Black Gold's closed alpha starts today

Snail has announced that the closed alpha for its steampunk Black Gold MMO begins today. Eligible players will be able to test through March 30th. If you're wondering how to become one of those eligible players, it's as easy as registering a Snail account, filling out a survey, and hoping for the best.

If that doesn't appeal to you, the company says it will be "distributing access keys on a wider scale as Black Gold Online approaches its Closed Beta testing period later this year."

[Source: Snail press release]

SNAIL GAMES BEGINS CLOSED ALPHA FOR BLACK GOLD ONLINE

SANTA MONICA - MARCH 20, 2014 - Snail Games has announced that its upcoming steampunk / fantasy MMORPG, Black Gold Online, will launch its Closed Alpha testing period today, March 20, at 2:00 PM PDT. Eligible players will be able to access the game's Closed Alpha from March 20 to March 30.

Combining fantasy with gothic steampunk, Black Gold Online is set in a world of epic struggle as two factions vie for control of a powerful, crystallized energy known as "Black Gold." On one side, players will experience the land of Erlandir, filled with magic drawn from the life and nature found around the ancient jungles and temples of the terrain. The other side features the land of Isenhorst, a mechanized society of giant walking cities, which utilizes engineering and mechanized equipment to gain supremacy.

Starting today, players can explore and experience the various content within Black Gold Online's Closed Alpha, including a large number of quests, eight different classes across different factions, crafting, vehicle construction, faction vs. faction battlegrounds, and open-world PvP. As the game is currently in development, players will be experiencing an earlier Alpha version of the game and are encouraged to provide any and all constructive feedback to Snail Games for improvements to Black Gold Online.*

PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL ALPHA CONTENT IS UNDER PROTECTION OF A NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT, PROHIBITING THE CREATION AND SHARING OF SCREENSHOTS, VIDEOS, LIVESTREAMS AND OTHER USER GENERATED CONTENT WITHOUT PRIOR APPROVAL.

For a chance to access the Closed Alpha, please visit the following links:

Black Gold Online Account Registration:

http://bg.snailgame.com/account/signup/

Black Gold Online Alpha Opt-In Survey:

http://bg.snailgame.com/QuestionSurveys/

Black Gold Online Alpha Key Redemption:

http://bg.snailgame.com/activation

Snail Games will be distributing access keys on a wider scale as Black Gold Online approaches its Closed Beta testing period later this year. Please stay tuned for more information via the official site and Facebook.