Population Zero, a story-driven sci-fi MMO, begins beta testing in September

YouTube YouTube
Watch On

Population Zero is an upcoming sci-fi MMO set on an alien world called Kepler, where thousands of stranded colonists struggle to survive while they try to figure out what went wrong with their ship—and what they're doing to do next. It's been in development since late 2018, and today developer Enplex Games opened signups for a closed beta test that's coming in September.

There are two factions in Population Zero, but players can swap between them at will simply by performing quests for one or the other, which sounds a bit like an MMO take on Last Man Standing. The planet is filled with various sorts of alien species (although I suppose they're not actually "alien," since it's their planet) that can be battled or befriended, and an in-depth crafting system, tech trees, and a range of character perks will enable a range of approaches to PvE and PvP combat.

More information about Population Zero and signup links for the closed beta test are available at pzonline.com, and there's also a Discord to dive into here. Open beta testing is expected to kick off sometime in 2020.

Andy Chalk
US News Lead

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.

Latest in MMO
A forester from Old School Runescape, contemplating life next to his pheasant friend on a green field.
You can finally try out Old School RuneScape’s first new skill in nearly two decades right now
Ghoul in sunglasses
After years of playing as stupid, boring humans in Fallout, you can finally channel your inner Walton Goggins and become a ghoul in Fallout 76
WoW Classic: Season of Discovery
World of Warcraft Classic’s Season of Discovery may be teasing a legendary weapon that players have speculated is in the game for two decades
Gallywix wears an uneasy smile as he's confronted by Xal'atath in WoW: The War Within.
After 12 days and 100s of wipes, World of Warcraft's latest world first raid ends in anticlimax: 'That's the boss?!?'
A goblin with sharp teeth, wearing goggles, lets out a mischievous cackle in WoW's latest patch: Undermine(d).
The hooligan hacker guild that tore up WoW's newest raid (twice) just posted video evidence of the whole thing, and it's got me feeling weirdly nostalgic
Dune Awakening
Dune Awakening's latest trailer offers a glimpse of its massive coriolis storms, which reshape swathes of the map each week for 'infinite exploration'
Latest in News
HP inkjet printer
HP settles the class action lawsuit which claimed its printer updates 'act as malware', avoiding either a big payout or admitting wrongdoing
'For too long, Apple has operated a walled garden around its products': The EU forces Apple to open its closed system to third parties
Abstract image with a wireframe humanoid face on a digital art background
The 2012 source code for AlexNet, the precursor to modern AI, is now on Github thanks to Google and the Computer History Museum
Shadow of Mordor's beloved nemesis system exists because the publisher threw a tantrum about second-hand sales
Silent Hill f transmission trailer screenshots
Silent Hill f is not messing around – now it's been banned in Australia
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 22: A view of Google Headquarters in Mountain View, California, United States on August 22, 2024.
'Google must divest the Chrome browser:' DOJ renews call for Google to sell Chrome, and Android could be next