Certification and Training

I have had extensive working knowledge with Genesys ecosystem except the Architect side. Does one need to subscribe/purchase beyond training? How can one prepare if you don't have training access but to the actual Genesys Org? Has anyone been successful with only self-study ? 

Thanks for your help in advance.

No, you don't strictly need the paid training to learn Architect-but it makes things much easier and faster. And yes, people have become proficient (even certified) through self-study + hands-on org access-but there are some caveats.