The closed alpha is separate from the beta session promised to players who purchased copies of Wolfenstein: The New Order, and serves as an early test of specific in-game features.
“This isn’t a game demo or even a beta,” executive producer Marty Stratton explains in the video above. “This is a limited selection of content and functionality – one map, one mode, one demon, and a handful of weapons and equipment.”
Doom‘s closed alpha will feature a series of 6v6 Team Deathmatches on the Heatwave map. Players will be able to customize a loadout among six available weapons and two pieces of equipment.
Id Software has issued an alpha-specific FAQ for players who seek access, noting that the weekend session “is a series of development-driven tests designed to stress test the game’s dedicated server infrastructure in a real-world end user environment.”
Alpha participants will be chosen among players who redeemed Doom‘s beta access via a key included with retail copies of Wolfenstein: The New Order. Customers who pre-ordered Doom digitally may also be selected as alpha participants, though neither purchase absolutely ensures a spot in this weekend’s session.
The upcoming closed alpha marks the first time Doom will be publicly playable after multiple cinematic showings at E3 and other events. Originally announced as Doom 4 in 2008, Doom has since evolved significantly after a series of major overhauls during development.
Doom‘s premiere alpha test will begin on Friday, October 23 at 12:00 a.m. Eastern Time, and will conclude on Sunday, October 25 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Alpha sessions are available exclusively in North America and select locations in Europe.
Doom is slated to launch in the spring of 2016.
