Alpha 1, as reported (September 2025)
Rogueliker played the first test at launch (September 2, 2025) and described two missions: one indoors in a metallic space base, one outdoors among “pestilent flora, traps, and giant worms.” Ammo was limited and shared across the squad, med kits were scarce, downed players needed a teammate to revive them, and objectives ran in stages. Matchmaking put them on a server with randoms quickly; their verdict: “lone-wolfing it was not an option,” with comparisons to Housemarque's Alienation.
Alpha 2 (November 2025)
The official changelog for the second test (live November 4, 2025) was substantial: an overhauled ice planet Chryos, text chat, invites and private servers, tactical crouching, dismemberment, and revised Trapper enemies — the first named creature type in the public record.
Alpha 3 (February 2026)
The third test ran February 16–22, 2026 and added voice chat, a ping wheel, spectate mode, cloud saves, a sprint rework and a dynamic music system, plus new ice areas on Chryos. In three alphas the game gained a world, then social systems, then comms — a build order worth knowing when you read any “empty game” hot takes.
What Alpha 4 builds on
The November 3, 2026 test is the first on the new swarm technology: thousands of enemies at once (developer statements put it near 3,000), with adaptive AI that interacts with the map and pursues players. CEO Hans Oxmond's framing, via IGN: “We've always wanted DarkSwarm to convey the feeling of being completely overwhelmed.”
Source: Steam store page, Steam news archive & official press kit — snapshot Oct 8, 2026 · Open on Steam ↗
