CBT Recap — What the Closed Beta Contained, and What the Numbers Say
A closed beta is the first time a game stops being a trailer and starts being a thing people play — and for Astrae Oratio, that moment ran for five days in October 2026. NC has since published the full picture: what was in the build, how many hours testers put in, and what they said afterward. This page collects all of it in one place, exactly as officially announced, and translates the numbers into plain language so you know what they do and don't tell you about the 2027 release.
The Timeline: From Sign-Ups to Server Close
The road to the beta was short and clearly signposted. On July 31, 2026, NC announced that closed beta registration would open on August 19 and run through September 21. The test itself then ran from Friday, October 2 to Tuesday, October 6, 2026 — five days — with access limited to players selected from that sign-up pool. By October 7, the official site's server opening notice was already marked as ended, and on October 22 NC published the results infographic that most of the numbers below come from.
Note the shape of that schedule: barely a month between the TGS demo and the beta, and barely two weeks between beta close and the results. That pace suggests a studio working to a launch-year plan rather than testing in the abstract — which fits, since 2027 is the confirmed release window.
What Was Actually in the Beta Build
NC's description of the CBT content is unusually concrete, and each piece tells you something about the finished game:
- Three main story chapters and two mini stories. A real, playable slice of the narrative — not a tech demo — covering the opening arc of the Shunin's assignment at the Special District Office. This is also where the visual-novel-style dialogue and Japanese voice acting live.
- Combat quests with various difficulty levels. The strategic real-time 3D turn-based battle system, offered in tiers so testers could feel both the gentle on-ramp and the pressure ceiling.
- The "Score Trial" boss challenge. A mode where players compete for high scores against a boss — the closest thing the beta had to an endgame, and the reason the boss appears in the results stats below.
- "Free Time" mode. A way to interact with the game's characters outside of the main story — the hangout layer that story-driven RPGs in this style are known for, and a sign the game is building its cast to be more than mission dispensers.
Put together, the beta covered the three pillars the full game is clearly structured around: story, combat, and character time. That's a meaningful sample of the product — more than a stress test, less than the whole game.
The Results, in Numbers
Here is the complete set of engagement figures NC published on October 22, 2026, for the five-day test:
| Metric | CBT figure | What it suggests |
|---|---|---|
| Total play time | Nearly 80,000 hours | Testers stayed in the build — this is engagement, not drive-by logins. |
| Combat scenarios attempted | More than 1.13 million | The battle system got a huge sample size in just five days. |
| Score Trial boss clears | Nearly 20,000 | The challenge mode held players' attention enough to grind. |
| Day-two return rate | 8 out of 10 players | Most testers came back for a second consecutive day — the classic early-retention signal. |
And the post-CBT survey, also from NC's release:
| Survey question area | Result |
|---|---|
| Intend to play after launch | 93% of respondents |
| Positive first impression | 86.7% of respondents |
| Praised the story and characters | More than 80% of respondents |
What NC Said Happens Next
The official line from the results announcement: NC plans to use the gameplay data and player feedback collected during the CBT to support further development and prepare for the game's launch on iOS and Android devices, with a PC release to follow, in 2027. That's the standard post-beta statement, but in this case it came with the strongest data set the game has produced so far — and with game director Jong-gyu Lim's earlier comment from TGS still on the table, that the story, art, and combat are being brought together into a cohesive experience the team will keep expanding through live-service updates after launch.
What the CBT Did Not Tell Us
Just as useful is what five days of beta coverage still didn't reveal. As of early November 2026, NC has not announced: an exact release date (only the 2027 window), pre-registration details, the business model or pricing, official system requirements, the full launch roster of characters, or any post-launch roadmap specifics. If you see confident answers to any of those questions attributed to "the beta," be skeptical — the beta answered questions about engagement and early polish, not release logistics. The platforms page keeps a running list of what's confirmed versus pending.
CBT FAQs
When did the Astrae Oratio closed beta run?
The closed beta test ran for five days, from Friday, October 2 through Tuesday, October 6, 2026. NC announced the registration schedule on July 31, 2026, with sign-ups open from August 19 through September 21, and selected players were granted access directly by NC.
What was included in the Astrae Oratio CBT?
Testers got three main story chapters and two mini stories, combat quests at various difficulty levels, the 'Score Trial' boss challenge where players compete for high scores, and a 'Free Time' mode for interacting with the game's characters outside of the main story.
What were the CBT results?
NC published an infographic on October 22, 2026. Players logged nearly 80,000 total hours, combat scenarios were attempted more than 1.13 million times, the Score Trial boss was cleared nearly 20,000 times, and eight out of ten players returned to play on a second consecutive day. In the post-CBT survey, 93% of respondents said they intend to play after launch, 86.7% reported a positive first impression, and more than 80% praised the story and characters.
Can I still download or play the CBT client?
No. The test ended on October 6, 2026, and the beta servers were formally closed — the official site marks the server opening notice as ended as of October 7. The client was distributed only to selected testers, and there is no legitimate public download for it.
Will there be another beta or a public test?
NC hasn't announced any further tests. The studio said it plans to use the gameplay data and player feedback from the CBT to support further development and prepare for the 2027 launch. Any second beta, or an open test, would be announced through the official website and @Asora_EN channels.
What did players say about the game after the CBT?
The official survey numbers were strongly positive: 93% of respondents said they intend to play Astrae Oratio after launch, 86.7% reported a positive first impression, and more than 80% praised the game's story and characters. Keep in mind that survey respondents are volunteers from an opt-in beta, so the numbers measure enthusiasm among invested testers — still, an 80,000-hour turnout in five days is a real signal.