Ubisoft’s March of Giants Pioneer Playtest is scheduled to run October 7–18, 2026, opening at 10 a.m. EDT through Steam. Players from the September 2025 Closed Alpha are automatically included; new players can request access on the game’s Steam playtest page, subject to regional availability. Ubisoft describes the game as a 4v4 MOBA built around commanding Giants, Soldiers and deployable Battleworks.
When does the March of Giants playtest start?
Ubisoft says the Pioneer Playtest begins October 7, 2026, at 10 a.m. EDT and runs through October 18. It is scheduled to be available through Steam in North America and supported European countries. The announcement lists English, French, German and Spanish localization; Ubisoft says more languages and server support are planned for future tests. Check the current Ubisoft announcement and the live Steam page for access and regional details, which may change.
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How to get into the Pioneer Playtest
If you played the September 2025 Closed Alpha
Ubisoft says previous Closed Alpha participants are automatically included. When the test opens, the game should appear in their Steam library. Returning players need an Ubisoft Connect account, and Ubisoft says they will not receive a new Steam access notification.
If you are a new player
- Open the March of Giants Steam playtest page.
- Use Steam’s option to request access to the playtest.
- Check Steam and Ubisoft’s latest instructions for access confirmation and availability in your region.
The test is not described as globally available: Ubisoft lists North America and supported European countries. The announcement does not establish access for other regions.
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What Ubisoft says March of Giants is
Ubisoft Montréal calls March of Giants a free-to-play, 4v4 MOBA. Its setting combines industrial-era and First World War imagery—trenches, artillery, armies, fortifications and shifting fronts—with a darker fairy-tale world. Ubisoft’s development team says it has spent six years building the game around familiar MOBA demands such as character mastery, map knowledge, game flow and coordination.
The distinguishing idea, in the team’s description, is that each Giant is both an individual fighter and a commander in a larger conflict. Soldiers fight alongside Giants, while Battleworks can be deployed across the battlefield. The team has described its design as drawing on technology, folklore, experimentation, military history and monsters.
What the team says has changed since Closed Alpha
Ubisoft reports changes across several connected systems since the earlier test. These are the developer’s account of its work, not independently verified assessments of how the changes play.
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- Battleworks: more interaction and counterplay around deployable battlefield structures.
- Map control: greater importance for spaces between lanes in progression and control of the map.
- Items: expanded itemization intended to enable more specialized builds.
- Content and presentation: additional Giants and continued development of the roster, map, interface, visuals, animations and gameplay clarity.
Why Ubisoft is inviting players back
Ubisoft says internal testing cannot replace observing how players actually use the game’s systems, develop strategies and expose areas that need improvement. The studio frames the Pioneer Playtest as a chance to gather that feedback. In its vision post, the March of Giants Development Team put the idea this way: “During Closed Alpha, we said that PvP games are a conversation.”
Ubisoft’s October 7 YouTube Premiere is described as an introduction to the test, including gameplay, basic instruction, the available Giants, a new roster member and a look at the game’s future.
Pioneer Points, Pandemos and rewards
Ubisoft’s announcement says PvP matches earn Pioneer Points and that reaching 1,000 points grants Pioneer status and rewards during the playtest and Early Access. It also says Pandemos, described as the newest Giant, arrives October 12 and may be permanently unlocked through the program. Because eligibility and reward terms can affect participation, consult Ubisoft’s full current announcement for the exact conditions before relying on a reward.
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What comes after the playtest?
Ubisoft has announced Early Access as a plan for summer 2027. That is a stated target, not a fixed release date; the company’s Pressroom announcement is the source for the timing.
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