Palworld developer Pocketpair is looking for players to participate in a new testing program to work out bugs in upcoming game updates. There is only one condition: this is a beta test, and players are expected to make a reasonable effort.

"Thank you for your continued support of Palworld," Pocket Pairs' community manager Bucky said in a message posted on Discord (via Eurogamer)." We are currently preparing some exciting new content and are looking for players to test these and provide feedback on them."

Those interested in signing up can sign up via this Google form, but please note: "The testing environment is very important for us to find and eliminate bugs and issues before we release content to the public, so if you are committed to testing we would appreciate it if you would only sign up for this service," Bucky continued.

"The test branch is not for free play or to be the first to experience new content, so please only apply if you are genuinely interested in finding bugs and testing."

The application form has a similar note: "The main purpose of this test is to receive feedback from players in order to improve the quality of the game for the update release. Due to the fact that many aspects of the game are still incomplete, it is not possible to play the entire game during the test, but we appreciate your cooperation."

Beta testing is not what it used to be. Many major developers use pre-release betas first and foremost as a promotional tool: there are some last-minute tweaks, but for the most part, the test sessions are essentially a free-play weekend to build hype. This Palworld program is going to be the opposite of that. Yes, you'll be the first to know what's new, but the fun (most of it, anyway) of actually playing the game is cut out. Still, if you are interested in helping out, this is a way to get involved.

Palworld's testing program is only available on Steam and is limited to one account per person. Of course, the entire testing program will be under NDA, so videos and screenshots of the testing cannot be shared on social media (although some will no doubt be).