diff --git a/e2e/playwright.config.ts b/e2e/playwright.config.ts
index 368ff79..7f80ae9 100644
--- a/e2e/playwright.config.ts
+++ b/e2e/playwright.config.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,9 @@
 import { defineConfig } from '@playwright/test';
+import dotenv from 'dotenv';
+import path from 'path';
+
+// Load e2e/.env.test if it exists (contains OPENAI_TEST_API_KEY)
+dotenv.config({ path: path.resolve(__dirname, '.env.test') });
 
 /**
  * Playwright configuration for AI Weekly Synth E2E tests.