Early Access

From the moment we started work on Banner Saga, one thing that has been important to us is bringing the players along for the journey. We have always valued players getting into early builds and giving us feedback on what we’re making. While the game has changed, the philosophy hasn’t.

Towerborne is the biggest game we’ve ever undertaken and we need you more than ever. While we set out to make a game we could play with our friends and family, at the end of the day, it’s about you–our players . And we believe building the coolest, most fun, most exciting game means we built it with you, not just for you.

Early Access gives us–Stoic and the opportunity to improve the game, expand the world, and ultimately tweak and tune our newest game so that it can be a multi-year experience. You’re the ones playing this day-in and day-out, help us get it right!

Our goal is to release the game when it’s ready. In this early build you can expect an early access storyline, tons of enemies, gear to find, and 4 full player classes to choose from.

Players can expect dozens of hours of gameplay with will expand throughout Early Access when we add new Ventures, Danger Levels, enemies, Legendary items, and more systems!

There is a lot more we want to add, but it is important to see how our players respond to the game. We will remain in Early Access long enough to tune, balance, and polish the experience.

Alright, here’s the most important thing you need to know before you buy-in: When we leave Early Access, Towerborne will be released as a free-to-play live game.

Well, put simply – the best free-to-play build will be informed by feedback and what players want to see. So, we want to welcome those who want to build with us – to help us get Towerborne into the best place it can be before the games are wide open.

Stoic has a special relationship with our players. Banner Saga was born because you believed in us, and you invested in us, and while our studio and our ambitions and our capabilities have grown – we are committed to honoring this special relationship. With Towerborne, we can ship an Early Access game we think is fun, and we know will improve – because of all of the players who choose to be a part of an active community that engages with us to shape what Towerborne will be at launch. We want you along for the ride!

Also, please read the section Will the game be priced differently during and after Early Access, we discuss our ethical philosophy about going Free-to-Play!

Our goal is to release the game when it is ready. With this early build you will experience an early access storyline and features we want to test and build with the players.

Early Access release will include:

• 4 Classes, which you can switch between at any point during the game (except mid-combat)
  • The Pyroclast, who uses Warclubs
  • The Sentinel, who uses Sword and Shield
  • The Rockbreaker, who uses Gauntlets
  • The Shadowstriker, who uses Daggers
• 4 Danger Levels to conquer, with a plan to release more when we can.
• Hundreds of Discovery Missions to fight through and unlock
• 13 Venture Missions (replayable dungeon-esque encounters) with multiple bosses to fight and a variety of challenging lieutenants.
• Tons of gear and weapons to find and equip
• A myriad of Aspects will modify your Class build

Players can expect anywhere from 30 – 60 hours of play that will expand throughout the Early Access period as we add new Ventures, Danger Levels, enemies, Legendary items, and systems! 

There will be only one full progress wipe during Early Access, and rest assured: ALL Founder’s Pack items and any COSMETIC ITEMS purchased or granted will carry over.  Please understand that this is important as we implement new and update systems and improve the content and progression of Towerborne. We want to be able to let you have fun and break things without worrying too much.

Towerborne is sold for a fixed price during Early Access. Becoming a Founder by purchasing a Founder’s pack will get you early access to play Towerborne, and with your help we will fine tune the game on its way to a full, free-to-play release.

We want to take a moment and let you know that Stoic is committed to the following:

• To play during Early Access, players must purchase a Founder’s Pack.
  • As a Founder, you play a crucial role in bringing our vision of a dynamic and immersive world to life. Your support helps us create an experience that will captivate and entertain for years to come.
  • As a Founder, you will receive an item each month upon login during Early Access, as a reward for your ongoing support and to enhance your in-game experience.
• When Towerborne exits Early Access it will be free-to-play.
• For both Early Access and Free Players, ALL updates will be free and NO gameplay will ever be gated behind paid DLC.
  • Weapons, gear, or any and all forms of power-progression will never be behind a paywall. We will be selling exciting cosmetics and must-have convenience items – but those will not influence your power progression.

As we have done in the past, we are focused on playing with, and listening to, you, the player. In addition to our Discord where we hang out and engage with you, there will also be special surveys, posts, and other information that we put out to Founders on a regular basis. That said, the most important thing is that we are active in these spaces and engaging with you.

Look, of course, we can’t take every note or turn every suggestion into reality, but figuring out the best ideas means we have the space to do it together. How you feel and what you want will drive how we update and improve the game.

This is a long-term, living game and we want to establish our communication with you early!