'Parallel' Teases Open Beta Plans as New Ethereum NFT Cards Launch

Parallel, the NFT card-battler that Decrypt’s GG named as its 2023 game of the year, may soon be launching to a much larger audience amid teases of an open beta launch on the horizon.

Currently available in a closed beta test that’s gradually letting more players in, Parallel said on Twitter (aka X) late Wednesday that info on the open beta is coming “soon.”

Furthermore, in a blog post, the game’s developers pointed to the impending open beta as a reason why the latest update doesn’t bring a lot of major in-game changes.

“Closed beta isn't going to be closed much longer,” the post reads. “To get ready for that we want to make sure we have as consistent and fair a game experience as possible.”

“Despite my best efforts, the game is in a pretty healthy place right now and seems pretty fair especially at the lower levels,” it continues, though the post does not specify an individual author. “We want to make sure we get the larger user base in while this is true, before I continue to shake the hornets’ nest.”

While Parallel’s latest update doesn’t shake up the game’s balance too much, it does introduce “Season 1: Vault Keeper,” the latest in-game content package with new cards and more. The season introduces two Ethereum NFT cards—Ilana, Keeper of the Vault and Astel’s Glaive—as well as a new premium battle pass with unlockable content for players.

Furthermore, the update includes an array of bug fixes and other various tweaks to the Windows PC card-battling game. Parallel is built around NFT-based cards and cosmetic items, with NFTs minted on both Ethereum and scaling network Base.

Edited by Stacy Elliott.