The date of 6^th June 2021 at 23.59 CET has been confirmed for the 0 A.D. Alpha 25 Feature Freeze, a major precursor to the actual release of the new alpha version of the game.

What is the Feature Freeze?

The Feature Freeze is the point at which new features cease to be added to the new alpha version and the development team focus solidly on final preparations and bugfixes to facilitate the release.

What Happens After 6^th June?

• From June 7^th to June 13^th there will a period of intense testing and bug fixing.
• June 13^th at 23.59 CET – Commit and String Freeze. This is the point where all further changes are suspended, and release candidate versions of Alpha 25 are created and distributed for testing in a controlled environment. This is the final opportunity to discover and resolve any release blocking bugs or issues.

Want To Be Involved in Pre-Release Testing?

If you’d like to be a part of the critical testing versions of Alpha 25 then please check the thread here; 

https://wildfiregames.com/forum/topic/41264-alpha-25-pre-releaserelease-candidate-build-testing/

When Will Alpha 25 Officially be Released?

A provisional date range has been decided upon with June 20^th being slated as the earliest possible release date and June 30^th. Please be aware this is still provisional at this stage and is entirely reliant on a smooth transition through phases described above, with no major release blocking issues being present in the final tested release candidate.

Final confirmation of the release date will be announced in advance of launch – ideally 3 days to a week prior, as will any postponement and revised timescales in the event of a major issue being discovered.

What Will Alpha 25 Be Named?

A final decision on the naming of the new alpha will be made during the Feature Freeze period, but you still have time to get involved.

Every new iteration of 0 A.D. gets a name and this is your chance to contribute your suggestions. The Alpha 25 Name Suggestions thread on the 0 A.D. Community Forum has been open since January 2021, but there is still time to vote for your favourite and put forward your own suggestions.

0 A.D. release names start with the letter of the alphabet that corresponds to the release version. Alpha 22 was Venustas, Alpha 23 was Ken Wood, Alpha 24 was Xšayaṛša, and Alpha 25 will start with a ‘Y’.

Check out the thread here;

https://wildfiregames.com/forum/topic/35736-alpha-25-name-suggestions/

A provisional date of June 2021 has been proposed for the ‘Feature Freeze’ – the point at which new features for the upcoming Alpha version of 0 A.D. stop being added and the development team focus solidly on bugfixes. This is not the release date. The feature freeze is one of the precursors to release, with the specific launch date to follow. You can find more information here.

First Impressions of Alpha 25

Be sure to tune into the Tom0AD live stream on YouTube on Friday 7th May 2021 at 9pm CET to see a preview of the latest development version of Alpha 25 in action. The broadcast will feature Tom and fellow YouTubers, Alistair Findlay, and Jim Cogan (0AD Newbie Rush) putting the dev version through its paces live on air. And there will also be a live Q&A session with 0 A.D. Developer, Stan`.

New Features

Following closely on the heels of Alpha 24, this latest iteration of 0 A.D. will look to further build on functionality and further expand the existing feature set while also fixing existing  bugs. With a shorter planned gap between alpha releases this time around, most of the proposed additions are subtle and geared toward small improvements in the current and future player experience rather than headline features. But there are a few notable things to look out for.

• Single Player Campaign Support:
  The ability for 0 A.D modders to create their own single player campaigns will be added. Alpha 25 will only include the base functionality for this with full campaigns scheduled to be added in later iterations.
• Improved Multiplayer Responsiveness
  A technical improvement that players may ‘feel’ rather than see, this is another progressive improvement step to smoothing out multiplayer gameplay and enhancing unit pathfinding. Before commands in multiplayer were processed twice per second, now five times like in single player.
• Ongoing Balancing Changes
  Numerous changes to balance of the game by way of micro adjustments to various civilisations, buildings, and units.

For a full list of all proposed features/changes visit the Alpha 25 Wiki page.

Get Involved! Your Chance to Name the New Alpha

Every new iteration of 0 A.D. gets a name, and this is your chance to contribute your suggestions. The Alpha 25 Name Suggestions thread on the 0 A.D. Community Forum has been open since January 2021, but there is still time to vote for your favourite and put forward your own suggestions.
0 A.D. release names start with the letter of the alphabet that corresponds to the release version. Alpha 22 was Venustas, Alpha 23 was Ken Wood, Alpha 24 was Xšayāršā, and Alpha 25 will start with a ‘Y’.
Check out the thread here.