Steam Public Beta FAQ

Public Test Realm FAQ

1. Who can participate in the Public Test Realm open beta?
• The beta is open to all Steam owners of State of Decay 2:Juggernaut Edition age 18 and older. This is available in English only.
2. Do I need an Xbox Live Account?
• Yes, just like in your Steam game, you will need to sign into your Xbox Live account in order to access the beta.
3. Can I stream or take screenshots?
• Yes, the Public Test Realm is an open beta and you are free to post about it, but remember that everything you see is in active development subject to change.
4. Do I have to sign an NDA?
• No
5. What am I going to see?
• Participating in the Public Test Realm means you’ll be the first to playtest new game mechanics and features that are in active development. Your feedback is critical in making the best game we can!
6. What languages are supported?
• Right now, the Public Test Realm beta is available in English only.
7. When does the beta end?
• The Public Test Realm is an ongoing group with no planned sunset. As we continue to develop for State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Edition, Public Test Realm participants will be the first to playtest these changes. We hope you will join us as long-term testers, and we look forward to your feedback! 
8. How do I opt in/out?
• This Knowledge Base Article provides a step-by-step guide!

Playing the beta

1. Can I bring my existing community?
• On your first launch of the Test Realm build, your communities from the Retail version will be transferred over, if you had any. Note: from this point forward, your save is forked. Any progress or changes you make in the Test Realm will not copy back to the Retail version, and vice versa. You can freely return to playing in the Retail version of State of Decay 2 at any time. Your communities will be exactly as you left them.
• If you’ve previously participated in our closed beta, you can continue playing with your existing saved communities. All testers also have the option to start a brand new community. 
2. Can I pick whatever map I want?
• Yes! And, in order to activate the new playtest features, you will need to either change difficulty on your existing map, move to a new map, or start a new community. You will only need to do this once.
3. Can I play on any difficulty?
• Yes, you can choose any difficulty setting or custom difficulty setting that you prefer.
4. Where can I connect with other beta testers?
• Join our Discord community! We have a special channel just for Public Test Realm participants to share information and play together.
5. Can I play in multiplayer?
• Yes, but only with other Public Test Realm beta testers.
6. What is the time commitment? 
• As a Public Test Realm participant, we ask that you play through the beta content for at least 1-2 hours before filling out the survey (you’ll see this prompt show up in your beta game). Your survey is probably the most important part of the beta experience, as it’s the only way we will hear directly from you about what’s working and what’s not! We also hope you will join us for the long term as we continue to develop and test new features.
  
  

Additional questions

1. Will I lose access to the closed beta?
• We don’t have any current plans to revisit a closed beta, but we won’t rule anything out! Those who participated in the closed beta (Lab Techs) can either start a new community or continue with their prior beta community in the new Public Test Realm. Moving that community over will be automatically done for you. You may also choose to start a new community. How do I report a bug?
• You will log bugs the regular way on https://support.stateofdecay.com. Make sure to select “Public Test Realm” from the drop down menu. For extra credit (and to increase the speed of a reply), please include your DxDiag file or Windows log. Steps to find that information are listed here.
2. Does cross-play work in the beta?
• No, the Public Test Realm is only available to Steam owners at this time. 
3. What should I do if someone is harassing me in the beta?
• If you are experiencing harassment, please report their Steam username and Gamertag if known to support.stateofdecay.com along with a detailed description of the event, so that we can investigate.
4. I don’t want to participate in the Public Test Realm anymore. What do I need to do?
• To opt out of the open beta, you will need to change your State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Edition game in the Steam library back to the default branch. Navigate to the drop-down where you enabled the beta, and then opt out. This will revert your game back to normal. Be sure to also update your newsletter preferences so we don’t spam you.