Obsidian Entertainment has announced that a beta version of Pillars of Eternity will launch exclusively for Kickstarter backers next month, marking the first playable release for the team’s long-in-development crowdfunded RPG.
Noting that Pillars of Eternity has entered the “finalization stage,” producer Brandon Adler revealed that Early Access beta keys will be available on August 18 for supporters who pledged $110 or more. Launched in late 2012, the Pillars of Eternity Kickstarter project racked up nearly $4 million in backer pledges, resulting in a delay as the game’s scope ballooned to meet its expanded budget.
Obsidian additionally announced that it has canceled its plans for a DVD and Blu-ray Pillars of Eternity making-of documentary release, as physical discs would need to enter production prior to the project’s completion. Rather than release the documentary without a conclusion, Obsidian is opting instead to launch a “digital downloadable extended version” of the film at a later date. A replacement reward for backers who pitched in for DVD and Blu-ray copies of the documentary will be announced soon.
