Unreal Tournament 2014 Close to Alpha Phase; Game Package Available for Download

Unreal Tournament 2014 is almost in Alpha Phase and people on the Unreal forums have been compiling builds of Epic’s game and are releasing them in small, playable packages. The latest build is currently available for download, and it comes with the untextured maps, unstable weaponry, and other things that change quickly since it is still in pre-alpha phase. No need to worry though since the game is still playable and absolutely enjoyable.

Access to the Unreal 4 editor was required in the past to play the test builds Epic were putting out. This meant buying a subscription to stay updated, or at least a one-time purchase to get a snapshot. In other words, all of this is unofficial, but the team have Epic’s approval and are responding to feedback coming out of it. This provides a build for the hungry to play without any additional effort on their part.

The game teaser was first released in May, when Epic vice president and co-founder Mark Rein Tweeted about a possible reboot.

"I love UnrealTournament - So excited for the comeback!" he said. "More next week!" Unreal Tournament was then confirmed for PC, Mac and Linux as a completely free title, with Epic saying anyone with an Unreal Engine 4 subscription could assist in its development.

Epic recently released a video with a behind-the-scenes look at the game's development, along with early in-game footage. Fans can spot familiar weapons from throughout the Unreal Tournament series, although few others were shown during the playthrough. The developers also discussed how feedback can improve the final product.

Unreal Tournament 2014 will be getting multiple updates every week. However, the game will not receive the patch automatically, so gamers would have to do the update manually. It is also recommended to join the IRC channel where the efforts are organized (enter a name and put #beyondunreal into the channel box) to keep yourself in the loop.

Once you have successfully logged in the game, take a moment to read the information available and then use one of the portals on the right to join a server.