Bloodstained Beta Announced For $60+ Backers on PC

Kickstarter backers of Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night who pledge $60 or more and opt for the PC version will be able to participate in beta testing of the game.

At the time of writing, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night director Koji Igarashi's crowdfunded spiritual successor has raised $2.5 million and, in its latest project update, beta access was announced.

Although there wasn't much in the way of details, the Kickstarter page states that eligible backers will be able to "play early builds of the game," as well as "help the development team squash bugs," and "provide valuable feedback."

"All $60+ digital and physical PC copies will be eligible for the beta," reads the update, "but the beta version will only run on Windows."

Bloodstained was revealed on May 11 and is a 2.5D "Igavania"-style title in development for PC, Mac, Linux, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.

Igarashi is opting not to rely wholly on a traditional publishing deal for the project, instead taking to Kickstarter to get the game off the ground. Part of the funds required to develop the game had already been raised, so the Kickstarter campaign was aimed at generating awareness, as well as increase the overall product budget, and to release physical Xbox One and PS4 discs as backer rewards.

Igarashi is serving as Ritual of the Night's director/producer. Castlevania series composer Michiru Yamane is returning to work on the game's music. Development duties are being handled by Inti Creates, the Japanese studio behind Mega Man 9 and Mighty No. 9.