In 2024, early access video games went mainstream

digitaltrends.com:

In 2023, Baldur’s Gate 3 demonstrated the strengths of putting a big game through early access ahead of a wide release. The RPG’s successful years of early testing shaped it into a better game, making it a clear Game of the Year winner.

In 2024, early access games only continued to thrive. Some of the biggest games of the year, like Palworld and Hades 2, became big hits even though they were part of a Steam program that allows developers to release games before they hit 1.0 in order to get feedback from players to inform development. Other hits that popped up throughout the year — like Enshrouded, Manor Lords, Abiotic Factor, and No Rest for the Wicked — were all early access titles as well.

Early access games used to have a stigma around them because developers asked players to pay for an unfinished product. Now, players flock to them en masse, and more developers are finding the concept appealing. Whether it was a single-player experience or not, early access in 2024 created a unique kind of live service that hooked players by making them collaborators in the artistic process.

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Why early access?

On every Steam page for an early access game, a developer must explain why they’re using access. For example, Supergiant Games explained on the Steam page for Hades 2 that “we believe everything about this game benefits from ongoing feedback, from the balancing to the storytelling.” While the early access game page on Steam used to be dominated by unknown indie developers making vague promises, studios like Supergiant are putting their