Most devs don’t really want to go Early Access, says the creator of the RTS hit Tempest Rising. Yet Broken Arrow shows why EA might’ve been the better choice

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2025 is looking like a fantastic year for fans of real-time strategy games. After a period where the genre seemed to be fading, it’s experiencing a resurgence, starting with the release of *Tempest Rising*. *Broken Arrow* followed, but its launch wasn’t smooth. The developers chose to release the full game immediately, even though it was missing some single-player content and felt incomplete, leading many to believe it would have been better suited for an Early Access release. Interestingly, Frederik Schreiber, the creator of *Tempest Rising*, recently shared that most game developers actually prefer to avoid Early Access if possible.

Early Access or full release? Broken Arrow shows it’s a tough call

Broken Arrow attracted roughly 31,000 players during its early access period, shortly before the official release. While the multiplayer component ran smoothly and received positive feedback, the single-player experience didn’t quite meet expectations. The 19-mission campaign felt lackluster, and players reported issues with missions failing to load. Additionally, the 1-on-1 and 2-on-2 AI skirmish modes that were advertised weren’t available when the game launched.

Players felt the game was released before it was fully ready, so the developers quickly added the missing features and committed to ongoing improvements to the single-player experience. The multiplayer mode continues to be plagued by cheaters. Currently, Steam reviews are mixed, with most recent reviews being negative. Many players feel the game was rushed, and it might have been better received if it had launched as an Early Access title.

During a recent interview on the Hot Seat podcast with Felix af Ekenstam (around the 17:14 mark), Frederik Schreiber, the director of *Tempest Rising*, discussed Early Access. He explained that it’s often a choice made for financial reasons, and sometimes it’s essential for games that are designed as ongoing services.

Game developers who don’t rely on ongoing service subscriptions often add community features and revenue streams to improve their games and keep them going.

Schreiber also noted that many developers who try Early Access would actually prefer to have enough money to launch a finished game directly. He suggests using open or closed beta tests to gather feedback, as releasing an unfinished game can lead to negative reviews that impact the final product. He cautions that these early negative reviews can unfortunately damage the game’s full launch.

You know, thinking about *Broken Arrow*, I really think it could have benefited from an Early Access launch. If the developers hadn’t wanted to delay the game further, releasing it as an Early Access title instead of a full launch with missing features might have been a smarter move. People are more forgiving with Early Access games – they expect some issues! At least the label manages expectations and lets you know it’s still a work in progress, rather than feeling like a broken promise when content is missing.

A look at Steam Early Access over the years

Steam launched its Early Access program in March 2013, and games like DayZ were among the first to try it out. DayZ actually remained in Early Access for around five years, and at the time, many players felt the system was being misused.

Over the next few years, more independent game developers began using Early Access as a way to finance their projects. Steam also established clearer rules, requiring developers to be honest about how finished their games were and what players would get for their money.

Around 2016 and 2017, a lot more games started using the Early Access program, but this led to problems with quality. Many of these games were never finished, and the program received criticism as a result. In 2018, Valve stepped in to improve things by adding official “Early Access” labels. These labels required developers to clearly explain where the game was in development, what features were planned, and when they expected to fully release it.

By 2020, offering a game in Early Access had become common for independent and smaller game studios. However, even large developers, like those behind Baldur’s Gate 3, demonstrated that it could be a successful strategy for bigger titles as well.

So, Early Access has really taken off! I’ve been keeping an eye on Steam, and here’s a quick look at how many new games have launched in Early Access over the last few years:

  1. 2020: Approximately 1,169 Early Access games.
  2. 2021: Around 1,314 Early Access games.
  3. 2022: About 1,453 Early Access games.
  4. 2023: Approximately 1,635 Early Access games.
  5. 2024: Around 2,231 Early Access games.
  6. 2025: Approximately 1,983 Early Access games released (and that’s just through the end of September!).

Early Access remains a popular method for game developers to secure funding and gather feedback, but it can sometimes lead to games staying in this unfinished state for much longer than anticipated. While studios often initially suggest a release within a year, many titles, particularly complex sandbox games like RimWorld (4 years) and Factorio (2.5 years), spend between two and five years in Early Access. Timberborn, launched in Early Access in 2021, still doesn’t have a confirmed release date, and even with consistent major updates, players – including myself – are growing impatient for the full version.

Early Access has both advantages and disadvantages. It lets developers get funding and valuable feedback from players, which can help them create a great game. However, it also means their work is very publicly scrutinized, with unfinished features and bugs immediately visible. Players enjoy being among the first to experience a game and see how it develops, but they need to be understanding and patient. As the case of *Broken Arrow* demonstrates, finding the right timing between being prepared and connecting with the community remains a difficult task for developers, regardless of whether they choose Early Access or a traditional launch.

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2025-09-26 14:33