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Closed Alpha
April 26, 2026 at 03:13 PM
Initial expansion of closed-alpha article from stub (2026-04-26)
The Closed Alpha Test is the third and largest pre-release test that Mintrocket and Nexon have run for NAKWON: LAST PARADISE. It went live on March 11, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. Pacific and ran through 1:00 a.m. Pacific on March 16, 2026, expanding the test population beyond the two earlier Pre-Alpha builds and opening the most detailed look yet at the game's expedition loop, shelter systems, and special infected roster. See Overview for the full game summary; this page focuses specifically on the test programs themselves.
Progress made during the Closed Alpha did not carry over to the full release. Save data, character levels, gear, and shelter customization were reset at the end of the test window.
Three pre-release test programs have run to date. The first two are referenced collectively as the Pre-Alpha builds; the third is the Closed Alpha. Each test had its own purpose and population.
Test | Window | Platform | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Pre-Alpha Playtest #1 | November 29, 2023 to December 3, 2023 | PC via Steam | Free, open sign-up, no player cap. First public hands-on for the build. |
Pre-Alpha Playtest #2 | December 2024 | PC via Steam | Referenced in the development roadmap and in 2026 alpha communications. Pre-Alpha #2 participants received automatic access to the Closed Alpha. |
Closed Alpha Test | March 11, 2026 (5:00 p.m. PT) to March 16, 2026 (1:00 a.m. PT) | PC via Steam | Selected applicants only. Localization and regional support expanded. Progress did not carry to release. |
Pre-Alpha #1 ran from November 29, 2023 through December 3, 2023 on Steam. It had no player cap and was free for anyone who registered through the Steam page. It served as the first public stress test of the expedition format, the day and night structure, and the early infected behavior that would later be expanded for the Closed Alpha.
Following Pre-Alpha #1, Mintrocket published a public development roadmap on January 29, 2024. The roadmap listed near-term priorities the studio committed to addressing before the next test:
Basic features: character appearance customization, in-game voice chat, and MMR-based matchmaking.
Combat overhaul: separation of upper-body and lower-body actions, improved impact and contact feedback, separated left and right hand slots, and more natural movement.
Zombie enhancement: new
types, more satisfying kill feedback, and increased zombie threat level.
Scouting rules: starting point selection, exit rule improvements, and removal of the toxic gas leak system.
Exploration content: difficulty selection, map changes by difficulty, and random weather conditions.
Several of these roadmap items surfaced in the Closed Alpha build two years later, including the new infected types, weather conditions, and the more granular combat layout.
Pre-Alpha #2 ran in December 2024. It is referenced in the January 2024 dev roadmap and again in the 2026 alpha communications as the test whose participants were granted automatic access to the Closed Alpha. It is the smaller of the two pre-alpha programs in publicly documented detail, and the studio has not published a full content list for it; the Closed Alpha is the build with the most thoroughly disclosed feature set.
The Closed Alpha launched on March 11, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time and ran through March 16, 2026 at 1:00 a.m. Pacific Time. Sign-ups opened on February 25, 2026 and remained open for new applicants through March 15, 2026. Access was granted in two ways:
Automatic access for participants of the earlier Pre-Alpha programs.
Application access for new applicants who registered through the Steam page during the sign-up window.
The Closed Alpha expanded its supported regions beyond the earlier Pre-Alpha tests, opening play to selected applicants in parts of North America, South America (newly added for this test), and East Asia. To support the new South American region, two new localizations were added to the build:
Latin American Spanish (added for the Closed Alpha).
Brazilian Portuguese (added for the Closed Alpha).
Both localizations carried over to the Steam store page's published language list alongside the build's existing English and Korean support.
The Closed Alpha is the most thoroughly documented build to date in terms of content scale. The figures below are confirmed for the alpha build; counts may shift between alpha and full release, but they reflect the scale Mintrocket committed to in test.
Content category | Confirmed count | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
110 | Trait points are earned through character leveling and feed the active and passive skill tree. | |||
Active and Passive Skills | 35 | Skill tree fed by trait points. Mix of active abilities and passive bonuses. | ||
60 | Dual-wieldable. Includes the Firefighter Axe, Sledgehammer, One-Handed Axe, and Round Riot Shield among the closed alpha additions. | |||
30 | Categorized as heavy or light. | |||
7 | Three classes: makeshift, improvised, and factory-grade. Includes single-use craftable scrap guns. The revolver, pistol, and double-barrel shotgun are confirmed entries. | |||
14 | Named locations across the expedition map, set in ruined | . | ||
Quests | 160+ | Includes Key Resource Intel missions among the named mission types. | ||
Character Outfits | 70+ | Cosmetic customization for the player character. | ||
Special Infected Types | 6 | All highly sensitive to noise. See the table below for behavior summaries. |
Fourteen named landmarks were available across the closed alpha expedition map. The full list:
NAKWON Arcade
Tapgol Park
Police Station
Incinerator Facility
Jongno Building
MR Building
Seongdo Building
Hotel Momo
Art Gallery (South)
Art Gallery (North)
Reconstruction Site (South)
Reconstruction Site (North)
Parking Lot (South)
Parking Lot (North)
Six special infected types were confirmed for the Closed Alpha. All are highly sensitive to sound, which interacts with the build's noise-based detection systems and the heavy-rain weather condition that muffles ambient audio.
Type | Behavior |
|---|---|
Runner | Aggressively rushes players. |
Screamer | Wears a helmet with headlights that sway with movement, telegraphing line of sight. Does not attack directly; on spotting a player it screams to alert and attract other infected. |
Gatherer | Pre-infection scavengers who supplied resources to NAKWON; killed in combat and turned. Distinguished by gear similar to player gear. |
Armored | Pre-infection survivors who crafted makeshift body armor and turned despite the protection. Wide range of motion; their armor generates noise when moving. |
Butcher | Suffered severe eye and head injuries before turning. Specialized melee threat. |
Policeman | Pre-infection identity (police officer) carries through into post-turn movement and fighting style. |
The Closed Alpha introduced several systems that had not been present, or had not been disclosed in detail, in the earlier Pre-Alpha builds:
Last Stand:
When a player's HP reaches 0, they enter a
state. They cannot attack or use offensive skills. Taking damage in this state increases an infection level; reaching 100% infection kills the character. While in Last Stand, the player can still attempt to extract through map exits.
Heavy-rain weather:
Three named weather conditions were available, daytime, nighttime, and heavy rain. Heavy rain muffles ambient sound, making both player movement and infected detection harder. See
for the full sensory cycle.
New housing content:
3D shelter customization with upgradeable workbenches, refrigerators, and furniture, expanding on the day-phase shelter loop.
Crafting and scrap workflow:
Workbenches allow crafting and modifying items to boost durability and performance. A scrap bench dismantles items into materials. Single-use scrap firearms can be crafted from those materials.
Wound and infection tracking:
The Last Stand state interacts with the broader
loop, layering an infection meter on top of the existing health and stamina systems.
Although the Closed Alpha is the closest publicly available approximation of the launch build, several caveats apply:
Character progression, inventory, gear, and shelter customization from the alpha did not transfer to the full release.
Content figures (60 melee weapons, 7 firearms, 30 armor types, 110 traits, 35 skills, 14 landmarks, 160+ quests, 70+ outfits) reflect the alpha build at the time of test. Final-release counts may differ.
The closed alpha map is a subset of the full city; a future Dev Talk has been teased to cover a new map featuring a large shopping mall.
The release date was not announced during or after the alpha. The game remains unreleased as of the test's conclusion.
The application path used for the Closed Alpha may also apply to future test phases. The standard route was:
Visit the official Steam store page for NAKWON: LAST PARADISE.
Use the Request Access button on the Steam page during the sign-up window (February 25 to March 15, 2026 for the Closed Alpha).
Wait for an access notification through Steam if selected.
Existing Pre-Alpha participants did not need to re-apply; access was granted automatically.
For first-time players preparing for a future test, see Getting Started for an introduction to the expedition loop, shelter management, and the day-night cycle.
The Closed Alpha is the largest pre-release test program documented for NAKWON: LAST PARADISE so far. It expanded the supported regions, added two new localizations, and disclosed the most detailed content scale (110 traits, 35 skills, 60 melee weapons, 30 armor, 7 firearms, 14 landmarks, 160+ quests, 70+ outfits) of any test to date. It also introduced the Last Stand near-death state and the heavy-rain weather condition. A full release date has not been confirmed, and the studio has signaled additional Dev Talks and content reveals between alpha and launch.
