The Pioneer Playtest
The Pioneer Playtest runs 7–18 October 2026, free on Steam, with no NDA. Access is requested through the Steam store page rather than a code, so the fastest route in is to wishlist the game and hit the playtest request button.
Play it before anyone tells you what to think — that framing comes from the developers themselves, and it is the reason the playtest build is deliberately open.
Recent timeline
| Date | Milestone | | --- | --- | | 28 August 2025 | March of Giants revealed; Closed Alpha announced | | 2 September 2025 | First Closed Alpha begins, limited to North America | | 6 September 2025 | Closed Alpha expands to Europe | | September 2025 | Closed Alpha closeout and recap | | 2 October 2026 | Pioneer Playtest announced for October 7 | | 7 October 2026 | Pioneer Playtest opens | | 18 October 2026 | Pioneer Playtest closes | | Summer 2027 | Early Access window, still unconfirmed |
What the Closed Alpha tested
The first Closed Alpha ran in September 2025, limited to North America and English. It produced two consistent pieces of feedback that shaped everything since: the art direction and radio chatter audio landed well, and soldier control takes real practice.
Match length was also adjusted during the alpha, which tells you the team is treating pacing as a first-class design problem.
What the playtest adds
The Pioneer Playtest roster sits at 15+ Giants, with a spotlight schedule that introduced Victoria, Kragg, Wolfgang, Voidmaster, Ossuary and Solace in the two weeks before opening.
Playtest participants earn Pioneer status and exclusive rewards that carry into launch. If you only play one session, play it during the first week while the meta is still unsettled — that is when a new player can genuinely surprise people.
Platforms and crossplay
March of Giants is in development for PC via Steam, and that is the only platform currently confirmed. The store page and roadmap posts are the authoritative source — anything else is speculation.
Where to watch
The developers are in the official Discord and on the subreddit daily, and there is a weekly write-up by email. If you want patch context rather than patch notes, those channels are where it appears first.