Crucible Going Back To Closed Beta, Signups Start Again Tomorrow

It's no secret that Amazon Games has been having a rough time with the launch of Crucible. With lackluster gameplay, no chat (text or voice) support, and multiple modes that, in my experience, just weren't fun, the team behind the game has already started laying out a roadmap for the future. This roadmap included removing multiple game modes (one right away and one in the future), a focus on the Heart of the Hives mode, and implementation of chat along with other game improvements.

Today, though, the team took a rather unexpected step towards achieving those goals. In short, Crucible will be reverting back to being in a closed beta stage. In a post on the game's site, details are laid out for a more community focused development going forward. With plans to create a player council, devs streaming more often with the community, and a focus on the game's Discord, the team hopes to move Crucible forward only when the community and metrics say the game should move forward.

If you are currently playing the game, not much is actually changing for you. The Battle Pass will still be supported, you'll still keep your progression, and you can still access the game via Steam without any new download. You can still stream, do videos, and produce content if you wish, and the game will continue to be available 24/7.

However, if you are NOT currently in game and are even remotely interested in Crucible, get the game tonight. Effective tomorrow at noon eastern time, you won't be able to get in anymore. You'll have to sign up and hopefully get a key at some point...you know...like a beta.

Whether or not this helps a game that has been seriously hemorrhaging players will be something that remains to be seen, but this unorthodox step may just be the wake-up call this game requires to get back on track...if Amazon gives it the time to do so. If they do, it's an easy way to snake the game back into a "second launch" at some point and maybe give them a second shot at a better than "Mixed" review score on Steam. It may feel a bit slimy to me personally, but we'll have to see how it's handled when it comes time to "launch"...again.