ArcheAge Chronicles Demo: What It Was and How to Play Now

Demo Dates and Access

The demo opened on Monday, October 19 at 10:00 AM PT and closed on Monday, October 26. Korean coverage lists October 20 to 27 because of the time difference. In Europe the end time moved by an hour because of the switch to winter time.

It was PC only, through Steam. You simply downloaded it from the store page, with no key or sign-up, and it was open in every region. The earlier stress test on September 13 had been limited to the USA and Canada. Streaming was allowed as long as you made clear it was a demo.

What the Demo Included

The demo took place in Diamond Shores, one of the earlier regions of Auroria. All four classes were playable, each with two weapons. Testers were encouraged to try both weapons before deciding a class wasn't for them.

It was also the first public build with PvP. Two systems from the original ArcheAge were left out: housing and trading. Both arrive with the Early Access launch.

• Region: Diamond Shores
• Classes: Warrior, Ranger, Berserker and Mage, two weapons each
• Opt-in PvP channels, switched at a Nui Statue
• Hidden high-level dungeon: Throne of Hinnon (see the dungeon guide)
• Not included: housing and trading

PvP in the Demo

Standard channels did not allow player attacks at all. PvP channels were the same zones with the same monsters and quests, but anyone outside your party or guild could attack you. You switched at a Nui Statue, and a cooldown stopped you from hopping out of a losing fight.

Player kills gave only a kill log and PvP achievements, with no ranked mode. Monster kills in PvP channels gave 10–15% bonus EXP. The PvP guide explains how this carries into Early Access.

Does Demo Progress Carry Over?

No. Demo progress was wiped and does not carry over to Early Access. Characters, levels and items from the demo will not appear on November 3. Everyone creates a new character at launch.

What does carry over is what you learned. Our beginner guide and classes guide cover what testers found during demo week, and the character creation guide explains the gender-locked class choice.

How Popular Was the Demo?

The demo ranked fifth on Steam's Most Played Demos list for that Next Fest. Players praised the Unreal Engine 5 visuals and the parry- and cancel-based combat. In the producer's letter afterwards, XLGAMES said far more players showed up than expected.

Testers also reported problems, including startup errors, disconnects and login errors. XLGAMES says these were fixed for Early Access. A long black screen on first launch has also been replaced by a visible shader compilation screen. See crashing fixes if you still run into launch issues.

PC Requirements From the Demo

The demo used the same system requirements as Early Access. The minimum spec targets 30 FPS at 1080p on Low, and the recommended spec targets 60 FPS at 1080p on High. Every tier needs DirectX 12 and an SSD.

• Minimum: Windows 10 64-bit, i5-10400 or Ryzen 5 3600, 16 GB RAM, RTX 2060 SUPER or RX 6600 (8 GB), 100 GB SSD
• Recommended: Windows 11, i7-12700 or Ryzen 7 5700X, 32 GB RAM, RTX 4060 Ti 16GB or RX 7700 XT, 100 GB SSD

How to Play Now

With the demo closed, the only way to play is to buy Early Access on Steam. It costs $29.99, with no subscription, and opens November 3 at 3:00 PM PT. Pre-purchases include the Dawn Pioneer Set costume.

Early Access covers far more than the demo: three regions with over 60 areas, about 20 times the demo's size. No new free demo or free weekend has been announced. See the release date page for launch times in your region.

Official Trailer

▶ Official media

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