Beta Testing/Late Beta/Timeline

"The past is forever buried in the yellow sand."This article details something that has been **cut from the game**, with no official plans for it to be released. As a consequence, information and material may be partially incomplete and currently under research.

This page includes a **Timeline** of all known updates, changes, additions and events that took place during the Late Beta Testing period, from May 2017 up until official release in Chinese Servers, in April 2018.

## Timeline

### May 20, 2017

* Beta Testing officially begins. No playtesters are yet allowed in.

### July 6, 2017

* The "Test That Never Existed" is announced, claiming however that it will still take a while for it to go live. 300-500 iOS players will receive game downloads. The test is called as such because each player's data will be erased after the test is completed.

### July 19, 2017

* Smiley Face and Gardener's design notes are posted, and officially announced as the game's mascots.

### August 17, 2017

* The Ripper is announced and implemented.

### September 4, 2017: First Public Test: "Test That Never Existed"

* The first "Test That Never Existed" is announced, beginning at 12:00 and closing at 18:00, exclusively for iOS users. The developers warn the testers that the current version will have plenty of bugs, and that the gameplay will vary greatly in the future after the test. The number of participants is limited to 300-500, as previously stated, and the developers actively participated and interacted with testers in the game.
	+ The available Survivors are: Lucky Guy, Doctor, Lawyer, Thief, Gardener, Mercenary and Coordinator.
	+ The available Hunters are: Hell Ember, Smiley Face and The Ripper.
	+ Developers plan to implement a new outcome system for matches, centered around the survival of a "key individual."
	+ Plans are stated to allow the eliminated Survivors to still have an effect on the match's gameplay and outcome.
	+ There are plans to introduce favorable areas for both factions.

### October 4, 2017

* Gamekeeper is announced, and implemented shortly afterwards.

### October 11, 2017

* Sacred Heart Hospital is officially announced and implemented in-game.

### October 20 - October 31, 2017: Second Public Test: "The Seven Days That Disappeared"

* The third testing period was originally planned to last until the 27th of October but was extended to the 31st until 21:00. Considerable the first proper Event in the game's development, three log-in rewards were included and the game's first Halloween celebration took place.
	+ Logging on on Halloween grants players the time-limited portrait, Halloween. It could be equipped by players until October 31st at 21:00, and once the test concluded, would be removed from players' inventories.
	+ Logging in for three days would grant the following rewards: [Portrait] Little Girl (Day 1), [Pet] The Exquisite Mr. Sherlock (Day 2), [Character] Mechanic and [Costume] Internal Testing Limited (Day 3).
	+ Rank restrictions have been removed in Quick Matches, players will not be affected by rank when teaming up in Quick Matches. Measures to speed up Quick and Rank matching times were also implemented.
	+ Players could obtain all available characters and the costumes Perception, Mr. Puppet and Moon Face by earning Logic Points.
	+ In-game, players can preserve their most amazing moments and post them on Weibo, tagging our official account (@网易第五人格)
	+ 500 more players were given the change to apply to join beta testing for upcoming tests.

### November 4, 2017 - Indefinitely: Closed Internal Testing Server

* Only 500 players allowed to participate in the Internal Testing Server, to work in close relation with the developers and report on newly implemented features and bugs.

#### Undocumented (November 2017)

* Chests' appearance is changed from green to the current red box.
* Obsession's Chest outline color changed from pink to green.

#### November 10

* "Butchers" (Hunters) are now officially referred to as "Regulators" in-game.
* Talent adjustments:
	+ Confined Space is implemented in-game. The cooldown on its effect is of 90.
	+ Insolence in implemented in-game, granting one hit's worth of Presence from the start of the match.
* *Identity V* is made available on multiple Android mobile devices.
* Forward, first introduced as "Athlete," and Magician are announced.

#### November 16

* Hell Ember adjustment:
	+ Cooldown time for Hell Ember's puppet switch time has been increased from 12s to 20s.
	+ The speed boost after puppet switch for Hell Ember has been reduced from 5s to 3s.
* Attack animation for The Ripper has been replaced.
* Adjusted the hunter talent, Fallen Misfortune. When a survivor is on an Execution Rack and hunter is 18 meters away, the hunter gains a 10%/15%/20% chance to apply Doom Shock and produce double Fear when attacking.

#### November 23

* Fixed an issue where Survivors' or Hunters' outline was permanently visible in certain conditions.

#### November 30

* Function adjustments:
	+ Due to an interface rework, Costumes are temporarily disabled.
	+ Share and Spectate actions were implemented.
	+ Graffiti is implemented in-game for the first time. Miscellaneous patch notes also were implemented.
* Gameplay adjustments:
	+ The Flashlight will now have a progress bar when used on a Hunter.
	+ Moved the final presence mark for Hunters so that it requires 2500 points instead of 2000.
	+ The Hunter's red light is made brighter.
* Talent adjustments:
	+ Hunt's movement speed is increased.
	+ Confined Space's cooldown reduced from 90s to 70s.
	+ Inertia's bonus is decreased from 15% to 10%.
	+ Mock's bonus is reduced from 3%/5%/7% to 3%/4%/5%.
	+ Carnival's bonus now only lasts for 120s.
	+ Peeping's movement speed bonus is removed.
	+ Announcement's highlight is reduced from 10s to 5s.
	+ Tide Turner's invincibility status is increased from 15s to 20s.
	+ Abnormal, Excitement, Patroller, Peeper, Teleport and Blink are implemented into the game.

#### December 6

* Soul Weaver and The Mind's Eye were announced on December 6, 2017. Both were implemented in-game shortly after.

### December 16 - December 20, 2017: Third Public Test: "Grayscale Test"

* The third test was a short preparatory test to ensure the smooth launch of the upcoming Rorschach Inkblot Test. It was originally planned to start on December 15th and last until December 20th, but was then at first postponed to December 17th and then finally opened a day earlier. Its stated purpose was to check for bugs and glitches and to ensure the adaptation of test models.
	+ 500 testers allowed in, selected by the development team.

### December 22, 2017 - January 2, 2018: Fourth Public Test: "Rorschach Inkblot Test"

* The fourth beta test represented a major step in the game's development by introducing several core elements. For the first time, no participation limit to beta testers and the server was opened to all, without requiring codes and being available on both iOS and Android. While originally planned to last until January 6th, an early emergency closure would conclude the test on January 2nd instead. The game's first Christmas celebration also takes place.
	+ The accessory, Confident Detective, was teased along with the announcement.
	+ Logic Path is introduced, and Season 0 officially begins. Four exclusive rewards were included along the path: [Costume] Ivory White, [Pet]The Night Bat, [Accessory] Bizarro Detective and [Furniture] Golden Cabinet.
	+ Clues are implemented, and can be obtained from the Logic Path or by obtaining doubles in Essences.
	+ Illusion Hall is implemented. Characters, Pets and Pursuit Music could be purchased for Clues. However, costumes were temporarily excluded.
	+ A-Tier and S-Tier costumes that alter items and have special effects were implemented for the first time.
	+ Accessories that alter character actions were implemented.
	+ Essences are introduced:
		- Season 0 Essences could be found on the Logic Path or purchased using Clues. Their high-tier rewards were: Aquamarine Aladdin (S-Tier), Villain Charm (S-Tier), Cloak (A-Tier), Green Tentacle (A-Tier).
		- Season 0 Ranked Treasures were gifted to players for participating in three Rank Matches the following day. Their high-tier rewards were: Classical Gun (A-Tier), Gemini (A-Tier).
		- Season 0 Memory Spheres could be found on the Logic Path or purchased using Clues. Their high-tier rewards were: Blue Aladdin (S-Tier), Spring Hand (A-Tier), White Tentacle (A-Tier).
	+ Standby Motions were first implemented.
	+ Portraits and Portrait Frames were implemented.
	+ Chase Music was first implemented.
	+ Players received exclusive rewards on the 24th of December, the Pet Noisy Diary and Portrait Christmas.
	+ Morality Point system was implemented:
		- Failing to prepare for matching: -1 point/match
		- Going AFK during a match (excludes when you've already been eliminated or have already escaped): -4 points/match
		- Successfully completing a match without being reported: +1 point/match
		- If morality points are below 90, players won't be awarded invitation codes.
	+ Story adjustments:
		- Deduction Quests and Character Stories were reworked and extended.
		- The Detective's story is implemented.
		- A Tutorial has been added, connecting to the main story.
		- The ability to skip the game's intro has been added.
	+ Graffiti could be placed in maps after the update.
	+ Once a player's battles reaches 6/15/25/40 respectively, they'll be granted an invitation code they can distribute to their friends.
	+ An Anti-Cheating system is implemented on the 26th of December, with its stated purpose being to automatically kick detected cheaters.
	+ Geisha is teased for the first time on December 31st

### January 3, 2018

* Red Church is teased for the first time, but won't be made available in tests yet.

### January 4, 2018

* The Feaster is teased for the first time, but won't be made available until after the game's release

### January 31, 2018

* Hell Ember's Bone Sickle is replaced by a stuffed light gray Shark Mace. Due to player complaints, it is later replaced to have a darker color.
* The Execution Racks are replaced by Rocket Chairs. At this point, the Survivor's viewpoint while flying off is mentioned as being still a work in progress.

### February 1, 2018

* Smiley Face's Chainsaw is replaced by a red Chainsaw wtih a large gear and doll attached to the tip.

### February 9 - February 26, 2018: Fifth Public Test: "First Atmosphere Test"

* The fifth test, spanning a little over two weeks, was opened after extensive player demand. Only a few hundred players were allowed in. The testing servers were open from 19:00 to 24:00 each day. The stated purpose was This time it is to test the horror aspect of the current atmosphere of the game, to ensure launch as soon as possible. Originally the test was planned to go on indefinitely until official release, but was shut down early on the night of February 26th. Several important changes were made:
	+ The Logic Path was reworked. 4-sided Dice were introduces as a means to advance, and the distribution of rewards was also adjusted.
	+ New menu interfaces were implemented for the Illusion Hall and Appearance Decoration Menu.
	+ Rocket Chairs officially replace Execution Racks.
	+ Hunters' animations for picking survivors up are replaced with animations where they tie them to balloons; some Hunters' weapons changed to less intimidating variants, including Hell Ember, Smiley Face and Gamekeeper.
	+ Smiley Face's Chainsaw Dash no longer applies double damage when Detention is active.
	+ Added the function to share and add friends through WeChat.
	+ Added player leaderboards and the MVP counter on profiles.
	+ Added a number of costumes, accessories and pets to the game, with several available in the Illusion Hall.
	+ Cloak's rarity changed from A-Tier to B-Tier.

### Undocumented (February/March 2018)

* Echoes are introduced as a currency, and can be purchased through monetary transactions.
* Gamekeeper's Fury Hook no longer applies double damage when Detention is active.

### March 14, 2018

* Red Church is officially announced, and implemented for the upcoming test.

### March 16 - March 26, 2018: Sixth Public Test: "Second Atmosphere Test"

* A sixth test was organized, allowing 1000 Android users to join the game. The test came to an end on March 26th at 22:00. The stated purpose was to test some new functions and bugs, as well as the atmosphere of the current version.
	+ Red Church is available to playtesters for the first time.
	+ Arms Factory and Sacred Heart Hospital are updated to have a brighter atmosphere, and grotesque details are removed from the maps.
	+ A new login screen background is used in place of the first title screen.

### April 2, 2018 - Chinese Open Beta

* A short pre-release open beta period beginning on April 2nd at 12:00 and lasting until the game's official launch in the Chinese Server, on April 12th. Both Android and iOS players were allowed to participate. This Open Beta functioned identically to the first portion of post-release Season 1, with the exception of a few exclusive assets.
	+ Logic Path adjustment:
		- New exclusive costumes available: Elegant White, Autumn, Ivory White and Platinum Aladdin.
		- Season 1 Essence 1 was made prematurely available to testers on the Logic Path. High-tier rewards: Goldsmith (S-Tier), Punk (A-Tier), Spring Hand (A-Tier)
		- Logic Path interface has been optimized.
	+ Inspirations are introduced, purchasable with Echoes and found on the Logic Path.
	+ Fragments are introduced, awarded by obtaining doubles from Essences.
	+ Gameplay adjustments:
		- Forward's Rush now allows him to stun the Hunter.
		- Reduced the sprinting speed and adjusted the hit judgement on Smiley Face's Rocket Dash.
		- Reduced Hell Ember's pallet breaking time, slightly adjusted his missed hit's judgement.
		- Explorer's Fantasy now allows him to not be detected by Peepers and Puppets.
		- Adjusted Gamekeeper's Chain Hook hit judgement.
		- The Ripper and Magician's illusions' fading effects visually adjusted.
		- Abnormal now allows to view a Cipher Machine's decoding progress.
		- Patroller now stuns Survivors every 5s.
		- When in the radius of a Peeper, Survivors will get notified.
		- Optimized Listen's judgement.
		- Talent points can now be adjusted while matching.
		- Added the option to Surrender.
		- Correctly using Tools and Active Traits now grants extra points.
		- Rocket Chairs' outlines will now be displayed for a few seconds after a Survivor is rescuesd.
		- Crows now won't be scared away by the Hunter anymore.
		- Sacred Heart Hospital's layout has been adjusted.
	+ Introduced the free character daily rotation for players to try.
	+ Added the Escape button for players stuck in map geometry.
	+ Added the ability to Report comments and players.
	+ Deductions' quests and plot elements have been reworked.
	+ Added Custom Mode.
	+ Interface adjustment:
		- Added Event announcements.
		- The Appearance Decoration Menu interface has been reworked to look like a stage.
		- The Global Chat channel has been removed, and replaced by Regional channels.
		- The Talent interface has been adjusted and more Talent pages have been added.
	+ Morality Points adjustment:
		- The penalties for rule-breaking behavior have been reworked.
		- Players whose Morality Points are too low won't be able to play Ranked Matches, will get lowered Logic Points, and will even be unable to match altogether.
	+ Ranking adjustment:
		- Rank progress and progression has been reworked.
		- Number of stars and sub-ranks has been adjusted.
		- Match-making has been made more fair based on players' ranks.
		- Adjusted the protection mechanisms for losing streaks.
	+ Illusion Hall adjustments:
		- Shop interface has been optimized.
		- Forward, The Mind's Eye, Mechanic and Soul Weaver are temporarily unavailable.
		- All contents are discounted by 12% between April 2nd and April 19th, after official release.
	+ Coordinator is awarded to players after their first recharge.
	+ Cumulative Battle Event begins on April 6th; if the cumulative battles on the server by April 12th reach the threshold, rewards will be given out to players.

### April 12, 2018 - Official Release

* *Identity V* is officially launched, ending the Beta Testing period.

## References

1. ↑ https://weibo.com/ttarticle/p/show?id=2309404126568308961753
2. ↑ Weibo announcement post
3. ↑ Wechat post discussing Joker's design
4. ↑ https://weibo.com/6140485374/FhxOisYGs
5. ↑ https://www.taptap.com/topic/1018165
6. ↑ https://weibo.com/ttarticle/p/show?id=2309404159119673136880
7. ↑ http://id5.163.com/news/official/20171011/26476\_717592.html
8. ↑ https://freewechat.com/a/MzU2MDAxNzE4MQ==/2247483934/1
9. ↑ https://weibo.com/ttarticle/p/show?id=2309404167103530816433
10. ↑ https://weibo.com/ttarticle/p/show?id=2309404168953797705500#\_0
11. ↑ https://weibo.com/ttarticle/p/show?id=2309404168954544273763#\_0
12. ↑ https://weibo.com/ttarticle/p/show?id=2309404168954544273763
13. ↑ https://weibo.com/ttarticle/p/show?id=2309404174498143301384#\_0 Changes reported as of November 15, 2017
14. ↑ https://weibo.com/ttarticle/p/show?id=2309404174767467980660 November 16, 2017 changes
15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 https://weibo.com/ttarticle/p/show?id=2309404177315432154183 November 23's preview for November 30
16. ↑ https://weibo.com/ttarticle/p/show?id=2309404179834329775301#\_0 November 30, 2017 changes
17. ↑ https://weibo.com/ttarticle/p/show?id=2309404182012352196420#\_0 Soul Weaver and Mind's Eye announcement article
18. ↑ https://weibo.com/ttarticle/p/show?id=2309404186666221869628#\_0 Christmas Mass Update
19. ↑ https://weibo.com/ttarticle/p/show?id=2309404183741961510794#\_0 Christmas Internal Testing announcement
20. ↑ https://weibo.com/6140485374/FzhlWxCbJ A weibo post comparing Confident Detective with Gardener Doll
21. ↑ https://weibo.com/ttarticle/p/show?id=2309404187372718823976
22. ↑ https://weibo.com/ttarticle/p/show?id=2309404186666221869628
23. ↑ https://weibo.com/ttarticle/p/show?id=2309404189631720618436
24. ↑ https://weibo.com/6140485374/FCeaws40M
25. ↑ https://weibo.com/6140485374/FCFtEBIqF
26. ↑ https://weibo.com/6140485374/FCOKYm3xH
27. ↑ https://weibo.com/6140485374/FCMva6qp1
28. ↑ https://weibo.com/6140485374/G0V7JiKwg Hell Ember's weapon and Rocket Chair adjustment
29. ↑ https://weibo.com/6140485374/G0URNsygS
30. ↑ Chainsaw Adjustment
31. ↑ https://weibo.com/6140485374/G21VRweSy
32. ↑ https://weibo.com/6140485374/G4UVaoBZS
33. ↑ https://weibo.com/6140485374/G7kywoGft
34. ↑ https://weibo.com/6140485374/G72AhBnMy Beginning of the March Pre-Release Test
35. ↑ https://weibo.com/6140485374/G8z0yAJPf Post announcing the end of the March Pre-Release Test
36. ↑ https://www.taptap.cn/moment/15210262948743868?hreflang=zh\_CN Screenshot taken from here
37. ↑ https://weibo.com/6140485374/G8J7GzLaV changes announced on March 23rd
38. ↑ https://weibo.com/ttarticle/p/show?id=2309404221859573956556 changes announced on March 26th