“Developers need to treat Early Access like a real launch, because players do” – Early Access games are on the rise, but so are player expectations
By The volume of games launched via Steam’s Early Access initiative has grown substantially in recent years. Per SteamDB, 2,924 Early Access games debuted on Valve’s platform in 2026 (as of mid-October), representing an 18% rise from 2025 and a 60% jump from 2020.
As a fraction of the total number of Steam games introduced annually, Early Access titles are increasing, moving from a 10.4% share in 2024 to 11.3% in 2025 and 13.7% in 2026.
When Steam initiated its Early Access program in 2013, it unlocked a significant opportunity for individual developers and smaller teams, enabling them to secure funding mid-development while concurrently generating excitement and obtaining essential player feedback prior to a 1.0 release. Titles such as Don’t Starve, Baldur’s Gate 3, and Dead Cells illustrate how a productive Early Access phase can result in enduring success.
Phasmophobia entered Early Access in 2020 | Image credit: Kinetic Games
However, rather than merely affording time to refine, a game’s Early Access debut is now equally crucial as its “official” launch. GameDiscoverCo revealed that merely 21% of Steam Early Access graduates surpassed their earnings in the first 30 days post-1.0 compared to their Early Access launch.
GamesIndustry.biz conducted discussions with the teams behind Valheim, Subnautica, Hades, Phasmophobia, Paralives, and Deadhaus Sonata regarding the increasing standards for Early Access releases, the advantages and challenges of collecting player feedback, and the aspects they would have approached differently.
The quality standard elevates
In today’s landscape, concerning Early Access, literally anything is acceptable, states Anthony Gallegos, creative lead of Subnautica 2. “It’s not just a few fringe games involved any longer,” he shares with GamesIndustry.biz. “Early access can signify a game like ours engaging in prolonged open development, or it could represent a title just three months away from its 1.0 launch that is effectively executing a paid beta soft launch and framing the Early Access label as a means to temper player expectations.”
Anthony Gallegos | Image credit: Unknown Worlds
Ultimately,
