Going Hands-On With Outward 2’s Closed Beta—Once More Unto The Breach

May 25, 2026 - 14:55

I genuinely didn't think I'd be returning to Outward 2 quite so soon. Usually with these previews, there's a reasonable gap of time between when we get to see a game and when we actually play it. But here I was, booting up the closed beta just a few weeks after the initial reveal. The first thing that struck me was how familiar yet foreign everything felt. The survival mechanics are still punishing, the combat still demands patience, and the world still refuses to hold your hand. But there are subtle shifts.

The magic system has been reworked. It feels less like a hidden puzzle and more like a deliberate skill tree now, though it still requires you to sacrifice some of your maximum health to unlock it. That trade-off is classic Outward. I spent my first hour just trying to find clean water and a place to sleep without getting eaten by a dinosaur-bird hybrid. The map is larger, but the sense of dread remains. You are never safe. Even the starting area has ambushes that feel unfair until you learn the patterns.

The co-op is smoother this time. No more desync issues that plagued the original. My partner and I could actually share a campfire without one of us clipping through the ground. It is still a game about struggling, but the struggle feels more intentional now. If you hated the first game for its difficulty, this won't change your mind. But if you loved the feeling of finally surviving a storm after losing everything, you will feel right at home. The beta ends next week, and I already miss the misery.