Greetings Awoken,
We’re thrilled to finally share this with you: Lost Skies will be launching into Early Access on April 18th!
This is a huge moment for the team and for all of you who’ve been with us through playtests, feedback sessions and bug hunts. We’ve built this game with the community every step of the way and Early Access is our chance to keep doing just that.
We want to be totally transparent: this isn’t the “final” version of Lost Skies. There’s still work to do, features to add and islands to uncover but what’s here already is the foundation of something we deeply believe in. Now we get to keep growing it with you.
We know you probably have questions about what to expect, what’s in the game at launch, what’s coming next and why we’ve taken this path.
So we’ve put together an Early Access specific FAQ to walk you through everything.
Why Early Access?
Early Access lets us bring more players into the world of Lost Skies while continuing to develop the game with your feedback. After working with our Open Dev community for over two years, we've seen how valuable that collaboration is. We want to continue that development for a bit longer with the same open dev mentality. Expanding to Early Access not only helps us refine the game based on your input but it also helps us continue funding development so we can deliver the best possible version at full release.
Why EA rather than 1.0
Some Early Access games have set poor expectations. But Lost Skies isn't about cashing in early, it's very much a passion project that we care deeply about and we're using Early Access to continue building the game we love with our community just like we have through Open Dev. The funds from Early Access go straight back into development, helping us expand the world, add new features and deliver a polished 1.0 experience. It's a long-term investment, not a shortcut.
What can I expect in the Early Access version?
You'll explore the first region of the world - The Outskirts, featuring Bossa and community-made islands, multiple enemy types, puzzles, and the first Herald boss. You'll also be able to build and upgrade your own skyship for solo or co-op play. The core adventure loop of exploration, crafting & upgrading is fully playable from day one. You can play with friends and even make new ones well before full launch.
How often will the game be updated during Early Access?
We plan to deliver regular content updates, bug fixes and quality of life improvements throughout Early Access. Updates will be guided by community feedback. We will communicate changes through Discord and Steam posts. A public roadmap will also be available so you can see what's coming next and how your feedback is helping shape the skies. Our community will continue to play a key role in positively contributing to the development of the game, just as they have throughout Open Dev.
How long will Lost Skies stay in Early Access?
The duration depends on community feedback, feature development and polish. Currently, Lost Skies 1.0 is slotted for sometime this year but might be subject to change based on how Early Access goes.
Will Early Access lead to endless feature creep?
We've already defined the key features and systems we want to deliver and we'll be transparent about what's in scope. While community feedback may help refine or improve what's there, we won't keep the game in Early Access longer just to keep adding more. Our goal is a focused and polished 1.0 not an endless wishlist.
What new content is planned during Early Access?
We plan to release a public roadmap so players can keep track of the development progress.
Planned updates include:
- Expanding the Outskirts region
- Island Creator Region 2 release - Midlands
- Resource, combat and progression balancing based on the feedback we receive
- Additional features (e.g. maple table, harpoon)
- Bug fixing and performance optimisation
- QoL improvements
As for the 1.0 version, our current plan is to expand the world with the Midlands region, windwall crossing, bringing new Heralds, new creatures, ship parts and much more - essentially doubling the size of the game.
There may be a need to wipe progress on occasion, but we'll give players advance notice so players can be prepared and do it only when 100% necessary.
How are you planning on involving the community in your development process?
During Early Access, we'll continue working directly with players via our Discord. We will continue to gather and discuss feedback with our community as we have been. We care deeply about our community and their perspective on things. The more you play and share, the better Lost Skies becomes.
A Note for World’s Adrift Veterans
If you were part of the skies before, thank you. We haven’t forgotten our roots.
Anyone who owns World’s Adrift in their Steam Library will be able to:
- Claim a 20% discount on Lost Skies from Early Access through 1.0
- Unlock a super unique World’s Adrift cosmetic pack, filled with items voted for by the community a few months back.
This is our way of saying welcome home, thank you for your continuous support and for helping inspire what’s next.
What’s Coming Up
There’s a lot to be excited about as we count down to April 18th:
- Community Dev Q&A video
- Early Access Roadmap
- Team Bossa joins Kinda Funny Games live
- Lost Skies featured in the Galaxies Showcase
- Your favourite streamers playing Lost Skies. You’ll see Mizkif, Tectone, Force Gaming and more exploring the skies in Early Access.
Make sure you’re following us on socials so you don’t miss a thing.
As always, thank you for being part of this journey.
We’ve got a wild ride ahead and it’s just getting started.
We’ll see you in the skies - April 18th.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1931180/Lost_Skies/