Free Fire launched closed beta in Asian countries

On November 3, 2017, Garena launched the closed beta of Free Fire in Asian countries. See what was released.

By Ronny Rolim
November 2, 2017, at 1:00am — Updated 8 years ago

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The initial access to Free Fire began to take shape on November 3, 2017, when Garena opened the closed beta servers for players from several Asian countries.

The release was not global. According to an official statement from Garena, the testing would be conducted in phases to monitor player experience before expanding access.

Free Fire started closed beta in November 2017

The information came from an official publication by Garena on the international Free Fire website, titled Closed Beta has now started!. In the announcement, the company informed that the closed beta servers would be opened to the public that day, November 3, 2017.

In practice, this phase marked one of the first public moments of the game before the official launch. It was a testing stage with limited access by region, aimed at validating the functionality of the battle royale on mobile devices.

The closed beta in November 2017 was one of the first public stages of Free Fire before the game's global expansion.

Which countries received the Free Fire closed beta?

The first stage of the closed beta was released for players from the following countries:

• Thailand;
• Vietnam;
• Singapore;
• Malaysia;
• Indonesia;
• Philippines.

Players from these regions could download Free Fire from the Google Play Store using the link provided by Garena in the official announcement.

Why is this phase important for the history of Free Fire?

The closed beta helps to explain how Free Fire grew before becoming one of the largest mobile games in the world. In 2017, the project was still in its early stages, with regional testing, fewer resources, and a much smaller player base.

This period also illustrates why the early versions of the game are regarded today as part of the history of Free Fire versions. Initially, Garena did not always use names like OB in all announcements, so these old publications help organize the timeline.

Closed beta does not mean old APK available today

Despite being a historic phase, the closed beta of 2017 is not currently available as an official download. Garena distributes Free Fire through current channels, and old versions cease to function as the servers and systems of the game are updated.

To better understand the difference between nostalgia, old versions, and the risks of external APKs, see also the guide on Free Fire 2018.