)
Announced 9 April 2026 with a 30-second Shiro trailer (Frostrail | Playtest | RELEASE DATE TRAILER). Window: 16 April to 27 April, later extended to 4 May after 400,000 Steam wishlists (news 28 April 2026). A new wave of invites went out with the extension.
Focus, in FakeFish’s words: the early game loop and Frostrail’s Fun Factor (FFF). Invite chain then: an accepted player could invite a Steam friend, who could invite another, “and so on.” Content beat: early loop, not a content-complete 1.0.
Spring development letter (13 May 2026), after that wave: over 100,000 applications to an earlier closed test; they could not let everyone in. Lessons: bug reports from small to severe. Then the systems that landed on the public pitch — new tutorial level, progression between levels, multiple exit points, modular dungeons and lighting, tundra expansion, train-defense in obstacle-clearing, Relics, enemy variants, clothing sets, repair workstations. Those systems are why Getting Started, crafting, and world read the way they do.
31 August–7 September 2026 — closed beta (PvE Survival Crafting Fest)
Larger than April. Prior playtest sign-ups automatically considered. No NDA — stream and record. Three Steam invites per accepted player, and each invitee can invite three more. In-game bug button, survey, Discord testing corps, Steam Playtest discussions. Full gate procedure: closed beta.
Press around July 2026 quoted ~500,000 wishlists and “top 100 most-wishlisted unreleased.” Treat those as FakeFish/Shiro claims from that month, not a live counter.
What each wave was for (do not mix the homework)
| Wave | Job |
|---|---|
| Nov 2025 limited | Internal-scale feel |
| Apr 2026 playtest | Early loop + FFF, then systems listed in the May letter |
| Aug 2026 closed beta | Bigger population, invite chain, public capture, festival timing |
| Q4 2026 EA | Paid, about a year, more biomes/loot/train — roadmap |
A bug you filed in April may already be a repair bench. A Relic you never saw in November is not “cut content”; it is a May addition. When you write feedback in a live test, say which build you are on.
How to read future tests
Steam’s store widget still says Request Access even between waves. That does not mean a test is open. Trust the news post’s end date. After 7 September 2026, if the button remains, you are in a waiting room, not a secret 1.0.
Linux, Deck, pads, consoles were not the test charter. System requirements are still TBA. Do not file “no controller” as a regression; FakeFish already said pads come later.
What to do with old footage
April playtest VODs (including long co-op captures used on How to Play) show an older onboarding than the May tutorial. Prefer the newest test you can enter. Trailer art also shifted between the 2025 reveal and the February 2026 gameplay trailer — FakeFish said they redrew assets. Do not balance a weapon argument on a year-old clip.
Official posts stay on links. This wiki is unofficial. If Steam news and this table disagree, the news wins and this page should be edited the same day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the most common questions.
Is the April playtest the same as the August closed beta?
No. April was an earlier, smaller loop-focused wave (extended to 4 May). August 31–September 7 2026 was a larger closed beta during a Steam fest. See closed beta for the live gate.
I signed up in April. Did I need to sign up again in August?
FakeFish said prior playtest sign-ups were automatically considered for the August beta.
Why do Relics and repair benches exist if old videos lack them?
The 13 May 2026 letter lists those as post-playtest additions. Old footage is not the current test.
When is Early Access?
Still Q4 2026 on Steam, expected about a year. That is not a playtest. Roadmap.