Videogame ‘beta versions’ are anything but, says veteran RPG dev—real games are ‘shy, shy, shy, shy, slightly less sh***y, and it skyrockets’ at the end
Modern video game betas function primarily as hype-generation and marketing tools rather than genuine testing phases, according to Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s lead designer Prokop Jirsa. While studios justify beta releases through server stress-testing and player feedback justifications, the article questions whether this represents a true beta testing methodology.
Jirsa describes the realistic trajectory of game development as a rough journey that remains “shy, shy, shy, shy, slightly less sh***y,” before quality “skyrockets” near completion. This characterization challenges the premise that public betas—typically released closer to launch dates—can meaningfully represent unpolished development states.
The practice has become standard for live-service games and major releases, with studios using beta phases to generate pre-launch excitement and build player communities. However, the timing and polish level of most published betas suggest they serve marketing purposes more than genuine quality assurance, which is typically conducted internally during development’s messier phases.