Before PlayerUnknowns Battlegrounds released, it had become a viral sensation on Twitch, sold 13 million copies and even got its own esports tournament complete with a $350,000 prize pool. It was in early access, a public, but incomplete version of the game sold to help publishers bankroll the games development and invite user feedback. It was PUBGs crawl toward a full release that tipped me off that early access is in fact a meaningless term.
Source: N4G PC Early Access Means Nothing Anymore