Wave 0 diary: what we will measure
Wave 0 is the first and smallest wave of the closed alpha. Before it opens, this is what the team will measure and why: server peak, key activation, stability and reports. The results will be added here after the wave, not before.
In short
- Wave 0 is the first and smallest wave of the closed alpha. It has not started: the first waves are planned for winter 2026-2027.
- Its main job is to measure: how many testers are connected at once at the busiest hour, how many activate their key and how stable the server is.
- This page holds the plan today. The results will be added after the wave, with the date, and we will not publish figures before they exist.
Wave 0 is the first and smallest wave of the COLONIZED closed alpha. It has not started: the first waves are planned for winter 2026-2027, and applications are open. This page is a plan, not a report. It says what the team will measure and why, and the results will be added here after the wave, with their date.
Why a diary before the wave
A test that measures nothing teaches nothing. Writing down what we will look at, in advance, keeps us honest afterwards: we cannot choose the good numbers once we have them.
What we will measure
| Measurement | What it tells us | How we get it |
|---|---|---|
| Peak of simultaneous connections vs. testers with access | What share of testers is online at the busiest hour | Server connection count and the number of keys sent |
| Keys activated vs. keys sent | How many invited testers really arrive | The tester confirms the activation in their account, or the team marks it from the Steam tools |
| Server stability | Whether the development server holds under real load | Server logs and crash reports |
| Bug reports | What breaks first and how often | The bug channel on Discord and the reports of testers |
The first line is the most important. It sets the relation described in why places are limited: without the real share of testers online, the next wave cannot be sized well.
What we will not do
- Publish numbers before they exist. Dates and places per wave have not been announced.
- Present the wave as a launch. It is a test of an unfinished build, and progress may be wiped.
- Promise that every applicant enters. Applying does not guarantee a place.
What happens after
- The wave closes and the team reads the measurements.
- The capacity of the next wave is adjusted with what was measured.
- This diary gets its entries: what we measured, what surprised us and what changes.
How a wave runs is explained in what a Steam Playtest is. To be in the first waves, apply for the closed alpha. If you make videos or streams, see the creators programme.
Questions and answers
What is wave 0?
Wave 0 is the first and smallest wave of the COLONIZED closed alpha. Its purpose is to measure how the development server behaves with real testers before larger waves open.
Has wave 0 started?
No. The first waves of the closed alpha are planned for winter 2026-2027. This page describes what will be measured, and the results will be added after the wave.
What will the team measure in wave 0?
The peak of simultaneous connections compared with the testers who have access, how many testers activate their key, server stability and the bug reports that come in.
Where will the results be published?
On this page, with the date, and in the devlog and on Discord. No figures will be published before they exist.
Sources
Third-party figures link to their source. The date is the publication date or, when there is none, the day we checked the page.
- Closed alpha FAQ · COLONIZED · 2026-10-26
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