Closed beta

Closed Beta is typically a state where a game is released in very limited supply to a group of people, typically known as "Beta Testers", outside of the studio developing the title. The usual function is to stress test the game across various hardware configurations and conditions that would normally be impossible to replicate in the studio, in an attempt to refine the end product and to give it extra polish.

Typically, after reaching a satisfactory level with the feedback provided from testers, many companies move onto Open Beta, to garner more feedback to refine different elements of the game, from bug fixes to cosmetic changes to UI or other functions.