Originally posted by Rhapsody:

2 years is not very long time in early access, and neither is 5.

I've enjoyed one that's been in EA going on 5, as well. 3361 days, 18 hours, 17 minutes, 3 seconds so far as an EA title. Consider first, that Early Access lets you play at a less than closed beta level of progress.

In the 90s, we'd call Early Access 'Alpha'/'Closed Beta' or 'Pre-Alpha'. :) This would almost always be limited to a very tight inner circle of developer friends initially and then community participants upon the internet's emergence as a mainstay form of entertainment.