The latest APB: Reloaded dev blog entry is packed with information, but here's the main point: closed beta version 1.5 will hopefully launch this week and wipe all characters and progression, followed by mass invites being sent out to everyone who applied for the closed beta.

If you applied for the closed beta back in February and still haven't gotten into San Paro yet, it looks like you may get to try out the game this week. Just to be clear, version 1.5 isn't officially the launch of open beta. The team covers that topics and more in a brief Q&A, which can be found after the jump. You can also check out the full dev blog entry for details on critical changes coming in version 1.5.

Q- what day will you release version 1.5?
A - when it's ready.

Q - when will it be ready?
A - we really truly hope it will happen this week! But as with anything in game development, there could be unforseen snags along the way.

Q - if I am NOT already a Closed Beta tester, but have been sitting on my hands patiently waiting to get back in to San Paro, is there any chance you will invite me before 1.5 goes out?
A - No. But if you DID complete a Beta Application in February, then you are first in line to get in while the game is still in Closed Beta and as soon as 1.5 is out. (see note below). That means this COULD happen this week.

Q - are you SURE you will not invite me before you release 1.5, especially if 1.5 gets delayed?
A - yup - we are NOT planning to invite more people to 1.4.x. Could it happen? Only if there is something terribly wrong and we revert back to an earlier version or there is some massive delay with 1.5 - but barring that - there will be no new invites until 1.5 is live.

Q - why will you not invite me before 1.5?
A - because we have ALREADY tortured and abused 25,000 people (or more exactly the 20,399 people who properly activated their closed beta characters) and now we REALLY want people to experience (and TEST) version 1.5 more than anything else, since that version is so different (and improved) from 1.4.x versions. So no point in having more people in 1.4.x, when we REALLY need you in 1.5. The priority is to get everyone else who completed the beta app in to 1.5 while it's in Closed Beta, and after that, open up the Open Beta and invite the full original 150,000 who registered an interest, and after that slowly open this up to the world.

Q - will version 1.5 be Open Beta?
A - sort of. The very first release of 1.5 will in fact now happen in Closed Beta mode. That means people cannot actually buy things on the first day this goes live. There will also be some other oddities with the first version of this build, but we will share those in the official release notes.

Q - will there be another character wipe after 1.5 has gone out?  
A - maybe. There will be a wipe WITH the release of 1.5. But even after 1.5 has BEEN out, this is a really tricky question, since we presume we haven't done anything mental. However, in case we have done something mental, keep in mind that this is STILL Closed Beta. And as such, any Closed Beta character and account could in theory be wiped at any time, and even multiple times (though we would hope NOT to ever have to do that). As soon as we officially go to Open Beta (and especially after we start taking payments), then we will clearly try to not wipe anything again (the operative word is "try" - since there are extreme cases where changes have to be made even after OB release).