Early Access
Ongoing coverage on Early Access.
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"They would feel a kind of sadness, right?": Slay the Spire 2 dev on using slightly rubbish placeholder art over AI
Mega Crit co-founder Casey Yano explained that the intentionally rough placeholder art in Slay the Spire 2's early access is meant to clearly communicate the game's incomplete status. He also expressed a preference for this approach over using generative AI art, stating that it would feel disheartening to artists who have developed their own styles.
Slay the Spire 2 lead says the garbage placeholder art is "important" and gen AI would ruin it: "People would judge the game as if it's a 1.0, fully developed video game"
Mega Crit co-founder Casey Yano stated that Slay the Spire 2 is intentionally using deliberately 'shit' placeholder art instead of generative AI assets. This approach aims to clearly communicate that the game is in early access and not a fully developed product, preventing players from judging it as such. Yano also expressed concerns that AI art lacks the artistic process and decision-making inherent in human creation.
The Fellows' Ship – Expeditions: Samurai Trailer Reveals Companions and Release Date
Expeditions: Samurai, developed by Campfire Cabal and published by THQ Nordic, will launch into Early Access on Steam on August 7th, 2026. The game features a customizable hero and eight unique companions, each with their own questlines. A roadmap for Early Access updates will be released before launch.
The Daily Grind: What’s the most important thing an MMORPG can do in its first month?
This article discusses the crucial actions MMORPGs should prioritize in their first month post-launch, focusing on developer communication, player feedback integration, and strategic roadmaps. It emphasizes the importance of substantive communication over mere noise and warns against drastic, potentially disruptive balance changes.
Sakumon Is a Multiplayer, Companion Collectible Title that Brings Toys to Life
Sakumon, a multiplayer collectible game that brings physical toys to life via NFC technology, has launched in Early Access on Android. Developed by Saku Monsters, the game allows players to scan real-life figures to have them appear as digital companions for collecting, battling, and exploring a social hub island. This marks a return for the toys-to-life genre, with the developers seeking player feedback during the soft launch phase.
Agent 64: Spies Never Die Next Month
Solo developer Replicant D6 has announced that Agent 64: Spies Never Die, an espionage action game inspired by the Nintendo 64 era, will launch in Early Access on August 11. The game aims to capture the feel of classic N64 titles like GoldenEye.
2-D pixelart MMO Soul’s Remnant dates August 13 for early access
Studio Chaomoon announced that the 2-D pixelart MMORPG Soul's Remnant will launch its early access on August 13th, a slight delay from the previously planned August 5th date. This adjustment was made to avoid overlapping with Nexon's MapleStory Classic World test runs, ensuring a smoother launch for Soul's Remnant. The developers are currently refining the game and preparing a Day One content patch.
Palworld pulled in almost 900,000 players over the weekend, its second-highest peak ever
Palworld achieved its second-highest peak player count with nearly 900,000 concurrent players on Steam during its 1.0 launch weekend. Pocketpair's John Buckley expressed gratitude for the staggering turnout, which places the game among Steam's top performers. While players are enjoying the full release, some are requesting bug fixes for base building and Pal behavior systems.
This week in PC games: vert-ramping trains, a retold murder mystery, and Cthulhu’s new gig as an AI Director
This week's PC game releases include the sci-fi action-roguelike Ascend to Zero, the crime scene investigation sim Forensics: Crime Scene Detective, and the Survivorslike Soulforge Lost Path. Other notable titles are the AI society puzzle game D-Topia, the VN remake The Incident at Galley House, and the cooking horror game Happy's Humble Burger Cult. The week also sees the launch of Moss: The Forgotten Relic, a flat-screen version of the VR games Moss and Moss: Book II, and the early access release of the survival game Frozen Ship.
MIMESIS passes two million sales as co-op horror hit continues to grow, but what is it?
Krafton announced that its four-player co-op horror game MIMESIS has sold over two million copies worldwide during its Steam Early Access run. A major update last month, which added new content and overhauled core systems, is credited with driving the sales milestone. The game, developed by ReLU Games, is known for its psychological horror elements and AI-driven creature imitation.
MIMESIS SURPASSES TWO MILLION COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE
KRAFTON, Inc. announced that MIMESIS, a co-op horror title from its studio ReLU Games, has sold over two million copies worldwide. The game's recent major update, which improved creature behavior and reworked progression, contributed to this sales milestone. MIMESIS also received an Excellence Award in Game Design at the CEDEC Awards 2026.
Palworld 1.0 – 10 Huge Improvements Over Early Access
Palworld has officially launched version 1.0 after over two years in early access, introducing significant improvements across nearly all major game systems. Pocketpair has reworked progression, combat, Pal breeding, base management, and exploration, making the game fundamentally different from its early access state. Key enhancements include the new 'Awakening' mechanic to strengthen Pals, a more involved 'Mutation' breeding system, rebalanced Partner Skills, and a rebuilt combat system for faster, more tactical gameplay.
Hytale boss decides to break silence on its Chapter 1 update: "Asking everyone to run on faith for months isn't great"
Simon Collins-Laflamme, Hytale's lead developer, has broken the silence regarding the game's upcoming Chapter 1 update. He acknowledges the community's desire for more information and plans to share behind-the-scenes details soon, moving away from a complete surprise reveal to maintain player engagement. A detailed blog post is expected within the next week, offering work-in-progress peeks at the substantial new content.
Finally complete after 11 years, Angels Fall First delivers massive FPS space battles with old-school Battlefront vibes, at a must-have price
After more than a decade in development, Strangely Interactive has released Angels Fall First 1.0, an ambitious FPS that blends large-scale space battles with ground combat. The game, which was in early access since 2015, offers 64-player matches featuring infantry, vehicles, and capital ships with fully explorable interiors. It is available at a discounted introductory price.
Margarite Entertainment Announces 'Gold Miner: Party Rush'
Margarite Entertainment has announced Gold Miner: Party Rush, a new multiplayer evolution of the classic franchise, set to enter Steam Early Access later this year. The game transforms the original physics-based gameplay into a competitive party experience for two to four players, featuring instant matchmaking and a ranked mode. Future updates during Early Access will include a 2v2 mode, an Endless survival mode, and a seasonal ranked system.
Coming Out in gaming this week — July 13, 2026
This week's gaming releases include a variety of titles across multiple platforms, such as Ascend to ZERO, The Alters: Last Variable, D-topia, and Denshattack!. Several games are launching in Early Access, including Funnel Runners and Colonies of The Remnant, while Go-Go Town! receives its 1.0 release.
Digital Extremes announces new Soulframe content including mounts and, of course, Ben Starr
Digital Extremes announced new content for their action RPG Soulframe during TennoCon 2026. The upcoming Warsongs Fable update will introduce mounts for traversing the world of Alca, a new boss named Medicant Reinbreaker, and a new character, Tempest Bayor, voiced by Ben Starr. Players interested in accessing the early access Preludes can create an account by July 12.
Evening Reading - July 10, 2026
This edition of Evening Reading covers various gaming news items, including a trailer for Dune 3, QuakeCon 2026 plans, a Pokemon GO anniversary event, and Id Software confirming layoffs. It also touches on business news like SK Hynix's stock performance, Apple suing OpenAI, Meta suspending an AI feature, and EA College Football 25 removing microtransactions. Additionally, it highlights deals for Nintendo and Square Enix games, Palworld exiting Early Access, and new map collections.
Weekend PC Download Deals for July 10: Palworld exits Steam Early Access
Palworld has officially launched version 1.0 out of Early Access on Steam, accompanied by a launch discount. This article highlights various PC game deals available this weekend across multiple digital storefronts, including Steam, Epic Games Store, Amazon Luna, Fanatical, Gamebillet, GamesPlanet, GOG.com, Green Man Gaming, Humble Bundle, and 2K Publisher Sale.
A Manor Lords update has just fixed its "degraded" systems - "Next stop: more content"
An update for the medieval city-building game Manor Lords has been released, focusing on technical overhauls and system improvements that had degraded over time. Developer Slavic Magic prioritized these backend fixes over new content for the past four months. Lead Developer Greg Styczeń confirmed that work on new content and features is ongoing and will resume now that the technical issues are addressed.
