Early Access Release Archives

AppWizard

July 8, 2025

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4: Release Date, Release Times, Early Access Details For Xbox & PC

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 will be released on July 8th, 2025, for Deluxe Edition owners and on July 11th, 2025, for the standard edition, which will be available on Xbox Game Pass. Early access starts at 12am ET / 5am BST on July 8th and the official release for Xbox Game Pass users is at the same time on July 11th. The Deluxe Upgrade costs £18.00 and offers early access, bonus content including playable characters, additional songs, and exclusive items, but does not include the full game. The standard edition will be available at no additional cost for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass members.

AppWizard

July 5, 2025

Ratatan, the new rhythm game from the designer of Patapon, delays early access release in response to negative demo feedback

Ratatan, a spiritual successor to the PSP rhythm game Patapon, was showcased at the PC Gaming Show with a new trailer and a demo on Steam, initially set for early access release on July 25. However, the release was delayed by developer TVT Co. due to feedback from the demo, which received over 1,200 user reviews and 2,000 comments. The developers are reassessing their timeline to incorporate community insights before the final product launch.

AppWizard

July 1, 2025

Stardew Valley creator plays down reports he could help resurrect cancelled Minecraft-like Hytale

Riot Games has decided to cease development on Hytale after more than a decade of effort. The game, which began development in 2015 by Hypixel, was intended to combine mini-games from its Minecraft server with an RPG-style sandbox experience. Despite initial excitement and Riot's acquisition of Hypixel in 2020, the project could not meet expectations, leading to unsuccessful attempts to find new investors and resulting in layoffs. Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone, creator of Stardew Valley, clarified that he is not actively pursuing involvement in Hytale's revival, as he is focused on his current project, Haunted Chocolatier. Simon Collins-Laflamme, the original founder of Hypixel, has expressed interest in approaching Riot with a potential investment proposal to revive Hytale, while cautioning fans to manage their expectations regarding the project's future.

AppWizard

June 27, 2025

Steam’s “Early Access” is no longer what it used to be — has it failed gamers?

Valve's "Early Access" initiative on Steam currently features 14,056 titles. Successful games like Kerbal Space Program, ARMA 3, Prison Architect, and Kenshi have received positive reviews. However, many players have become disillusioned with the program, particularly due to experiences like the prolonged development of DayZ, which spent nearly five years in Early Access. The program's guidelines require developers to maintain transparency and accountability, but some exploit these rules for financial gain without completing their projects. The Early Access program is intended to gather player feedback, provide funding, and support development, but issues with unfinished games and unmet promises have raised concerns about its integrity.

AppWizard

June 11, 2025

‘My biggest fear is the direct comparison to Grounded 1’: Grounded 2 executive producer opens up about the difficulty of following up an early access game with another early access game

Grounded 2 was announced at the Xbox Games Showcase, with an early access release set for July 29. Marcus Morgan from Obsidian discussed the challenges of launching a sequel in early access, noting the difficulties of meeting expectations after the success of the first game, which evolved significantly over four years. Grounded initially faced criticism for limited content but eventually became a flagship title for Obsidian with a "very positive" rating on Steam. Grounded 2 is available for wishlisting on Steam.

AppWizard

June 7, 2025

Chronicles: Medieval Is a Mount and Blade-Like ‘Dynamic Medieval Sandbox RPG’ Out Next Year in Early Access

Raw Power Games, an independent studio based in Copenhagen, Denmark, introduced its first title, Chronicles: Medieval, during the Summer Game Fest 2025. The studio has around 100 employees with experience from notable games like The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077. Chronicles: Medieval is a dynamic medieval sandbox RPG set in 14th to 15th century Europe, utilizing Unreal Engine 5 and proprietary 'Asgard' technology. Players can craft their own narratives, engage in intense combat, and lead armies in battles. The game features character creation, troop recruitment, and third-person battlefield engagement, with historical units like English longbowmen and French cavalry. The combat system emphasizes realism and fluid weapon mechanics, developed in collaboration with HEMA expert Björn Rüther. The game allows for player choices and potential diplomatic interactions, with modding capabilities hinted at. An early access launch on PC is planned for next year.

AppWizard

June 1, 2025

‘We wish to express our deepest regret’: Bulletstorm and Outriders dev People Can Fly suspends unannounced projects in yet another wave of gaming layoffs

Sebastian Wojciechowski, CEO of People Can Fly, announced the indefinite suspension of two game development projects, codenamed Gemini and Bifrost, and a scaling down of the workforce due to unsuccessful negotiations with a publisher that left the studio without necessary resources. The suspension of the Gemini project is attributed to the publisher's failure to provide a draft for a content rider related to the Publishing Agreement and a lack of communication regarding the project's future. Despite these challenges, People Can Fly is still working on three unannounced projects, Bison, Echo, and Delta, and the development of Lost Rift is progressing, with a demo set to be released during the upcoming Steam Next Fest.

AppWizard

May 20, 2025

Subnautica 2: All the key details on the survival-crafting sequel’s dive into the abyss

Subnautica 2 is set to be released in early access later this year, following its initial teaser in 2022. The game will feature a multiplayer mode for up to four players, addressing fan requests for co-op functionality. Players will explore a new alien world with a narrative involving a ship's AI that continues its mission despite dangers. Key features include co-op and single-player adventures, an overhauled building system, new vehicles and craftables, various Leviathans, and new creatures and biomes to explore.

TrendTechie

May 7, 2025

Новую Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era слили на торренты за несколько месяцев до релиза

A playable build of Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era has been released by an enthusiast named TigerTheGreat. This version is translated into Russian and allows players to battle AI opponents. It is available in a Portable format, requiring no installation, and occupies approximately 6 GB of disk space. Currently, players can only challenge bots, and many game modes are inaccessible. The official early access release is expected in the summer of 2025.

AppWizard

April 30, 2025

If you ever thought Vampire Survivors was missing gore, lore, and buckwild nudity, then do I have a game for you

The genre known as 'Vampire Survivors-likes' is returning to its roots, inspired by the Diablo series. It started with Vampire Survivors, which combined chance and strategy in its gameplay, followed by Halls of Torment, which introduced loot-driven meta-progression. The latest title, Conquest Dark, retains core mechanics like class selection and automatic attacks while adding activatable powers, a clearable world map, engaging lore, and optional nudity. Players can choose their class, engage in combat, and accumulate experience points to unlock new powers and enhance character stats. Conquest Dark is now available in early access on Steam.