Bohemia Interactive is done messing around with the alpha of Arma 3. While there have been plenty of significant updates to the core Arma experience, including a pair of powerful sniper rifles, supplementary ghillie suits, new fog technology, and optimization for the game's AI, the first-person experience is finally ready to take the next step into beta.
What makes this third game different from what the studio has done in the past with the long-running series of military simulations is the extensive testing. This is the first time Bohemia has conducted an alpha that any PC owner with some extra cash can participate in, and really, it’s been quite the long-winded process. Similar to Minecraft, PC players have had the option of giving the studio money early to both gain access to the final product when it’s ready and help test the game before launch. The response has been pretty positive, and thanks to the help of the community, Arma 3 is in a state worthy to be called a beta.
If you’re hankering to experience all the simulated action and bought into the alpha in the past, you'll get access to the beta by downloading the automatic update on Steam. If this is the first time you’ve even heard about Arma 3, you can just buy the beta, which includes the full retail game when it launches later this year from Steam or the Bohemia Interactive Store. We don’t have an exact date at this time, but look forward to experiencing this Mediterranean sandbox that stretches across 290 km² of land in 2013.
