NC’s cinematic sci-fi shooter Cinder City heads into a Steam Closed Alpha Test on December 4 to 6 with a world four times larger, two new squad dungeons and combat rebuilt from nearly 3,000 pieces of pre-alpha player feedback, with sign-ups open now through November 30.

NC (formerly NCSOFT) announced today the player feedback received from its Pre-Alpha Test has shaped and improved development on CINDER CITY, its upcoming cinematic sci-fi shooter, ahead of the game’s forthcoming Steam Closed Alpha Test to be held December 4-6, 2026.

By analyzing nearly 3,000 pieces of player feedback from August’s Pre-Alpha Test, the December Alpha Test brings new guide missions, a reworked ammo economy, a rebalanced difficulty curve, two new squad dungeons, story content continuing into Chapter 3, and an additional open world environment four times larger than before, into players’ hands.

SIGN-UPS START TODAY

Sign-ups start right now! Starting at 6 am PDT, today, and running through Monday, November 30, players can submit their details to become part of this heavily expanded playtest. Playtest regions include North America, Europe, and Asia. Players can go to Firstlook.gg and join the waitlist to sign-up.

In CINDER CITY, players survive in a world where even Cinderknights, the games’ heroic military team, have disbanded, leaving a harsh world with no heroes left to save it. Players scavenge for resources, craft ammo, build and repair their guns, and work together to survive.

“The response to our first test was far bigger than we ever expected,” said GH Shin, Project Manager, CINDER CITY. “What really surprised us was how detailed and thoughtful each one was. A lot of you loved the world, the visuals, and the gunplay. You also pointed out some pain points, like resource shortages and early-game difficulty, and much of that really resonated with us. So, we’ve started by tackling the issues that came up most often.”

BUILT ON PLAYER FEEDBACK

Across the Pre-Alpha Test, players praised CINDER CITY’s world, visuals, and gunplay, while flagging resource shortages and early-game difficulty. The development team prioritized the most frequently raised issues for the Alpha Build:

IMPROVED GAMEPLAY GUIDANCE: Newly added guide missions teach core systems by training players how to craft ammo, repair guns, and make gear.

MORE AMMO, MORE ACCESS TO IT: The overall ammo drop rate was increased by more than 30% on average. Taking down a reloading enemy with a melee attack or an execution yields the ammo they were carrying. Defeating enemies faster earns players more ammo; and gunpowder, the key ingredient for crafting ammo, now drops more often. New supply missions enable players to gear up from NPCs at major hubs even after completely running dry.

SMOOTHER EARLY-GAME DIFFICULTY: After nearly a year of A/B testing, the prologue’s difficulty curve was polished with creature difficulty ramping up gradually as players get more comfortable with the game’s systems, enemies and environments.

A TOUGHER OPEN WORLD: The open world, on the other hand, is now tougher. New enemies with improved AI behavior will, when you hide, search the area, or even find another way around to flank you. They react much more actively to what is happening.

REFINED ACTION AND MOVEMENT: Alongside the newly added shoulder swap (that players asked for) and improved slides, making the transition from moving to shooting feel much smoother. Melee combat has been refined, too, so it’s clearer which attack is used in each situation, with an improved UX.

“During the pre-alpha test, we found that we hadn’t explained these systems well enough, and many of you struggled because of it,” said Jun-ha Lee, Lead Designer, CINDER CITY. “So before changing the difficulty, we started by improving how the game teaches you.”

“Our team wants to make a game where just moving around is fun, and shooting alone feels great,” said Gil-jeon Kang, Lead Programmer, CINDER CITY. “With every test, we’ll keep polishing movement and action and add new features step by step.”

NEW IN THE ALPHA TEST BUILD

Whether returning from the Pre-Alpha Test or entering CINDER CITY for the first time, players in this Closed Alpha Test will find significantly expanded content:

NEW SQUAD DUNGEONS: Joining Seolleung Sewage Control Station from the Pre-Alpha are two new dungeons: Yeoksam Grand Building, where squads face Hydes, and Chamber Zero, where creatures await. New save points inside dungeons enable squads to pick up where they left off instead of starting over.

EXPANDED EPIC MISSIONS: The story continues past Chapter 2, Episode 2, Someone on the Inside, into Chapter 3, where players uncover the traitor’s identity and follow the trail of lead character Seven’s missing daughter Joi.

A FOURFOLD LARGER OPEN WORLD: The Yeoksam, Seonjeongneung, and Nonhyeon areas expand the explorable world from 1.2 X 1.2 kilometers to 2.4 X 2.4 kilometers, four times larger than before, with more than three times as many side missions and a new field boss, the Rampage Mech.

GAMEPLAY TIPS FOR NEW SURVIVORS

CRAFT AMMO ON THE FLY: Essentials such as ammo are craftable right from the inventory menu, so players can grab gunpowder whenever possible, even mid-combat.

PARRY MELEE ATTACKS: Raise the shield right as an attack comes in to knock the enemy off balance.

TARGET WEAK POINTS: Each enemy has its own weak points. Aim for spots that glow or stand out and destroy a weak point completely to deal massive damage.

STAGGER BOSSES: Bosses have a separate stagger gauge just below their health bar. Certain Tactical Gear or a landed parry builds it much faster than regular gunfire; once it’s full, the boss goes into a groggy state.

CRAFT HIGHER-TIER GEAR: Higher-tier gear requires Blueprints, earned from completing dungeons or repeatable missions.

JOIN SQUAD DUNGEONS: Select a dungeon icon on the map to preview its recommended level and rewards, invite friends from the Squad Menu, or use Auto Matchmaking when playing solo.

“CINDER CITY is about more than just shooting and fighting,” explained Shin. “In a dystopian world with limited resources, you’ll gather supplies, craft ammo, build and repair your guns, and figure out how to handle whatever comes your way. Above all, what matters most to us is how you play and what you tell us. So during this December’s alpha test, please keep sharing your honest thoughts with us.”

The CINDER CITY Closed Alpha Test II runs from December 4-6 at select times: 5 to 11 pm PST, Friday December 4; and from 2-6 pm PST, Saturday and Sunday, December 5-6.

Visit our Steam page to wishlist CINDER CITY and join our Discord channel today.

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