FAQ - Public Test Shard: Arcadia

With the full release of Pax Dei, we’re also excited to open up a brand-new Public Test Shard named Arcadia. 

This shard will be available for anyone who wants to jump in with their characters and plots. Initially, it’ll be identical to the other live shards, featuring the same content and game version. However, after a few weeks, we’ll begin rolling out new content there first. That means if you choose to play on the Public Test Shard, you’ll enjoy:

• Early access to upcoming features before they arrive on regular shards, for live testing and final balancing.
• A chance to shape the game by sharing feedback on new content ahead of release.

Playing on this shard is entirely optional. It is a permanent world that will live alongside the regular and RP worlds. Think of it as a place for the curious and adventurous who want a sneak peek at what’s coming next. We can’t wait to see some of you there, and we’re looking forward to hearing your thoughts as we continue building Pax Dei together.

• What’s the Public Test Shard?

The Public Test Shard is a game world where Content Updates will be applied prior to their official release, for live testing and final balancing. Apart from that, it behaves like all other worlds. Think of it as an additional option beside the regular and RP worlds, a place for the curious and adventurous who want a sneak peek at what’s coming next.

• Why a Public Test Shard?

The development of Pax Dei continues, and we need to be able to test some changes and new features with a significant number of players. Hence, this test shard will allow us to test “for real” some of the features we cannot test in-house due to the reduced size of our team.

• Why do we need subscription tokens and character slots for the Test Shard?

To be useful, the Test Shard has to mirror real gameplay. Many critical bugs only surface when a sufficient number of players are building, crafting, fighting, and gathering resources together. That level of activity can’t be recreated with temporary access or one-off sessions—it requires a shard that feels permanent and alive. Subscription tokens and character slots are part of that permanence. They create real investment, prevent abandoned “ghost towns,” and ensure that the Test Shard provides meaningful, reliable data. And just to be clear: this isn’t about giving you rough, unfinished features. Think of the Test Shard as an Early Access server—fully playable content, fast patches, and once everything stabilizes, deployment to all shards.

• If I choose to play on the Public Test Shard, can I move my character and plots to a different shard later?

No. Your characters and plots stay tied to each shard. Of course, you can decide to have characters and plots on multiple shards, but progress won’t transfer between them.

• Is this shard permanent?

Yes, the Public Test Shard is a full shard, not a temporary server. There should not be any wipe on this shard either, like for the other live shards.

• How often will new content appear on the Public Test Shard?

We’ll introduce new features there a few weeks before they go live everywhere else. Timing may vary depending on the content and our testing needs.

• Will the Public Test Shard be stable?

We’ll do our best to ensure it’s as stable as the live shards as possible, but because it gets new features first, it will inherently be less stable than the other shards. That’s part of the adventure!

• How can I share feedback?

We’ll provide dedicated feedback channels on our official Discord server where you can share your experience on the Public Test Shard. Your input will help us polish new content before it reaches everyone else.

• What region is it in?

The Public Test Shard will be located in the EU region. Players from anywhere can join, but you may notice differences in latency depending on your location.

• When is the Public Test Shard opening?

As for the other shards, the Public Test Shard will be available on October 14 for Founders, and on October 16 for all other players.

• Is the content on the Public Test Shard subject to an NDA?

There is no content under NDA on the test shard. You’re free to share the new content with your fellow Paxians and even discuss all the latest content on our dedicated Discord channel.

• How can I access the Public Test Shard?

You can access the Public Test Shard via your Steam client. For now, this special shard is only available to our players on Steam.

You’ll find the Public Test Shard build from Properties / Betas. Select arcadia_pts Beta and start the download of the Public Test Shard client.

• If I play on both a normal shard in the EU and the PTS, is my Grace shared across all EU shards?

Yes, you have a Grace wallet in all regions where you've logged in. Logging in with an avatar on a regular EU shard or on the PTS will grant you daily Grace for this region.

• If I play on both a normal shard in the EU and the PTS, are my plot slots shared across all EU shards?

This is the same for your Plot tokens. Note that Tokens are also shared between regions.