Early Access
Ongoing coverage on Early Access.
Latest coverage
Shape the planet and evolve strange creatures in Planetary Life with Steam Deck support
Planetary Life, a planet and life simulation game, has received official Steam Deck support and is now Steam Deck Verified. Players can shape planets, evolve creatures, and manage ecosystems in this "god game" currently in Early Access. The game is set to release fully on August 15th, 2025.
Paralives feels like the perfect tranquil tonic to the chaos of The Sims
Paralives, a highly anticipated life simulation game, has launched in early access, offering a tranquil alternative to the chaos of The Sims. Developed by Paralives Studio, the game features robust character and building tools, a charming open-world map, and a more deliberate pace for relationships and gameplay. Despite some expected early access bugs, it presents a promising and distinct vision within the genre.
Jump Into Early Access Soulslike Co-op Action With Serpent’s Gaze Out Now
Feeble Minds has launched their 1-4 player co-op soulslike game, Serpent's Gaze, into Early Access on Steam for PC. The game features handcrafted levels, a build-creation system inspired by roguelikes, and a 'Curse' system for escalating difficulty. The developers are seeking community feedback to improve the game towards its 1.0 release.
Paralives launch times and release date
Paralives, a new life simulation game, is launching into early access on May 25, 2026, at 10 am Eastern time for PC via Steam, priced at $40. The game will require 8GB of storage space, with an installation size of 7.62GB, and preloading is not available.
Subnautica 2 Hotfix Buffs Silver and Troilite Drops, Nerfs Hammerheads, and Adjusts Terms of Service
Unknown Worlds has released a hotfix for Subnautica 2, adjusting resource drops for Silver and Troilite, and nerfing Hammerhead behavior. The update also includes bug fixes for crashes and performance improvements on PC, alongside revisions to the game's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, allowing players to disable analytics.
Star Citizen tops $1 billion crowdfunding milestone as "$5000 JPEG" spaceship you cannot use yet goes on sale
Cloud Imperium Games' Star Citizen has surpassed $1 billion in crowdfunding from over 6.5 million players since its 2012 announcement. The milestone coincides with the sale of a new $5000 spaceship concept, the Anvil Odin, which is not yet available in the game. Founder Chris Roberts highlighted the ambitious scope of the project, which he believes would not be possible under traditional publishers.
Not Dead Yet news - Paramelancholia
The developer of Dry Meadow announced that a demo will be released in a few weeks, followed by an Early Access launch on Steam in late June. The demo will feature the first level, showcasing core gameplay elements like exploration, combat, a day/night cycle, and crafting. The game is set in the universe of Paramelancholia but takes place in a near-contemporary setting.
Unrailed 2: Back on Track leaves early access in June
Indie developer Indoor Astronaut announced that Unrailed 2: Back on Track will leave early access on June 11th for PC, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 5. The game features chaotic multiplayer railroad building with procedurally generated worlds, new story elements, permanent upgrades, and a community map creation tool. A new 8-player versus mode is also included.
The Sunday Papers
This article rounds up recent gaming news and previews, including early access impressions of Subnautica 2 and a review of Forza Horizon 6 that notes a focus on off-roading over street racing. It also discusses the atmospheric world design of FromSoftware titles like Elden Ring.
Paralives continues to sound promising with a roadmap outlining free updates The Sims would normally charge for
Paralives Studio has released a roadmap for its upcoming life simulation game, detailing plans for free updates including weather, seasons, pets, and pools. This approach contrasts with The Sims, which typically charges for similar content as expansions. Paralives is set to launch in early access on May 25th.
Paralives roadmap promises pets, seasons, and potentially murderous pools during the life sim's early access
Paralives, a life simulation game, is set to launch into early access on May 25th with a roadmap that includes pets, weather, seasons, and pools. Developer Alex Massé has outlined plans for updates between June and September focusing on performance and bug fixes, with major content additions like pets and seasons expected towards the end of 2026. The game is being positioned as a competitor to The Sims series.
Something for the Bank Holiday Weekend – 23/05/26
This week's news includes the end of Destiny 2 development and major layoffs at Bungie, alongside the 10th Warhammer Skulls event. PlayStation State of Play will feature Wolverine, and new titles like Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV and F1 25 DLC were announced. Embracer is splitting, and Sony's single-player games will no longer release on PC.
What we've been playing - "I'd like to shout out a fun game you can only really do on the road"
Several individuals share their recent gaming experiences. Bertie discusses the impressive character musculature in Diablo 4's new expansion, Lord of Hatred, on PlayStation 5. Connor details playing Old School RuneScape on PC during a work trip and observing others play games like Balatro and Monopoly Go! on mobile. Kelsey mentions squeezing in sessions of Subnautica 2 on PC with friends despite moving house and the game being in Early Access.
Betawatch: Pixel MMORPG Drakantos kicks off its weekend movement overhaul and PvP CBT
The pixel MMORPG Drakantos is currently undergoing a weekend test phase featuring a movement overhaul and PvP, concluding on May 24th. The article also notes the mobile port of Guild Wars Reforged, the sunsetting of Spellcasters Chronicle, and the early access roadmap for Subnautica 2. It provides a comprehensive list of MMOs currently in various stages of testing, including open and closed betas, alphas, and early access periods.
Early access MMORPG Past Fate improves character creation with its latest patch
The early access MMORPG Past Fate has received a patch that significantly improves its character creation system, allowing players to zoom in and out and access a number of enhanced features. The update also includes improvements to the server list, a reduction in stamina cost for basic attacks, and new custom models.
Path of Exile 2 releases patch notes for next week’s Return of the Ancients update
Grinding Gear Games has released detailed patch notes for the upcoming Return of the Ancients update for Path of Exile 2's early access. The update includes the Runes of Aldur league, an endgame overhaul called Origins of Divinity, new atlas layers, three storylines, and the integration of Fate of the Vaal into the core game. The patch also features adjustments to character damage, new unique items, and numerous updates to ascendancies, passive trees, skills, and items, launching on Friday, May 29th.
Fatekeeper Enters Steam Early Access on June 2
THQ Nordic and Paraglacial announced that the dark fantasy game Fatekeeper will launch into Steam Early Access on June 2, 2026. Developed by a 13-person team at German studio Paraglacial, the game will be updated throughout its early access period based on community feedback. Players can wishlist Fatekeeper on Steam now.
Subnautica 2 hits four million sales
Subnautica 2 has achieved four million sales since its Early Access launch on May 14th, with two million copies sold in the first 12 hours. Developer Untold Worlds expressed gratitude for the player response, highlighting the ongoing impact of community feedback on the game's development. The game is currently receiving "very positive" reviews on Steam.
A.A.U. Black Site Early Access
A.A.U. Black Site, a horror-themed bodycam first-person shooter, has launched its Early Access period on Steam for PC. The game is developed by IZilla Games and Indie Raspberry Studio.
Your allies in turn-based tactics game Menace can now be completely wiped out by the [REDACTED], but at least the new patch gives us battle tanks
The latest update for the turn-based tactics game Menace introduces new features including tanks and wheat fields, alongside significantly increased difficulty. Players now face the risk of losing entire allied factions on planets, and new game over conditions have been added, such as losing all squad leaders or having all planets overrun by the Menace.
