Sea of Remnants Closed Beta: December 2026 Date and Pre-Registration

Sea of Remnants, the free-to-play ocean-fantasy RPG from Joker Studio and NetEase Games, will hold its closed beta test in December 2026. The date was confirmed alongside a new gameplay trailer that debuted during Gamescom Opening Night Live, and pre-registration is already live.

Quick answer: To be considered for the December 2026 closed beta, pre-register now at seaofremnants.com. Signing up also secures early access notification once the game launches, even if you are not selected for the test.

How to pre-register for the Sea of Remnants closed beta

Closed beta timing and platforms

The closed beta test runs in December 2026. A specific day within the month has not been confirmed, so treat any exact date as unannounced until Joker Studio publishes one. The game itself is currently planned for a wider release in 2027.

The puppetfolk art style and what the new trailer shows

The reveal leans hard into a distinctive puppet-themed look. It shares visual DNA with Identity V, the studio’s earlier hit, but pushes further into a marionette-inspired aesthetic that sets its cast of “puppetfolk” apart from typical seafaring RPGs.

You play a puppetfolk sailor who wakes without memories and sets out across a wide ocean of mysterious islands. The trailer frames the game around a single question the developers keep returning to: why does a Voyager with no memory keep coming back to the same sea? It also walks through diverse island environments, lighter activities and minigames, land-based turn-based combat, and real-time naval encounters at sea.

How the voyage loop and combat work

The core structure follows a Set Sail–Explore–Collect–Return loop. Each outing is a highly replayable roguelike journey where enemies, bosses, potential crewmates, equipment, skills, and enhancements shift from voyage to voyage, so no two expeditions play out the same way.

Combat is turn-based with dynamic action, spread across encounters on land and battles at sea. Systems like enhancement dice and shanties let you adjust your build mid-voyage, and gear choices matter beyond raw numbers because different equipment pairs with different characters and skills. A separate layer the team calls the “rogue luck path” adds more variability to how each build develops.

Between runs, you return to Orbtopia, the hub city. Resources recovered from the ocean permanently strengthen your characters and prepare your crew for more distant, dangerous waters. Progression carries forward through permanent growth, ship upgrades, and relationships, so returning home is a step in a longer journey rather than a full reset. The city itself, including spots like the shack and dockyard, grows as you advance.

Characters, fleets, and activities in Orbtopia

The world is populated by a large cast of puppetfolk aligned to different factions, and your choices can shift storylines and alliances. You can recruit fellow crew, customize your ship with weapons and parts, and build teams for both exploration and battle. Alongside the fighting, Orbtopia offers lighter diversions such as fishing, cooking, and mahjong.

Several distinct fleets shape the social side of the sea, each with its own identity:

For now, the single confirmed action is pre-registration, which keeps you in line for both the December test and early access at launch. Joker Studio, the team behind Identity V, has been refining Sea of Remnants across earlier test phases, and the December closed beta is the next chance for players to get hands-on before the planned 2027 release.