1.0 launch Archives

AppWizard

September 21, 2025

9 months after its 1.0 launch flopped, an indie dev just learned that Steam never emailed the 130,000 people who wishlisted its game

Planet Centauri, a 2D sandbox game developed by Permadeath, launched after a decade in early access but sold only 581 units in its first five days. Despite over 100,000 sales and being on 130,000 wishlists, the game failed to gain visibility on Steam, not appearing on its New & Trending listings. The developer, Laurent Lechat, expressed frustration over the lack of reach, noting that the game's trailer had nearly 500,000 views on YouTube. Valve offered to feature Planet Centauri as a Daily Deal to improve visibility. The team has decided to pivot to developing a new roguelike game using the same engine, acknowledging that continuing to patch the original game is no longer feasible.

AppWizard

September 19, 2025

Dev says Steam bug ruined “more than 10 years” of work and tanked their game’s 1.0 launch, Valve says oops and offers a Daily Deal slot “to help make up for lost visibility”

The developers of the indie game Planet Centauri experienced a significant setback during their 1.0 launch due to a bug in the Steam wishlist notification system, which resulted in their launch notifications not being sent out. This glitch, affecting less than 100 games since 2015, severely impacted their sales. Valve acknowledged the issue on September 12 and offered a Daily Deal to help mitigate the visibility loss, but industry experts noted that such deals cannot fully compensate for the effects of a failed launch. The developers highlighted the improbability of their situation, being one of only a few games affected out of over 86,000 on Steam.

AppWizard

September 17, 2025

Hades 2’s imminent arrival is awful timing for this Arthurian roguelike, but you should still give it a chance

Hades 2 is set to launch on September 25, prompting Windwalk Games to move the release date of their game Sworn to September 23 to avoid competition. Sworn will be available at a 33% discount until September 29, priced at .74/£16.74. The game has received an 87% positive review average on Steam.

AppWizard

September 17, 2025

Escape from Tarkov owners will have to buy it again if they want to play through Steam, and the Steam version will require a Battlestate account anyway

Escape from Tarkov will officially release its 1.0 version on November 15 after eight years in early access. The game will launch with its own Steam page, featuring achievements, the Steam overlay, and friends list integration. Existing players must purchase the game again and link their Steam account to their current Tarkov profile. The Steam version is currently labeled as "coming soon."

AppWizard

September 1, 2025

Escape from Tarkov finally puts on the big boy pants and announces a Steam release as it gears up for version 1.0

Escape from Tarkov, developed by Battlestate Games, will be released on Steam after eight years in early access. The Steam page will be available soon, with the official version 1.0 launch scheduled for November 15, 2025. The game has received over 400 updates during its beta phase. There are concerns about potential negative reviews upon its Steam release, particularly due to recent player dissatisfaction following a patch that reset progress and changed in-game economics.

AppWizard

July 27, 2025

These fanmade reload animations for Abiotic Factor are so good the game’s own art director praises them: ‘You absolutely nailed the vibe I was going for’

Abiotic Factor, a Half-Life-inspired survival game, launched its 1.0 version and received an 'Overwhelmingly Positive' rating on Steam, along with a score of 92 from a reviewer who praised it as one of the greatest survival crafting games. The game features intricate survival systems and an expansive tech tree. Art director Connor Moran acknowledged a fan, Hoider, for creating reload animations that enhance the game's firearm mechanics. Hoider's animations reflect the character's progression from a cautious scientist to a skilled survivor. Moran expressed admiration for Hoider's work, highlighting the positive interaction between developers and fans in the gaming community.

AppWizard

July 7, 2025

Deep Rock Galactic Survivor is gearing up for launch, literally—adding a fully-fledged gear system when it hits 1.0 in September

Deep Rock Galactic Survivor has sold over one million copies while still in early access. The developers at Funday Games are preparing for the 1.0 launch and have announced a new loot system to enhance gameplay. Early player impressions have been positive, noting the game's unique twist on the original concepts and its appeal to fans of Vampire Survivors.

AppWizard

July 1, 2025

Battle Royale Game SUPERVIVE Launches July 24 for PC

Developer Theorycraft Games will officially launch its free-to-play competitive squad-based hero battle royale, SUPERVIVE, for PC via Steam on July 24. The 1.0 global launch will feature a comprehensive overhaul of the game, including new content, overhauled progression systems, and new features. Players who participated in the open beta will receive exclusive rewards, such as a Cartoon Carrot Wisp (Rooty) and a Champion callsign, while those with over 40 hours of gameplay will receive The OG Glider and the title of Theorycrafter. A presentation detailing the game's evolution will be held on July 17 at 9:00 PM PT on SUPERVIVE’s YouTube channel. Battlepass owners will receive an additional 200,000 EXP during pre-launch maintenance.

AppWizard

June 7, 2025

Criminally underappreciated survival game Abiotic Factor is leaving early access with an update that adds buildable office cubicles and a spooky library

Deep Field Games has announced that the Cold Fusion update for Abiotic Factor will launch alongside the game's 1.0 version. This update features the Residence Sector, inspired by Half-Life's 'Office Complex,' and includes a sub-area called The Praetorium with "Clericum" figures. Players can build office cubicles using grid-snapping technology and will have access to the Taco Mine. The update also introduces a craftable R.A.I.N. shower for decontamination and new storage options: the compact crate and the void chest. The 1.0 release is targeted for summer, with a 1.1 update planned for late 2025.

AppWizard

December 12, 2024

Steam sets new record for concurrent players

On December 8, Steam recorded 39,205,447 concurrent players, surpassing its previous high of approximately 38 million set in September 2024. This increase was driven by the launch of major titles such as Path of Exile 2, which peaked at 578,569 concurrent players, and Marvel Rivals, which reached 480,990 concurrent players. Established games like Counter-Strike 2, PUBG: Battlegrounds, and DOTA 2 also contributed to the high player counts. As of December 11, 2024, the top 25 most-played games on Steam included titles primarily in the competitive shooter genre, with Counter-Strike 2 leading the list.