Time Takers Steam Playtest Returns November 12-15
Time Takers is getting another round on Steam.
NC has confirmed that its upcoming third-person survival shooter will run a fresh playtest from November 12 to November 15. If you didn't get into the September test, this is your next chance to try it. And if you did play in September, the build waiting for you in November should feel different, because the studio says this round is shaped by what players told it last time.
That second part is the real story. Running a public test is one thing. Coming back two months later with a list of changes built on player feedback suggests NC is actually listening.
What's Changing Since September
NC hasn't published full patch notes, but it has outlined the main areas it worked on. The November playtest will include changes to:
- Combat balance, the fine-tuning that decides whether fights feel fair or frustrating
- Movement controls, which matter a great deal in a third-person shooter where positioning is half the battle
- The matchmaking system, the part of any multiplayer game that quietly decides whether your evening is fun or miserable
- Character personalities, which have also been reworked
NC also says there is "more" beyond that list, so the four headline areas probably aren't the whole story. We'll have to wait for the test itself, or for any notes NC shares closer to the date, to see how deep the changes go.
The character personality tweak is the one that stands out. Combat, movement and matchmaking are the usual targets after a playtest. They're the systems that break first when lots of players turn up at once, and they draw the loudest complaints. Personality work is softer and harder to measure. It points to a studio that cares about how its cast comes across, not only how its guns handle. In a crowded shooter market, that kind of identity can matter more than people expect.
How to Get In
Signing up is simple. Go to the Time Takers page on Steam and click the "Request Access" button. That's it. After that, you wait for an invite.
NC hasn't said how many players will get in or how invites will be handed out, so requesting access doesn't guarantee a spot. Still, it costs nothing and takes seconds. If the game is on your radar at all, it's worth doing now rather than waiting until the November 12 start date.
A Free-to-Play Survival Shooter
For anyone new to Time Takers, the basics are worth spelling out. It's a free-to-play game, a third-person shooter, and it leans into survival. That mix of genres has become a busy space, with plenty of studios trying to find their own angle. Project S.U.N.D.I.A.L., for example, is trying to make its mark by taking extraction shooting top-down.
Free-to-play also changes the stakes for a playtest. There's no price tag acting as a filter, so the first impression is the whole pitch. Players who bounce off in the first hour have nothing tying them to the game. That makes tests like this one more than a box-ticking exercise. They're a chance for NC to sort out the rough edges before the stakes get higher.
Our Take
Steam playtests have become the standard way for multiplayer games to prove themselves before launch. This autumn alone, we've seen March of Giants open its own playtest and Dfiance: Dominance set an open beta on the platform. Time Takers is part of that same pattern, and the quick turnaround from September to November is a decent sign. A two-month gap is short enough to suggest NC has a working feedback loop, rather than a test that disappears into a spreadsheet.
The open question is how far those changes reach. Balance and matchmaking tweaks are expected; whether they fix the specific complaints raised in September is something only returning players will be able to judge. It is worth watching whether NC shares detailed notes before or after the test, and whether a third playtest follows. Either would hint at how close Time Takers is to being ready. For now, the sensible move is simple: request access, play the four days, and see whether the game has moved forward.