NC opened sign-ups for the Cinder City Closed Alpha Test on November 12, 2026, and the test itself runs on Steam from December 4 to 6. BIGFIRE Games posted the details on Steam, and sign-ups stay open until November 30 (PST).
How to Sign Up
Where you sign up depends on where you live:
- United States, Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom and France: register on FirstLook.
- South Korea, Taiwan and Japan: request access through the playtest button on the Cinder City Steam page.
You must be 18 or older, live in one of those countries and play on PC through Steam. Use your own Steam account: BIGFIRE says testers who apply with someone else’s account can lose their access. Selected players get an email, and install steps follow before the test starts.
When You Can Play
NC’s press release gives set play windows rather than three open days:
- Friday, December 4: 5 PM to 11 PM PST (8 PM to 2 AM Eastern).
- Saturday, December 5 and Sunday, December 6: 2 PM to 6 PM PST (5 PM to 9 PM Eastern).
The test is under an NDA. Recording, screenshots, streaming and posting about what you play are all banned.
The Details
NC says the alpha build comes from nearly 3,000 pieces of feedback on August’s Pre-Alpha Test, where testers flagged ammo shortages and a hard early game. The fixes:
- Ammo drops are up by more than 30% on average, gunpowder drops more often, and new supply missions let you restock from NPCs at major hubs after running dry.
- New guide missions teach ammo crafting, gun repair and gear crafting.
- The prologue’s difficulty ramps up more gradually, while the open world gets tougher enemies that search for you and try to flank.
- A shoulder swap arrives alongside smoother slides and clearer melee.
There is new content too. The open world grows from 1.2 by 1.2 kilometers to 2.4 by 2.4 kilometers, adding the Yeoksam, Seonjeongneung and Nonhyeon areas and a new field boss, the Rampage Mech. Two squad dungeons join the test, Yeoksam Grand Building and Chamber Zero, both with save points inside, and the story continues into Chapter 3.
What This Means for Players
If you missed the first test, this one is bigger, with a map four times the size and the ammo problems addressed. Sign up before November 30, then watch your email.
Cinder City is NC’s open-world PvE shooter, set in a dystopian Seoul. NC also runs Throne and Liberty in the West and makes AION 2, and our best MMORPGs of 2026 list has more online worlds to try while you wait. For more on the game, see the official Cinder City site.