TSURUGIHIME Closed Battle Beta Begins August 25 With Only 100 Players Worldwide

TSURUGIHIME is finally preparing to become playable outside its development team. Fahrenheit 213 has opened applications for a Closed Battle Beta Test running from August 25 through September 6, 2026, with access restricted to an unusually small group.

Only 100 players worldwide will be selected. Rather than offering a conventional slice of the RPG, the studio has created a dedicated build that removes story, exploration, and progression so it can collect focused feedback on the feel and quality of the combat system before production moves further ahead.

Quick Summary

• Title: TSURUGIHIME
• Japanese title: つるぎ姫
• Developer / Publisher: 213℉ / Fahrenheit 213
• Genre: Side-scrolling action RPG
• Director: Yosuke Shiokawa
• Character Designer: Kuroboshi Kouhaku
• Composer: Takeharu Ishimoto
• Test: Closed Battle Beta Test
• Status: Applications open
• Application period: August 17–23, 2026
• Application deadline: August 23 at 11:59 p.m. JST
• Test period: August 25 at 12:00 p.m. JST–September 6 at 11:59 p.m. JST
• Participants: 100 worldwide
• Distribution: Steam Playtest
• Beta OS: Windows
• Mac / Linux: Not supported for the beta
• Requirements: Windows PC
• Accounts required: Steam and Google
• Community requirement: Join the official TSURUGIHIME Discord server
• Beta focus: Battle action
• Story: Not included
• Exploration: Not included
• Progression / RPG systems: Not included
• Core battle actions: Included
• Mode: Survival battle
• Run length: Five minutes
• Enemies: Spawn continuously
• Objective: Survive and defeat as many enemies as possible
• Score: Number of enemies defeated
• Streaming / posting footage: Permitted
• Full game: Single-player
• Full-game platform: PC via Steam
• Early Access target: 2026
• Exact Early Access date: Not announced
• Steam text languages: English, Japanese, Simplified Chinese
• Core full-game structure: 100 days until the final battle
• Multiple endings: Determined by how those 100 days are spent
• Full-game combat concept: Weapons govern attacks, movement, defense, and other actions
• Weapon-system target: Up to 1,000 weapons
• Tsurugi: Power capable of rewriting fate
• Additional systems: Growth, exploration, story, base and protagonist customization, and bonding with the protagonist's sister

Closed Beta Preview, Steam, and Gameplay Screenshots

Applications Close August 23

Applications opened on August 17 at 12:00 p.m. JST and close on August 23 at 11:59 p.m. JST.

Fahrenheit 213 is selecting only 100 people worldwide, meaning registration itself does not guarantee access.

Applicants need a Windows PC, Steam account, Google account, and membership in the official TSURUGIHIME Discord server.

The build will be delivered through Steam Playtest. Mac and Linux systems are explicitly unsupported for this test.

The beta itself runs from August 25 at noon JST through September 6 at 11:59 p.m. JST. The studio also notes that the schedule and participant count may change without prior notice.

Story and Progression Have Been Deliberately Removed

This is a narrowly designed test rather than a traditional pre-release demo.

There is no story, exploration, or progression system in the build. Players instead receive the core set of actions that define TSURUGIHIME's battle system.

The separation is intentional.

Director Yosuke Shiokawa wants the combat itself to reach a stronger state before the project enters full production, without feedback being diluted by reactions to narrative content or RPG progression.

The team says every piece of feedback submitted during the test will be read by the developers.

That makes the beta closer to a focused mechanical evaluation than a showcase of everything TSURUGIHIME intends to offer.

Every Run Is a Five-Minute Survival Battle

The special test rules place players inside a five-minute survival mode.

Enemies spawn continuously, and players attempt to survive while defeating as many targets as possible before time expires.

At the end of each run, the game records the number of enemies defeated.

Fahrenheit 213 says effective action combinations can dramatically increase the score, turning the mode into both a combat test and a compact challenge that encourages repeated attempts.

The short format also lets testers experiment with different approaches many times during the beta period.

An official Closed Battle Beta Test Preview already shows the development build in action, while Steam's Developer's Note provides additional information on available player actions and useful tips.

The Full Game's Combat Is Built Around Up to 1,000 Weapons

TSURUGIHIME's complete combat system is considerably broader than the survival test.

Attacking, moving, defending, and other protagonist actions are tied to weapons. Players begin with one, but the full game is designed around eventually having access to as many as 1,000 weapons.

Different learned or acquired weapons can be assigned to different actions, allowing players to effectively “craft” their own style of combat.

The 1,000-weapon concept belongs to the full game and should not be confused with the beta's available arsenal.

Fahrenheit 213 has not said that every one of those weapons will be accessible in the Closed Battle Beta Test.

One Hundred Days Decide the Protagonist's Fate

Outside combat, the full RPG revolves around a fixed countdown.

The decisive battle arrives in 100 days.

Players decide how each day is spent. They can repeatedly fight to grow stronger, challenge dangerous opponents earlier than expected, explore, pursue other activities, or simply spend time away from combat.

Those decisions shape the protagonist's journey and eventually determine which multiple ending the player reaches.

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The Lantern of the Laughless Saint

A particularly unusual tool is the Tsurugi, a power capable of rewriting fate.

It can transform obtained items into completely different objects, erase enemies as if they never existed, and even rewind days that have already passed.

The protagonist's relationship with her younger sister is another element shaped over the course of those 100 days, alongside character, weapon, and base development.

Shiokawa Leads a Small Team With Kuroboshi Kouhaku and Takeharu Ishimoto

TSURUGIHIME is directed by Yosuke Shiokawa, whose previous credits include Fate/Grand Order, Kingdom Hearts, and Dissidia Final Fantasy.

It is his first game project since becoming independent and is being developed by a deliberately small team at Fahrenheit 213.

Kuroboshi Kouhaku handles character design, following work associated with Summon Night, Kino's Journey, and Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online.

Music is composed by Takeharu Ishimoto, known for titles including The World Ends with You, Kingdom Hearts, and Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII.

The studio continues to target a 2026 Steam Early Access launch, although the Steam store still lists the exact release date as “To be announced.”

Test Footage Can Be Streamed and Shared

Despite the closed test's 100-player limit, Fahrenheit 213 is not keeping gameplay footage private.

Participants are officially allowed to stream their sessions and publish footage through social media.

Players who are not selected should therefore still be able to see the test build once the August 25 period begins.

That openness also fits the studio's feedback-focused approach, allowing discussion around combat feel and effective action combinations to extend beyond the selected testers.

Any footage should still be understood as material from an in-development test build, not necessarily representative of the final balancing or polish expected in Early Access.

Why This Matters

1) This is TSURUGIHIME's first playable opportunity

After years of trailers and development updates, selected players will finally get direct hands-on time with its battle system.

2) The test has an unusually narrow purpose

By removing story and RPG progression entirely, Fahrenheit 213 can concentrate on whether the basic act of fighting is already satisfying.

3) Five-minute runs encourage experimentation

Short survival sessions with endless enemies make it practical to repeat the same combat test with different action combinations and strategies.

4) The wider community can still watch

Only 100 people can participate, but streaming and social-media footage are permitted, keeping the test from being completely hidden from everyone else.

Game Information

Additional confirmed details include:

• TSURUGIHIME is developed and published by 213℉ / Fahrenheit 213
• it is a side-scrolling action RPG for PC
• the full game is targeting Steam Early Access in 2026
• the exact Early Access date has not been announced
• Steam currently lists English, Japanese, and Simplified Chinese text support
• the game is single-player
• Steam Family Sharing is listed
• players have 100 days until the decisive battle
• daily choices affect the eventual ending
• the full combat system is designed around access to as many as 1,000 weapons
• the Tsurugi can manipulate items, enemies, and elapsed days
• character, weapon, base, and sister-bonding systems form part of progression
• Closed Battle Beta applications are available through the Japanese application form
• an English application form is also available
• applicants must join the official TSURUGIHIME Discord
• beta details are available through Developer's Note #49 on Steam
• the game can be wishlisted through TSURUGIHIME on Steam
• the test build can be seen in the official Closed Battle Beta Test Preview
• studio information is available through Fahrenheit 213
• official updates are posted through Fahrenheit 213 on X

Closing

The Closed Battle Beta marks a significant milestone for TSURUGIHIME as players finally get direct access to combat that has previously been shown only through trailers and development footage. Applications close August 23, with just 100 worldwide participants selected for the August 25–September 6 test.

The build is entirely focused on five-minute survival combat and excludes story, exploration, and progression. The full game, meanwhile, remains a much broader 100-day RPG built around weapon customization, fate-altering Tsurugi powers, multiple endings, and a planned 2026 Steam Early Access release.