Westlanders is planned to launch first as a Steam Early Access game on PC, with version 1.0 and the console releases to follow. As of October 2026, Early Access is planned for early 2027. The developers' own Early Access notes on the Steam store page describe a game with its core systems in place but its story, quests and much of its content still to come.
Why Early Access
The store notes say the team is "wrapping up pre-production with a clear vision and a detailed roadmap from prototype to full release" and treats Early Access as the step where the game is refined with community input. The studio's plans have tied the game to its players from the start: the December 2025 reveal described a three-step launch of crowdfunding, then Early Access, then the full release, with players at the heart of the creative process. See Kickstarter Campaign for the first step.
Planned Length
According to the store notes, the speed of getting to 1.0 depends on community feedback, but the current content and feature plan puts it at "roughly 12 months to get to 1.0 from the moment we are available in Early Access." The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S versions are planned for that 1.0 launch, at a later date than the PC Early Access release. See Release Date and Platforms.
What the Early Access Version Includes
The store notes describe the current state of the game this way: "Core systems are in place, including survival, wagon-based base building, and progression loops. The current version offers a limited set of items, weapons, tools, and crafting recipes. Story and quests are not yet implemented."
A March 2026 announcement said the Early Access debut would feature the Lake Region, "a massive environment ready for exploration", along with core survival mechanics, skills to learn and recipes to unlock while building the first towns. A March 2026 chart set out the first version's planned content with and without crowdfunding (3 or 5 wagon attachments, 10 or 15 levels of progression, 30 or 45 recipes and unlocks, 12 or 20 buildings). Those figures belong to the Kickstarter-era plan and have not been restated since the publishing change in June 2026; the full chart is on Kickstarter Campaign.
What 1.0 Adds
The store notes list the goal for the full version as "a dynamic open world with deep systems that let you grow from lone survivor to established settler." They promise more locations, expanded crafting and building, additional mechanics, and complete quests and storylines, with content rolling out progressively during Early Access. A March 2026 developer blog added that the map is built so it can be expanded with new areas and biomes through content updates; see The Westlands.
Pricing
As of October 2026, no price has been announced. The store notes say the current plan is to raise the price when the game leaves Early Access for its 1.0 version, and that this could change.
Community Involvement
The store notes say feedback will be gathered through Discord, social channels and platform forums, with regular updates showing how player input shapes the game. The developers have already changed things in response to early feedback, including the wagon harness and a wolf attack animation; see The Wagon and Combat and Weapons.
Features Discussed for Early Access
Topic | What the developers said | When |
|---|---|---|
Camera | Not at Early Access launch; first-person comes first | December 2025 and January 2026 |
Camera | A third-person mode is in development, with free switching between views | September 2026 |
Difficulty | Several predefined difficulty modes, from relaxed to hardcore survival | January 2026 |
Dedicated servers | On the roadmap, not guaranteed on day one | December 2025 |
Workers | Assigned workers stay at their stations at first | January 2026 |
Modular building | Not planned for the Early Access release | January 2026 |
Steam Deck | Not supported on day one; the team will keep an eye on it | January 2026 |
Modding | Something the team wants to support during Early Access, in time | January 2026 |
Details on each topic are on Multiplayer and Co-op, Survival, Workers and Production and Building and Settlements.
Earlier Targets
Early Access was first aimed at 2026. In a January 2026 FAQ the team gave an earliest date in the first half of 2026 and said it might release later if the game was not ready, and a March 20, 2026 post said the game would launch in Early Access on PC later that year "no matter what". When Team17 announced the publishing deal on June 11, 2026, the plan became Steam Early Access in early 2027.
Not Yet Confirmed
The exact Early Access launch date and price (not announced as of October 2026).
The official development roadmap, which the March 2026 announcement said would be shared after the crowdfunding campaign (not published as of October 2026).
Whether the March 2026 content figures still describe the first Early Access version (not restated as of October 2026).