Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy Moves Into Closed Beta

Owlcat Games has announced the launch of a closed beta for Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy, according to a GamesPress report published on 21 May 2026.

A closed beta is a test version of a game that a limited group of players tries before wider release. It lets developers find bugs and gather feedback while the game is still being built.

Dark Heresy is the follow-up to Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, a computer role-playing game (cRPG), a genre where players build a character and make choices that shape the story. Both games draw on the Warhammer 40,000 franchise, the long-running fantasy universe that also appears in tabletop games.

The game's progress was shown earlier in the year. At IGN Fall Fan Fest 2025, held in October 2025, IGN reported that the game received a new trailer and an alpha release window. An alpha is an earlier test stage than a beta, usually run with fewer features and a smaller audience.

Owlcat Games says its headquarters and development work are in Cyprus. The studio states it has more than 450 employees across offices in several countries. Owlcat's website lists the company's location and staffing.

Journalists and fans can find materials for both games on the studio's press page. The page hosts press kits, which are collections of logos, images and fact sheets that outlets use when covering a title.

For players who have followed the series, the beta is the stage where the game starts to be tested by people outside the studio. Owlcat has published the dates it has announced so far, and the next updates will come from the studio's own channels.