Lord of Mysteries is releasing in open beta in China this August. Learn more about the announcement here.
Lord of Mysteries CN Open Beta Starts August 21, 2026
Global Release Still TBA
Lord of Mysteries will enter open beta in mainland China on August 21, 2026, according to an announcement by SPARK NEXA on Bilibili. The announcement comes just a few days after the conclusion of the game’s Grey Fog Closed Beta Test.
Prior to this reveal, many players had speculated that the MMORPG would not launch until November after the Chinese App Store briefly displayed a November 2026 release date. That listing was widely believed to be true, even though no official announcement came from SPARK NEXA. It was subsequently updated following the open beta announcement, finally putting an end to months of speculation surrounding the game’s release.
SPARK NEXA has yet to announce a release date for regions outside mainland China. The publisher operates an English-language website and has previously confirmed plans for a global version, but no launch window has been disclosed as of this writing.
The site itself has seen few updates in recent months and offers little indication of when an international release might follow. In fact, its linked Twitter (X) account is still not affiliated with the game, instead directing users to a profile whose bio claims the handle was registered after the official account was never created.
The account’s only public post is a GIF of Rick Astley’s "Never Gonna Give You Up."
Fans Fear the Game is Being Rushed
Although open betas in China can still receive post-launch updates before being fully released, many treat them as effectively playable launch versions, with progress and monetization frequently remaining in place unless developers announce otherwise.
That same perception has been reflected across the discussions following the announcement, where many players expressed their excitement at finally being able to enter the game’s world without the restrictions imposed by the beta test.
Not all reactions have been celebratory, however. The Grey Fog Test generated a lot of player feedback, with many participants praising the game’s recreation of the source material. Others were more critical, arguing that PvE relies too much on damage checks. Some longtime readers of the web novel also questioned several character designs, as they believe certain appearances diverged too far from how they had imagined while reading.
Those concerns have led a portion of the community to wonder whether an August open beta leaves enough time for SPARK NEXA to polish the game before opening the servers to the general public.
Based on the bestselling web novel by Cuttlefish That Loves Diving, Lord of Mysteries follows an ordinary man who awakens in a Victorian-Steampunk world filled with ancient gods and supernatural powers known as Pathways. The MMORPG adapts that setting into a shared online world, where players create their own Beyonder and progress through different Pathways.
Much of the attention now turns to how SPARK NEXA addresses the concerns raised during the Grey Fog Test before players flood the servers on August 21. Its reception could shape not only the game's future in China, but also expectations surrounding its eventual global launch.
Source:
Lord of Mysteries Global Official Website
MF a Rick Roll?!