Wasteland 2 beta now available to early backers

The Windows beta for inXile's Kickstarter success story Wasteland 2 is now available.

The game will be shortly coming to Steam Early Access, but original backers eligible for the early beta access (pledging $55 or above) will now be able to get a Steam key by logging into their Ranger Center account.

Linux and Mac versions are also coming, but require more testing before they can be made available to the public.

The beta is very much still in development, however, and inXile has posted a deep list of things to be aware of for those who are about to head into the game. Chief things to know is that a number of skills yet to be implemented, the UI is still in development, there's no fog of war yet, and the final version of the game will feature a tweaked AI.

"I must also give thanks and praise to the hard working team here at inXile," wrote project chief Brian Fargo. "I am fortunate to work with such a bright and passionate group of people who are hyper focused on making a game we can all be proud of. Thanks, everyone!"

"We’ve all been pouring our heart and soul into Wasteland 2, and I hope it shows. I’ll never forget the elation from those first two days of our Kickstarter campaign and how happy I was to get this chance. Now, after the long journey, I am filled with excitement and nervousness."

inXile is also encouraging players to document and stream the beta, and is actively asking for feedback from players. "Now, however, is the stage of development where the magic happens," says Fargo. "With most of the mechanical issues behind us, now we can really start digging deep into the game and finding ways of taking it from good to great. No amount of prepping and planning can replace old-fashioned hands-on playing, testing and iteration time, which is why we are so grateful to have you, our backers, help us hone this process like never before."

The Kickstarter campaign for Wasteland 2 ended up bringing in $2.9m of funds back in April 2012, a whopping $2.1m above the project's $900,000 goal.