Anthem alpha testing starts on December 8, sign-ups are open

Electronic Arts has announced that a closed alpha test for Anthem will take place over the December 8-9 weekend, and if you want to get in you've got until December 3 to sign up.   

The alpha is an opportunity to get an early look at how Anthem is shaping up, but EA warned that it might be a bumpy experience, as it will "be adjusting things like matchmaking and server load on the fly." 

"These Community Playtests are more limited than what we want to share in the pre-launch demos," EA wrote. "All of these factors combined mean that we’re making access to our Playtests limited, which is where the 'closed' part of the name comes from." 

The Anthem closed alpha will run on PS4 and Xbox One as well as PC, and you can sign up for the platform of your choice—but only one of them. You'll need an EA account to sign up for the alpha, and putting your name in the hat does not guarantee access, so you may end up on a wait list instead.   

There will be four testing sessions running during the alpha, two each day, and you can sign up for as many (or as few) as you want. This is what you'll need to take part in the test: 

  • OS: 64-bit Windows 10
  • CPU: Intel Core i5 3570 or AMD FX-6350
  • RAM: 8 GB RAM
  • GPU: Nvidia GTX 970 4GB, AMD R9 390 8GB
  • HDD: At least 60 GB of free space

Approved playtesters will receive an email with a download link prior to the start of the test, so you can get the client downloaded and installed before the action begins.

And take note of the strict non-disclosure agreement as well: "Everything in the Anthem Closed Alpha is STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL," EA said. So no posting, no sharing, no streaming, no nothin'—but you are welcome to share feedback in EA's (hidden, sorry to say) playtester forums.

Andy Chalk

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.