Apogea Playtest Experience: A Frustrating Login Dilemma

I recently got an exciting invitation to participate in the playtest for Apogea, a pixel-art medieval fantasy MMORPG that caught my eye on Steam. After receiving the invite, I eagerly headed to my Steam library, where I found the game waiting to be installed. The moment had arrived, and I couldn't wait to jump into this new world, so I quickly launched the playtest client.

But then, as soon as I launched the game, a prompt appeared asking me to log in.

No problem, I thought. I'll just create an account and start playing. After all, I was invited to the playtest, so creating an account should be part of the process, right? Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.

When I attempted to create an account, I received a frustrating message: “Account Creation Disabled.”

I couldn’t help but wonder, how was I supposed to playtest the game if I couldn’t even create an account? I didn't have one, and I couldn’t make one. So, what's the point of sending out playtest invites if the very first step to getting into the game was blocked? It felt like I had been invited to a party and then locked out of the door.

Now, I get it. Playtests can sometimes have restrictions, and certain features might be limited as the developers work through bugs and feedback. However, this situation just didn’t make sense. If the developers want players to test their game, they need to make sure we can actually access it. Without account creation, I was essentially stuck in limbo, unable to even see what the game had to offer.

As a fan of MMORPGs, I’m always excited to explore new worlds, try out unique gameplay mechanics, and provide feedback to help developers improve their game. Apogea has a lot of potential, and from what I’ve seen in the trailers and the limited info available, it could be a really fun game. But at this point, it’s hard to even get excited about it when I can’t even get past the login screen.

It left me thinking: What’s the point of sending out playtest invites if the most basic step in the process is broken? If they’re serious about testing, they need to make sure there’s an easy way for players to access the game. A playtest is supposed to help developers gather data, fix bugs, and improve the overall experience—but that all depends on having enough players able to participate. And if we can’t even sign up, what’s the point?

Despite this frustration, I’m still interested in Apogea. I love MMORPGs and the potential this game has, but I need to be able to actually play it in order to help with the testing. I’m hoping the developers will fix the account creation issue soon so I—and other potential testers—can finally dive into the game.

For now, I’ll keep my fingers crossed and wait for an update. Hopefully, the next time I try to log in, I’ll be able to create an account and actually start playtesting Apogea.

FTC Disclosure: This post or video contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission for purchases made through my links.