Overview
This article tracks the development roadmap for Rooted leading up to its Early Access release. Headlight Studio has run an extended community alpha and is rolling out features in numbered phases.
Confirmed Milestones
Date | Milestone | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
September 2023 | Alpha Phase 1 | First closed alpha; foundational systems available to community testers. |
October 25, 2024 | Patch v0.0.2.111 | Farming and wood farming introduced; garden furniture set added. |
January 17, 2025 | Alpha Phase 2 | Open world expanded past 30 square kilometers with multiple points of interest, building, crafting, infection, and weather systems. |
May 2025 | Phase 3 features announced | Starting zone with lore, communication tower redesign, hunting, fishing, gardening rebalance, early firearms for hunting, character animation overhaul. |
October 28, 2025 | Patch v0.0.2.319 | Mutable character customization system arrived alongside female character models. |
October 30, 2025 | Patch v0.0.2.320 | Performance and stability pass with CPU optimization, Mutable integration, GAS implementation, engine upgrade from UE 5.4 to UE 5.6. |
December 5, 2025 | Patch v0.0.2.362 | Interior collision fix for the Mansion. |
December 3, 2025 | Patch v0.0.2.355 (Weapons Update) | M4A1 and Glock firearms playable; training range added near the Mansion. |
January 22, 2026 | Wildlife Update | Deer added as the first huntable wildlife species. |
Early Access 2027 | Early Access launch (target) | Headlight Studio's stated target window for the Early Access release on PC. |
May 2026: Full Production And A New World
On May 29, 2026 the studio marked the close of its research-and-prototyping chapter and the start of full production. The stated goal is an Early Access release somewhere in late 2027, open to everyone on Steam. From that point a dev log is posted every week on the website, the Discord, and the game's Steam forum.
As part of the move, the alpha map was wiped to make way for a brand new world built around the biomes found in Oregon. A large amount of the game's core was reported as coming together at this stage, including a body-modelling survival simulation, a reworked inventory split between a personal stash and a droppable backpack, a two-way building system with a real stability model, tiered crafting, data-driven wildlife, and a single vehicle architecture spanning land, water, and air. None of this had entered the public build at the time of the announcement; it is confirmed development direction.
Date | Milestone | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
May 29, 2026 | Full production begins | Research-and-prototyping chapter closed; Early Access target refined to late 2027 on Steam; weekly dev logs begin; alpha map wiped for a new Oregon-biome world (in development). |
Phase Themes
Each phase has emphasized a different layer of the survival loop. Phase 1 established the foundations of exploration and crafting. Phase 2 broadened the world and introduced systemic features such as building, infection, and weather. Phase 3 has focused on bringing food management forward through hunting and fishing, gardening, and the early firearms needed to support hunting.
Planned Beyond Phase 3
Open-water boat fishing, listed as planned alongside trap-based fishing.
Dedicated PvP servers with a competitive version of the map, announced as coming soon.
Console release on PlayStation, planned to follow the PC Early Access launch.
Additional pre-war and crafted weapons to expand the three weapon categories.
Studio Independence
Headlight Studio has stated that some delays have been driven by a deliberate choice to remain independent rather than take on an external publisher. This is part of the studio's stated approach of running all production in-house, including environment art, gameplay programming, design, audio, and publishing.
Phase Timeline
Phase | Window | Headlines |
|---|---|---|
Closed Alpha 1 | Q4 2023 onward | First playable backer builds: survival, base building, exploration. |
Closed Alpha 2 | Late 2024 / early 2025 | 30+ sq km world, building, drones, infection, weather, new POIs. |
Closed Alpha 3 | 2025-2026 | Starting Zone lore, Communication Tower redesign, hunting/fishing/gardening, firearms, drone companion expansion, severe weather, UI rework. |
Production Phase | Q1 2026 | Transition from pre-production to full production; team expansion and faster cadence. |
Early Access | 2027 | Steam + Epic Games Store; mandatory crossplay. |
Version 1.0 | TBA | Full release with complete story, all biomes, and polished gameplay. |
Recent Build Markers
Build | Date | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
v0.0.2.319 | Oct 2025 | Unreal Engine 5.6 migration; Mutable system; female character; GAS adoption. |
v0.0.2.355 | Dec 2025 | Firearms introduced (M4A1, Glock); training range near Mansion. |
v0.0.2.362 | Dec 2025 | Hotfix: hip-fire offset, distant terrain loading, ammo spawners. |
Wildlife update | Jan 22, 2026 | Deer added as first wildlife species. |
Early Access Commitments
Steam + Epic Games Store launch in 2027.
Mandatory crossplay between storefronts.
Eight launch languages: English, French, German, Simplified Chinese, Danish, Italian, Spanish, Dutch.
Modding support with Steam Workshop blueprint sharing.
PvP planned for post-Early-Access on dedicated servers.
Console release (PlayStation referenced) planned after the full PC release.
Things Still TBA
Specific weapon roster beyond the M4A1 and Glock, the final list of wildlife species, named storm types in severe weather, and the Version 1.0 release window are all still TBA. Updates will land here as the studio confirms them through the Phase 3 cadence.
Weekly Dev Log Direction (2026)
After entering full production in May 2026, the studio committed to weekly development logs. Through early June 2026 these logs outlined the direction for the next stretch of the alpha: squad-based hostile survivors with a first named enemy, multi-seat co-op vehicle roles, a synchronized world radio layer, a data-driven inventory with on-body weapon stowing, and procedural work on a dense urban environment.
Each log notes that none of this is in the public build yet. The newest public patch is still v0.0.2.362, so these items mark confirmed direction rather than released content.
Early Access Confirmed For Late 2027
On June 12, 2026 the studio confirmed that Rooted will launch in Early Access on Steam and the Epic Games Store in late 2027. No exact date was given; the studio said the game will get one when it has earned it. A Beta phase will come before Early Access, described as probably short, with the purpose of bridging the current gameplay phase and Early Access.
The same announcement noted that the current public alpha build is outdated, and that a production-version alpha update is planned for later. Nearly 150,000 people had registered for the game by then, with registration applications now closed, and a Content Creator Program opened to applications. The game has passed one million wishlists on Steam.
Week 24 Dev-Log Direction (In Development)
The June 12, 2026 weekly dev log outlined a further stretch of in-development work, none of it in the public build. It covered enemy camps with rotating guards and squad patrols, a director that escalates a camp's response up to reinforcement waves, a damage model that resolves shots per body part, a balance baseline for four firearm classes, the first throwables (grenades and molotovs), an electricity system of producers, batteries, and consumers, procedural work on a dense urban environment, and full hunting with carcasses. These items mark confirmed direction rather than released content; the newest public patch is still v0.0.2.362.