Hello Reclaimers,
The Closed Alpha playtest has now been open for about a year, and we're approaching Rogue Core's Early Access launch on May 20th.
We've been updating this post continuously to address the most common questions we've seen regarding the playtest. If you're waiting for access, or if you have access and still have a few burning questions, you'll hopefully be able to clear those up here.
Below is a 20-minute Q&A video interview we did as a follow-up to the first Closed Alpha trailer, where we talk more about why we do these playtests and what to expect. It’s got a lot more details, plus some additional gameplay footage that we couldn’t fit in the trailer.
You'll also find a written FAQ down below.
-- FAQ last updated April 2026 --
Why do a Closed Alpha at all?
We’re doing a Closed Alpha to collect preliminary feedback from players. It helps us see how people approach and play the game, identify issues we might be blind to, and get a feel for what people like and don’t like about Rogue Core. This is how we know what’s most important to work on as we push for the Early Access release, and thereby steer the direction of the game’s development.
Our hope is that playtesters understand that they’re not heading into a polished perfect game experience. This isn’t about what we’ve made, but what we’re making. It’ll be rough around the edges, with stuff that crashes and doesn’t work. But that’s sort of the point. We’d like to catch these things sooner rather than later.
How do I apply for the Closed Alpha?
Head over to the Steam store page and click the big green ‘Request Access’ button.
How do you select who gets invited?
It's completely random. We tell Steam to let X amount of players in, and it randomly selects a group from the list of applicants. When you requested an invite doesn't matter, you've got the same chances whether you signed up yesterday or two years ago. It also doesn't factor in how much you've played Deep Rock Galactic (and we can't even see that data anyway).
How do I know if I get picked?
Steam will send you a notification to whichever email address you have linked to your account. If you want to be extra certain you’re updated with all Rogue Core news, playtest and otherwise, go and click the ‘Follow’ button on the store page.
What are my odds of getting in?
Low. The applicant list for the Closed Alpha is now in the hundreds of thousands, so each wave of invitations will only ever reach a small percentage of all the signups.
If you end up not getting in, please don’t take it personally. It might feel like you're extremely unlucky with the invite waves — but it's the vast majority of applicants who aren't getting picked. So your luck is pretty normal. In any case, we’re flattered and delighted by your interest. And there isn't too much longer to wait now.
Why don't you just let everybody in?
The point of the Closed Alpha is for us to gather feedback on the game and test how it runs from a technical standpoint. Letting in too many people would make that harder for us, as we couldn't keep up with all the feedback.
We get that it's frustrating to not get invited, but right now we simply don't need a huge number of playtesters.
Are you going to do an open beta at some point before Early Access?
No, we don't feel the need for it.
How are you going to run the Closed Alpha?
Now that the Closed Alpha is live, we're just going to keep it running and occasionally update it with new content and changes. Each new update will likely mean another wave of invitations being sent out, and we may also do a couple invite waves in between updates if we feel we need it. We'll see.
If I get into one playtest, can I access all the ones after that too?
Yes, because we'll just be keeping the Closed Alpha running. The thing is, Steam doesn’t tell you when the consecutive playtests go live. So you’ll only get pinged that very first time. Our best advice is to ‘Follow’ the Rogue Core store page, so you won't miss any future notifications when a new Closed Alpha update arrives.
Can I invite a friend to the playtest if I get picked?
No. At the very start of the Closed Alpha, we did try an experimental Steam feature that allowed for friend invites. But it didn't work consistently, and Steam has since rolled it back. So it's no longer a thing.
Do I get a copy of Rogue Core if I'm invited to the playtests?
No. The Rogue Core Closed Alpha is a different app on Steam than the eventual full game, and it's only temporary for the duration of the playtests. We'll take it down when we're done playtesting, and then you'll have to buy the actual game if you're interested.
How much is Rogue Core gonna cost?
We don't know for sure yet, we've still gotta decide that. It'll probably be similar to Deep Rock Galactic.
Are you doing any sort of exclusive 'closed tester' cosmetics?
No. We don't think it'd be fair to everyone who wants to get in but got unlucky with the invites.
Can I stream the Closed Alpha or make videos from my gameplay?
You sure can. We just ask that you make it clear that this is Closed Alpha gameplay, and not the finished, polished product. We'll probably add some little 'Closed Alpha' watermark in the HUD, but we'd be glad if you mention it too.
I signed up for the playtest on day one but I still haven't gotten in. What gives?
That's just bad RNG, unfortunately. Like we mentioned earlier, Steam's random selection process doesn't factor in how long you've been waiting, it just pulls a number from a hat. And there are a lot of numbers in the hat.
I have 3,200 hours in Deep Rock Galactic and have been playing since 2018. Shouldn’t I have priority for getting into the playtest?
No, sorry. Of course it’s great to get feedback from people who know DRG really well, but it’s equally important to hear how the game is for people who are relatively inexperienced, or perhaps new to the franchise altogether. We’ve got to make sure the game is fun and interesting for greenbeards and graybeards alike.
My friend got into the playtest and I didn’t. Did you guys do this on purpose to torment me?
Yes.
Hope this helps! If you've got any other burning questions, drop 'em in the comments below. And as always, you can also ping us on Discord or chat with us directly during our weekly streams on Twitch and Youtube. We do those on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting at 13:00 CET.
Thanks to all of you for your enthusiasm so far -- we've been thrilled with your response to the playtest announcement, and we can't wait for the months to come. Gonna be fun.
Rock and Stone, Reclaimers!
With love,
-The Ghost Ship Crew