We intend to launch the game we are working on in early access in a couple of months. Before that though, we would like to do a closed beta.
In another topic, an Epic Game staff member said: “Another way a Closed Beta could be accomplished would be to have the game in the Live sandbox and distribute keys for that build. So long as the purchasable date is future-dated, no one would get access to the game that doesn’t have a key.”
If we choose to do it that way, does that mean we still have to “Submit for Review” our game even though it is “just” a closed beta?
As for the keys, which type should we generate? In the Dev Portal, it is possible to generate up to 5,000 testing keys for the live sandbox; we are a bit confused though because in the Access Keys documentation it is written “Testing keys can only be created for offers currently in either the Dev or Stage sandbox.” Is the documentation not up-to-date?
We’d be happy to answer your questions regarding creating a Closed Beta!
Yes! Any changes you want to make will need to be reviewed. All products must be reviewed before moving onto the Live sandbox. This is to ensure that your product meets all of our requirements and guidelines and that your game is error-free!
You are correct that testing keys are only accessible for the Dev and Stage environments. As you are trying to set up a closed beta, we recommend in creating Press/Promo keys. You can review our Access Keys article for details on the different types of keys we offer! The press/promo keys are perfect for your closed beta. While the promo keys are only up to 1000 keys, you can submit a case to our partner support team to request more keys!
We hope this answers your questions. Please let us know if you need any additional clarity.