Worlds Adrift's Alpha 5.0 Playtest Begins Monday

Worlds Adrift's next playtest is scheduled to begin Monday, December 12th, and marks the beginning of Alpha 5.0. The test will run for 48 hours.

In a Steam community post Bossa Studios remarked that the upcoming playtest is the biggest one so far. What's the big deal? Well here's the scoop:

• Knowledge - Islands now have ancient Saborian databanks scattered around. Scan these for Knowledge, which you can use to specialise your character in the Knowledge tree tab of your character sheet.
• New Shipyard - The new Shipyard makes its debut! Build your custom ship frame exactly how you want: tall and skinny or wide and flat, small and sleek or big and bulky, it’s all up to you
• Loot - Islands now contain lootable containers, where ancient schematics are now found.
• Pistols - The crossbow has been replaced by the pistol, which should be easier to aim with.
• Combat - ranged combat has had a complete overhaul, and rebalance, so ship combat will involve lots of cannons, and big ship fights.
• Male character - Many of you have been asking for this feature for a long time. Well, it’s finally here. You can now play as a gentleman of the skies.
• Sails - Sails are now craftable and attachable to decks. A ship now only technically needs a core and a sail to fly, though it’s probably still a good idea to add a reviver. Pay attention to the direction of the wind!

Originally, Worlds Adrft was scheduled to enter Early Access at the end of 2016. That date has been revised. The game is not up to par to what the developers want just yet, so they've rescheduled Early Access for Q1 2017. Smart move. Don't publish anything you're not happy with—that's a motto for any creative endeavor.

You can watch the latest Worlds Adrift community stream below for an idea of what the game looks like now.