Alpha test is the software development phase preceding beta (alpha is the first letter of the ancient Greek alphabet, used as the number 1. It is not nowadays usual to speak of a later gamma test). While in the Alpha stage, a software is generally functional but many features are either missing or incomplete. The focus of alpha testing is reducing the impact of glitches and bugs to users when the game is released publicly, and often incorporates usability testing . The process of delivering an alpha version to the users is called alpha release and this is typically the first time that the software is available outside of the organization that developed it.

In League of Legends , alpha testing went through one phases:

• From February 2009 to April 2009 the game was in closed alpha testing, in which only users that got an invite were able to participate.